Fellow Travelers

NOW A SHOWTIME LIMITED SERIES starring Matt Bomer, Jonathan Bailey, and Allison Williams—this searing historical novel plunges you into the shadowy corridors of 1950s Washington, D.C., where political ambition and forbidden love collide in devastating ways.

Thomas Mallon, the acclaimed author of Watergate and Up With the Sun, crafts a world dominated by the likes of Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, and Joe McCarthy—a world where ideology runs bare-knuckled and secret dossiers can destroy lives. At the heart of this dangerous landscape is Timothy Laughlin, a devout Catholic and recent college graduate eager to join the crusade against Communism. When he encounters Hawkins Fuller, a charismatic State Department official, Tim discovers not only his first job but his first love affair.

As McCarthy’s desperate bid for power intensifies and government investigations target “sexual subversives,” Tim and Fuller must navigate their double lives with increasing peril, moving between the diplomatic circles of Foggy Bottom and NATO’s European front lines. Mallon weaves political drama with unexpected humor and heartbreak, creating an unforgettable portrait of love in an era when it could cost you everything.

The New York Times Book Review praises the novel’s “crisp, buoyant prose”—a testament to Mallon’s ability to illuminate a dark chapter of American history with both tenderness and unflinching honesty. Perfect for readers who appreciate literary fiction that tackles LGBTQ+ history with depth and authenticity.

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