The Best Laid Plans

Britta Santowski is a freelance writer in Victoria, B.C.

This book chronicles the entangled lives of three lesbian women, Keely,
Darla, and Beth. The reader must also wade through the lives of a flock
of frequently indistinguishable lesbians and a token male cast that
includes the straight Brock; the gay, AIDS-inflicted Wally; and Reynaldo
the hairdresser. The novel is divided into three sections titled “The
Beginning,” “The Middle,” and—you guessed it—“The End.”

The opening sentence sets the tone for the rest of the novel: “In the
beginning ...” A later sentence—“Life really is just one big
cliché”—could be said to apply to Ross’s prose. For the first
half of the novel, the story and principal characters never really
emerge from the clutter. Even such basic facts as the ages of the three
primary characters are not revealed until mid-novel.

Lesbian texts can play a vital role in providing role models for
lesbian women and lesbian writers. Unfortunately, The Best Laid Plans is
not one of those texts.