Cajun La., '70s: Zanny Ardoin has a lot on his mind: half of the motel he’s just begun to pay for is destroyed by fire; he and his wife have 10 mouths to feed; and there’s something just not right about their middle child, Morris, who is just beginning to realize he's not like the others.

Memoir,Action

Pre-teen Cajun boys Morris and Dickie Ardoin are playing outside with Ayla Jane, a child belonging to a family staying in one of their motel's kitchenettes. The scene sets up a common occurrence for the Ardoin children: they befriend the kids of "long-timer" customers in their roadside motel.

After 30 years running the business and raising a large family, the boys' dad, Zanny, is reluctantly led away from his beloved motel to spend his final years, mostly alone, in a nursing home. For years as Morris grew up, Zanny had unsuccessfully tried to "fix" his son, who he suspected was gay.

Cajun Country, Louisiana / Bayous, Swamps, Mardi Gras / 1970s

Yes

Overcoming Monster/Villain,Internal Journey/Rebirth,Tragedy

Coming of Age,Meaningful Message,Philosophical Questions

Extreme Violence

Name: Morris Ardoin

Age: 10-16

Gender: Other

Role: Protagonist

Key Traits: Adventurous,Aspiring,Clumsy,Complex,Empathetic,Engaging,Gracious,Educated,Insecure,Naive,Underdog,Secretive,Sarcastic,Funny,Outspoken,Modest

Name: Zanny Ardoin, father

Age: 50

Gender: Male

Role: Antagonist

Key Traits: Aggressive,Complex,Confident,Faithful,Heroic,Masculine,Uneducated,Blunt,Skillful,Sarcastic,Unapologetic

Name: Ortense Thompson, Grandmother

Age: 75+

Gender: Female

Role: mentor

Key Traits: Adventurous,Badass,Charming,Complex,Empathetic,Engaging,Faithful,Gracious,Heroic,Honorable,Insecure,Uneducated,Blunt,Selfless,Outspoken,Skillful,Funny,Unapologetic

Name: Eliza, Mother

Age: 48

Gender: Female

Role: emotional

Key Traits: Charming,Clumsy,Complex,Desperate,Empathetic,Engaging,Faithful,Gracious,Insecure,Underdog,Modest,Selfless,Skillful,Funny

This is the true story of Morris Ardoin, a gay preteen; his seven siblings; bigoted and violent dad; overwhelmed mother; unstoppable grandmother; and a sordid mix of customers they encounter at their little motel in hot, buggy, Cajun Louisiana in the ’70s. A week before Christmas half of the motel burns in a brutal fire. The Ardoins scramble to get back on their feet and get things going again. The fire rekindles the dad, Zanny’s long-repressed violent nature. He aims his most frequent and ferocious attacks at Morris. The preteen soon learns that his dad can’t accept a gay or “broken” son. It becomes Zanny’s mission to “fix” Morris, and Morris’s mission to survive intact. The boy is aided in his struggle immeasurably by the love and encouragement of a selfless and generous grandmother, Ortense, who provides the story with much of its warmth, wisdom, and humor. This is a detailed, colorful peek into a pocket of American culture–the Louisiana Cajuns in the late ’60s to mid-’70s–before cable TV, microwave ovens, and fast food homogenized it all. This story is relatable to young adults struggling to understand their sexual orientation; to be accepted in an unaccepting time and place. As a film or TV series, the motel setting and the joie-de-vivre of the Cajuns provide a more enchanting, uplifting version of “The Florida Project,” while the gay pre-teen’s struggle to survive his father’s violence calls to mind the heart-wrenching pain and ultimate triumph of “Boy Erased."

Morris Ardoin has worked as a journalist, editor, and public relations practitioner, focusing on higher education, immigrant’s rights, and equal access to healthcare for all. He is working on a cookbook companion to his memoir, as well as a collection of essays expanding on the lives of the “regulars” and “long-timers” he and his family encountered at their motel.

Age: 55+,35-54,18-34,13-17

Target Gender: LGBT Leaning,Male Leaning,Female Leaning,Universal

Cajuns/Southerners/Food Enthusiasts/Child Abuse Advocates/LGBT+

Status: Yes: with a Publisher

Publisher: University Press of Mississippi

Year Published: 2020

Yes

9781496827722