The Floodmakers

Fiction Review

At heart, The Floodmakers is a novel about the unspoken compromises
necessary for remaining a family. Harold Buelle, the gay son of an aging
playwright, is trying to make his way in theatrical world without familial
assistance. His father, Dee Buelle, is a household name in the best literary
and social circles. When Harold's stepmother, Jean, calls complaining that
his father has stopped taking his heart medication necessary, Harold
realizes the time has come to return to the family's home along the Gulf
Coast.

Harold and his sister, Sarah, arrive with the intention of helping their
stepmother with a family intervention. Sarah's husband, Paul, accompanies
her with the intention of completing an independent documentary on the
playwright's life and foisting a completed manuscript on his father-in-law.
The tensions and struggles for control send each member of the family into
some kind of emotional tailspin. With every confrontation and revelation,
the family bonds become more tattered until Sarah and Paul decide they have
had enough leaving Harold to discover and tell the family's truths.

Mylene Dressler, author of The Deadwood Beetle and The Medusa Tree,
currently resides in Houston. Born in the Hague, the Netherlands, she has
lived in Europe, Latin America, and the United States.


Pam Kingsbury
Southern Scribe Reviews