Len & Club

Leonard "Len" Keith and Joseph "Cub" Coates grew up in the rural New Brunswick village of Havelock in the early 20th century. The two were neighbours, and they clearly developed an inseparable relationship. Len was an amateur photographer and automobile enthusiast who went on to own a local garage and poolhall after serving in the First World War. Cub was the son of a farmer, also a veteran of the First World War, a butcher, contractor, and lover of horses. Their time together is catalogued by Len’s photos, which show that the two shared a mutual love of the outdoors, animals, and adventure. Photographs of Len and Cub on hunting and canoe trips with arms around each other’s shoulders or in bed together make clear the affection they held for each other. Their story is one of the oldest photographic records of a same-sex couple in the Maritimes.

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Alicia Maheux

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average rating is 4 out of 5

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Len & Cub

Len & Cub is a non-fiction historical book about two men named Leonard Olive Kieth and Joseph Austin Coates, (or known by their nicknames, Len and Cub), who were a couple living in New Brunswick in the early 1900’s during a time when homosexuality was illegal in Canada. It chronicles their lives before, during, and after their relationship, using many photos, most of which were taken by Len himself.

Like I said before, non-fiction books like this aren’t always my cup of tea, but it surprised me a bit and it was interesting to learn about LGBTQ life back then. I can very clearly tell how much heart and soul was poured into the making of this book. The authors worked hard to have even the smallest detail be as accurate as possible. They worked incredibly hard on getting the facts and the photos, and there is PLENTY in this book. I rate this a 4 / 5 stars because it doesn’t spare a detail (As far as I know) but I think I’m more of a fiction type girl 😉. So if you like true history books, or want to learn more about Queer history this will not fail you!

I recommend this book.