A debut short-story collection explores themes of sexual predilection, religion, and displacement.

Much of Anthony’s writing has sexuality at its core, either positing an unknown interpretation (“The Sexual Secrets of the Book of Esther”) or emphasizing the life-shaping magnitude of erotic—especially pederastic—encounters (“Loss”; “‘And, of course, you would have handled it much better’”). Many of the narratives carry an exotic flavor, with protagonists displaced from Latin America to the United States or vice versa. “The Rebel” goes further still, situating a white doctor in Burma during a dreamy, almost fever-ridden uprising by Kachin guerrillas. Of the 14 stories, the final six present Roman Catholic priests as viewpoint characters for events—often homoerotic encounters—that took place many years ago. Two of these (“The Temptation of Msgr. McCarthy” and “The Last Chapter”) concern themselves with men of faith uncovering the hidden proclivities of persons now deceased. The tone of writing throughout these stories suggests a broad acceptance of gay sexuality and compassion for those whose inclinations have resulted in suffering (church officials included). The result is an attitude at once more broad-minded than Catholic doctrine might suggest and yet more forgiving of abuses than readers may be comfortable with. Anthony writes with polished prose, evincing a literary fondness that will elevate the tales for some readers yet make them less accessible to others. “The Shelley Manuscript,” for instance, tells of a spirit writer (employed by a credulous Arthur Conan Doyle) who channels Oscar Wilde to recount a historically challenging eyewitness reappraisal of Shelley and Lord Byron. The story is layered and erudite, but relies in no small degree on readers possessing some familiarity with the subject matter. “Hercules: Love and Death,” in retelling the Greek myth of Alcestis and Admetus from the perspective of a modern-styled, sensitive Hercules, similarly benefits from readers knowing the original tale. Many of Anthony’s stories contain passing references to Greek mythology or Shakespeare (“The storm was Shakespearean, but no brave new world appeared”). The tense varies from past to present, the perspective from first to third person (with one story told in the second person). Most of the tales are life pieces, more reflective than hard-hitting. But when taken together, they pack a melancholic je ne sais quoi.

Wistful, yearning, and engrossing reflections on humans as creatures of uncertainty.