Review: Challenging, gut-wrenching, solid: No Flag hits on all cylinders
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 17, 2014
Liz Borino's No Flag is the story of two men coming to grips with their innermost needs, one a dominant (stemming from severe OCD), the other a submissive (uncertain background so no way to pin this one down), but not in a way I was familiar with. They enter into a contractual arrangement, a carefully constructed domestic partnership that at first had me scratching my head, going <really??> but I stuck with it even though my own personality quirks interfered <the *no way* syndrome when *you* aren't like *them*>.There are friends with agendas, friends who try an intervention, seeing abuse, not a viable relationship.The one with OCD is recalled for active duty, there are separation issues, then a horrific war injury and the aftermath. Once I passed from nose wrinkling at the notion of a Domestic Discipline arrangement to mild acceptance, I was hooked, invested even.It's a gut-wrenching ride, an eye-opener if you are unfamiliar with OCD and its extensions into relationships. Caveat: the dialog was often academic, distanced, "telling" so for that reason it's a 4.5* (rounded up), but a solid read and one worthy of a look.I learned something new, I learned to set aside some prejudices. And I had a bit of a cry.