Mark Valerian, the second son in the Valerian family, is ill, but determined to live life to the fullest - and live forever if he can. When he discovers Bill Mackey, a young theatrical designer who is also suffering from this disease neither wants to name, he also finds the lover of his dreams.

Together they develop an incredible plan to survive that will take them to Europe, to rustic Maine, and finally to the wonderful seaside summer mansion of the Valerian family, where father and son confront the painful ties of kinship … and the joyous bonds of love.

Originally published in 1988, it was Ferro’s final novel, completed in the months leading to his death from AIDS as he cared for his lover Michael Grumley. This new edition contains a foreword by Tom Cardamone (Crashing Cathedrals: Edmund White by the Book).

Second Son is transcendently beautiful; exquisitely written, exquisitely restrained. The accomplishment of Second Son reminds us of what literature has always been about - the deep examination of the soul. Rich, poignant, unforgettable, it leaves one with a rare feeling of having been in touch for a little while with the things that really matter - Anne Rice

In a purity of language met by purity of feeling, Robert Ferro’s Second Son illuminates a tragedy of our time - the fusion of love and grieving, devotion and sorrowing - that is as venerable as the human heart itself. Earlier novels that center around sickness have turned out to be life-giving - Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain comes first to mind - and Robert Ferro enters this tradition with touching artistry, in his own robust yet tranquil voice, and with the lucent and simple clarity of hope. - Cynthia Ozick

I admired The Family of Max Desir. I love Second Son. The surprising story of the love between two men threatened by

illness is full of fine authentic details and broader realizations about the human condition. - Doris Grumbach