Love Ruins Everything

Britta Santowski is a freelance writer in Victoria, British Columbia.

The narrative of Love Ruins Everything shifts back and forth between the
stories of its two protagonists, Nomi Rabinovitch and her cousin Henry.
Nomi, a Jewish lesbian living in California, returns to Toronto to
attend her mother’s wedding. While there, she witnesses love in its
various forms and learns to embrace its complex and multifaceted nature.
Henry, who is also gay, lives with HIV. His story begins with what is at
first considered a “standard” gay bashing. As the novel unfolds, the
bashing becomes associated with a subversive AIDS-conspiracy theory that
Henry and his friend Al are considering exposing.

Karen Tulchinsky tackles some very serious issues and, at the same
time, writes in a style that thoroughly engages the reader. In spite of
the serious content—or perhaps because of it—we laugh along with the
characters as readily as we cry for their causes. Tulchinsky’s first
novel is a worthy addition to her outstanding literary works.