Some Rainbow

Pittsburgh, 1984.

Seventeen-year-old Phil Croydon arrives with little more than a duffel bag and the hope of leaving an abusive home behind. Finding refuge with his fiercely protective Hungarian grandmother, he discovers an unexpected family among the city's punks, drag queens, and outsiders who refuse to disappear.

Set against the fading steel mills, neighborhood diners, shopping malls, record stores, arcades, and neon nightlife of a changing Rust Belt city, Some Rainbow follows Phil as he navigates first love, friendship, epilepsy, grief, family expectations, and the difficult work of learning that he deserves to be loved.

Filled with sharp humor, unforgettable characters, and the music that defined a generation, the novel captures a Pittsburgh rarely seen in fiction: a city balancing industrial decline with stubborn hope, where found family can become stronger than blood and ordinary afternoons can quietly change the course of a life.

Both intimate and expansive, Some Rainbow is a coming-of-age story about resilience, identity, and the small moments that shape who we become. It is a love letter to forgotten neighborhoods, independent record stores, late-night conversations, and the people who create community in unexpected places.

Perfect for readers who enjoy literary fiction, LGBTQ+ coming-of-age stories, and richly observed historical settings, Some Rainbow offers an immersive journey through the sights, sounds, humor, heartbreak, and enduring hope of 1980s Pittsburgh.

Recognition

BookLife by Publishers Weekly - 8.5/10

Praised for its emotional authenticity, sharp humor, and vivid recreation of 1980s Pittsburgh, BookLife described Some Rainbow as a "funny, sweet, sad tale" that captures both the absurdity and resilience of queer coming-of-age.

Honors

• Longlisted for the 2025 Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA)

• Reviewed by BookLife by Publishers Weekly (8.5/10)