Walking on Nathan’s Grave
R. Luce
Independently Published (2025)
ISBN: 979-8992220247
Reviewed by Sheri Hoyte for Reader Views (06/2025)
I was prepared for an intense journey when I picked up Walking on Nathan’s Grave: A Tale Traversing Heaven and Hell by R. Luce. What I experienced was that and so much more. It’s a sophisticated tale of literary fiction, flawlessly blending police/crime fiction with psychological fiction, historical fiction, and a heart-stopping, emotional LGBTQIA+ romance.
Rob Wilson is a writer who is spiraling out of control after a recent break-up. After months of self-sabotage, a dear friend pushes Rob to get on with his life. With the desire for a fresh start, he leaves town and moves to a place with comforting memories from his childhood. But even though the geography has changed, Rob is still alone and feeling lost emotionally. And it doesn’t help professionally that he’s also suffering from writer’s block. He finds a part-time job that doesn’t fulfill him, but it does help pay the bills. He also posts an ad offering writing lessons, which is how he meets Jake Davidson.
Jake Davidson is a police officer with a story to tell. Well, he doesn’t actually have a story—not yet. In fact, it’s not even his story—not exactly. It’s the story of Nathan Sanders, who was executed by a vigilante lynch mob during the Jim Crow era on the land Jake inherited from his family. Jake believes Nathan deserves to be remembered truthfully, and he wants Rob’s help to get it right.
The two bond almost immediately, and a beautiful relationship develops. But even as Jake and Rob grow closer, friction at the police department comes from a fellow officer with a personal vendetta. It starts with subtle hostility and escalates into something more dangerous, soon pulling Rob into harm’s way as well.
WOW. WOW. WOW. To start, the writing is sharp and poetic, with a literary tone that is elevated and thoughtfully crafted. There is also an elegance in the emotional honesty of the prose. The sincerity pulls you in with a rhythm that keeps you hooked. At times I would just go back and re-read sentences for the sake of reading beautiful sentences. A few examples:
“I wish I were a writer, like you, and could get my thoughts and feelings down on paper. I wish I could capture time, step back and forth in it, and meet the people who are long gone and those who will come along after I’m dead and gone.” – p. 74
“‘Telling him, or almost any man, not to be sorry for crying was a waste of words better spent on little boys before they have been indoctrinated into the cult of masculinity where crying is a subversion of the natural order of things—the masculinity of men, the connection to the warrior brotherhood.” – p. 276
“When I recovered from the gasp I had dropped into the space between us, Jake said, ‘But you know I’ve never stopped loving you.’ He took me into his arms and held me tightly.” – p. 319
Swoon.
Then there is the layered storytelling structure. Rob and Jake’s relationship and the issues with the police department happen in the emotional present. Then we have Nathan Sanders’s historical (fictional) story. Then the memoir-like introspection from Rob. And if that’s not enough to entertain and captivate you, as Rob and Jake dig deeper into Nathan’s story, Rob writes fictional tales of how the events could have played out. He is a writer, after all, so his mind is always spinning stories. The way all these layers fit together is simply brilliant.
What stayed with me most was the relationship between Rob and Jake. The honesty makes it so powerful. Just two people being real with themselves and with each other, and it makes you think this is how it should be.
With themes like love, grief, justice, and the deep harm caused by racism and homophobia, Walking on Nathan’s Grave has something for just about everyone. And while the relationship grounds the book, it’s not the whole story. There are several transfixing moments outside the relationship, such as Rob’s internal dialogue as he works through the painful process of healing and moving through it to the other side. There’s also Nathan’s story, highlighting the truth behind the injustice that is very real in today’s world. We may not be lynching people anymore, but we still live in a system that punishes our differences and protects and reinforces power.
Walking on Nathan’s Grave by R. Luce is a rare story that does it right with precision, care, and emotional honesty. It stayed with me and left something lasting. It’s original, moving, thoughtful, and absolutely worth reading. It’s easily one of the most powerful LGBTQIA+ books I’ve read this year, and it’s a perfect pick for Pride Month.