Laskey composes elegant portraits of each character, drawing us into intimate worlds that pulse with light and sound, only to swiftly guide our attention elsewhere; if that character reappears at all, it will be in a minor role. Some voices are even more compelling than others, but over all Laskey inhabits each of their perspectives credibly, exhibiting a vocal range that grants the reader a panoramic view of the proceedings ... In Laskey’s artful hands this moral is delivered with such conviction and grace that it somehow feels fresh, and, thus, essential.
Each point of view rings true and distinct from the rest; none remain central to the storyline. Rather, the book’s narrative feels as diffuse—yet coherent—as droplets of water scattered in the air after rain. Once we step back and watch the light shining through, the larger picture springs into vivid, poignant focus ... Laskey does not shy away from more complex, sometimes troubling moments and themes. She does not demand a perfect bow-wrapped resolution to any of the characters’ stories, save perhaps for one ... Laskey’s choice to operate in vignettes allows her writing talent to shine and makes for an enjoyable, leisurely read. The book does not feel rushed in its pacing and the central storyline unfolds with the inevitability of true life. The moments that stay with us, like one character’s description of the silence of a deer hunt, or an elderly woman’s meditation upon memory and gardening, may come from any quarter. No character is wholly sympathetic ... Under the Rainbow will ring true for a wide audience, regardless of gender expression and sexuality, for its wry humor and universal truths.
The fish-out-of-water conceit isn’t wholly unrealistic: More LGBTQ people have been moving to red states in recent years, thanks to a lower cost of living and increased legal protections. Still, Laskey, a Los Angeles-based writer with an MFA from the University of New Mexico, makes great demands on our capacity to suspend disbelief ... If it feels far-fetched, it’s also refreshing ... And it doesn’t come at the end of a neat, tidy arc ... a fragmentary structure works, underscoring how emotional change happens in individual and complicated ways ... Laskey’s vision of inclusion is all-encompassing. It’s also alert to how halting and surprising the path can be.
Each chapter is an intimate look into the human soul ... I really appreciated the structure of Under the Rainbow. It is unique, but perfect for the novel’s setting ... Laskey magically weaves so many of life’s problems into the story ... While bouncing from townsperson to task force member can be confusing, Laskey does a good job of gently reminding readers of the relationships among the characters. Even though each chapter follows different story arcs, the full picture of Big Burr would be incomplete without each and every account that Laskey gives us ... I was hooked from the very first page ... One concern is the potential for a classic happily-ever-after ending: everyone learns the error of their ways and becomes welcoming of the LGBTQ population. However, it does not conclude with hand-holding around a campfire and singing 'Kumbaya.' LGBTQ acceptance in America is still not a given, and Laskey is making a statement on the current state of our society. The struggle for acceptance is not trivialized here; instead, the novel grapples with the challenges that come with this journey. The story is quite down-to-earth and realistic. Every reader can relate to at least one character ... an accessible book to everyone, even if they do not identify as queer. Laskey has a true grasp on the human condition, and I am excited to read what she has in store for us in the future.
At turns melancholy, bittersweet, and even buoyant, the stories constitute a kind of queer, twenty-first-century Our Town that, in this revisionist exercise, is deeply satisfying. A fine first novel.
... [a] pointed if didactic debut ... While some of the characterizations are subtle, Laskey too often relies on stereotypes of unenlightened hicks, and what begins as a nuanced novel segues into a predictable morality tale, with the outsiders imparting life lessons to those willing to listen, leaving the others mired in despair. Kansas deserves better than this.
Laskey inhabits each of these characters with skill and grace in a tour de force of first-person narration that illustrates how dangerous isolated, rural places can be for queer people. However, the conceit of Laskey's novel is troubled, and it requires a certain dependence on stereotypes, queer and straight, urban and rural, open-minded and closed, that hampers its success. Laskey is most convincing when she turns stereotypes on their heads ... Laskey seems to suggest that Middle America can only change, reluctantly, with a push from the educated coastal elites who escaped its confines ... Energetic and compelling, a promising first book from a writer to watch.
