Changing Gears

About the Book

TOM van Voorst, a Dutch businessman, 45, has been married for 20 years to Ellen. The father of two sons, he finds himself yielding to his latent desires, and has sex with a man. Through unexpected complications, he feels compelled to “come out” to his wife, which creates even more tension in the couple’s already stale and distant relationship.

During a visit to San Francisco for a meeting, he stays for a few days to confront two major surprises:

1) The offer of a promotion and the opportunity to stay there for one year, on a try-out basis.
2) During a side trip to L. A. to visit his old friend Ben, he meets and falls in love with a young man.

Realizing that he would like to follow his instincts and become a part of the gay scene, but that Amsterdam would not be the place for a double life with lies and hidden games, fears of being caught, and so compromising his family, he accepts the offer and moves to San Francisco.

The year without a “care-taking” wife are often hard, but he finds uplifting support from his closest friend, Ben, who introduces him to many of his acquaintances, resulting in relationships of various value, different nature and diverse durability.

We follow Tom’s life and that of the van Voorst-clan in Holland and the USA. We encounter a crowd of characters through their meeting with Tom, often called Tommy, (representing the two unique sides of this same person) by virtue of where and with whom he interacts.

The main theme of this book is the new path our hero has to take, (his so called “Changing Gears”) in order to fulfill his real “Self.” This he can only achieve by getting rid of the stultifying rules, the heavy “chains” he has carried his whole life, or, in other words the restricting corset of convention that he hitherto deemed as essential to fit into the “Acceptance-Game of Life.”

FRANS BOERLAGE
September 2006



"A compelling story of conflict and choice set against an international background from Amsterdam to San Francisco, as only Frans Boerlage can tell it." --Christine Candland, author of Topaz Woman



ONLY A MASTER STORYTELLER COULD HAVE WOVEN HIS NARRATIVE,"CHANGING GEARS”, a tale of conflict and resolution. FRANS BOERLAGE has achieved the ultimate in his presentation of the gay lifestyle mixing with the so- called normal society. The ending is a triumph. Prejudice and rejection, shame and remorse follow Tom, who has to confront his wife and two sons when he accepts that he is gay. --Annette Robinson, teacher and writer

About the Author

Dutch born opera stage director Frans Boerlage staged more than 180 productions: 23 years at University of Southern California, previously 19 years at Netherlands Opera, seven productions at the Liceu, Barcelona, nine productions in two years Seattle Opera, (American debut 1972, Lucia di Lammermoor with Beverly Sills), directed all over in the USA, Canada, South America, South Africa and many cities in Europe. These days is back to writing, after collaboration on plays and a musical. Recently author of two memoirs: Portrait Incomplete (Xlibris-2004) and Rápido to Endstation (Xlibris-2006) and the novel Changing Gears (soon to be published). In addition, his award winning poems published in 2005. His philosophy: growing old in style, fighting Parkinson’s with humor.