Thousands of years ago, having a choice was somewhat taboo. The only thing that defines one is the choices made for them by the society that they have grown in because straying away from what is common and known to be the best can be damning and dangerous, for one should never defy the culture and traditions that are bestowed upon them. However, there comes a time when a man can defy the expectations of society and find that hardships come to those who seek their true happiness.
Paul Trittin's historical fiction gives us a glimpse of what it is like to live during the era of the Roman Empire through the perspective of a man who defies the choices made for him.
Released in 2019 through Author Reputation Press, Jacobus: A Eunuch's Faith is a series that follows the story of Jacobus, a boy who has just reached manhood at age 14 sent out by his father to Valencia, Spain, where he must be an apprentice to learn his Jewish family's shipping business. He was what the Greeks call a "natural eunuch" as he finds himself living in the hold of a ship with two "cut eunuchs," which are Carthaginian cargo slaves who became his lovers. As time passed, Jacobus was able to progress successfully with his apprenticeship, prompting the family to recognize the natural leadership abilities he had surpassed at a young age. At the tender age of sixteen, he was able to develop a strategy and establish connections to enter the Indian trade through Egypt. His greatness, however, is overshadowed by his struggles in a society that is only accepting of those who live by its standards and where equality is almost non-existent because of its social classes. Jacobus' journey is a walk through a rediscovery of himself through his choices and lovers, bravely defying the society he is in.
With Paul Trittin's experience as a closeted gay man in a Christian household, he masterfully manipulates a character into a world where people are demonized, punished, and shamed for choosing a love where they can feel the happiest. Trittin carefully considered his theme in Jacobus and showed the readers the adversaries that the LGBTQ+ community faces every day in a culture that only accepts religion as a basis for humanity. He does a great job highlighting slave-master societies that use gender as a form of oppression by the ruling classes. Jacobus' story is heartbreaking and one that explores a world of barriers that are needed to be broken to ensure that everyone can live in a society where everyone is equal under one Creator.
Jacobus is not only a story of a gay man defying society's choices for him, but it is one that raises awareness and understanding of how religion is often used to oppress people in society. Trittin shows the readers that beliefs should not overpower our sense of morality, but instead, it should make us more accepting of a world where the Creator places a diverse set of people.
Paul Trittin's work is a story that should not be missed.
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