Failure to Appear is an emotional look at one woman’s life as a fugitive in the late-60’s through 80’s.

This book read almost like a slice-of-life novel, which is an interesting way to share an experience that most people will never have. The pacing of the memoir, an easy but steady walk through almost 20 years, helps to balance the emotional nature of the events the author lives through. Freeman rolls out her story as if telling it to a friend and it makes you appreciate it all the more.

In addition to a portrayal of fugitive life before the digital age, the book touches on several serious and moving subjects from the open violence of the Vietnam war to the passive violence of the AIDS crisis. We learn about American and LGBTQ+ history from the first-hand perspective of a deeply caring woman.

It was easy to forget while reading that this wasn’t just some story, but the life of an actual person. Coincidences, lucky breaks, and tragedies alike take on a whole new weight every time the reader remembers that this is the life of a thinking and feeling person who simply wanted to do the right thing.

I recommend this book to everyone, but especially other LGBTQ+ people and anyone with a particular interest in the day-to-day of our history.

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