When Worlds Collide

A Novel

This fictional work tells the story of a unique and lasting bond that develops between three individuals from very different backgrounds, whose worlds collide in Manchester, England in the late 1980's. Although set mainly in Manchester, London and Nassau, Bahamas, pivotal parts of the story are set in Los Angeles, California and New York City.

Stephen Taylor is a young West Indian man who tries to loosen the shackles of a small town upbringing when he moves to England to attend university. He is troubled by the guilt that stems from his inability to accept his homosexuality and does everything in his power to hide from himself. Despite developing a powerful bond with Suresh Patel, a young, gay British man of Indian extraction and Tanya Collings, a troubled Canadian young woman, Stephen eventually returns to The Bahamas, where old demons resurface to haunt him. His path to self-discovery is fraught with challenges, which include a nervous collapse, a loveless marriage and the rejection of the man he truly loves. Ultimately, however, he finds redemption - and himself.

Tanya Collings is a young Canadian woman who has endured unfathomable physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her parents. She meets Stephen and Suresh soon after escaping to England and develops a special bond with them that ultimately helps her to heal her damaged life. Although she generally distrusts all men, with the exception of her friends Stephen and Suresh, she eventually meets Michael Rouse, a young Englishman with whom she falls in love and finally marries.

Suresh Patel is a brash (often coarse), self-assured British man of Indian parentage who is aware of his homosexuality from an early age, and accepts it completely. He moves to Manchester, after being rejected by his family and suffering a succession of tragedies. Suresh is the glue that holds the story together, providing a source of strength for Tanya and Stephen despite the challenges that he himself faces.

Ultimately, the story is one of hope, of how the power of love helps three very damaged people heal their lives - and those of the friends who come to mean more than family. It is a story that transcends the boundaries of race, colour, class and sexual preference and will likely appeal to men and women everywhere who have had to grapple with issues of incest, sexual and physical abuse, bisexuality, homosexuality, violence and AIDS. In the author's view, the story is particularly pertinent to the current international debate on issues surrounding gay relationships. In the United States, the catalyst for the current discussion has been the subject of marriage between same-sex partners; but at its foundation, the matter is far more complex than that. Cultural and religious taboos, intolerance and ignorance are all a part of the current global pre-occupation with gay, bisexual and trans-gendered persons and these are all subjects that are explored and debated in When Worlds Collide.