My Policeman

by Bethan Roberts

The announcement of a new movie starring British heartthrob Harry Styles is sure to give his fans serious palpitations. So what a happy coincidence that “My Policeman,” Bethan Roberts’ novel that the film’s based on, would turn up in my queue at the local library.

And boy oh boy, lucky Harry. The story’s a doozy.

Marion, a shy young Englishwoman in a small seaside village, develops a friendship with handsome young Tom, the brother of her best friend. Tom dreams of joining the police force, while she wants to be a schoolteacher. When he returns from training, Marion is so swept off her feet by his curly blond locks and muscular physique, she is determined to marry him—despite what she detects is a lack of ardor on Tom’s part.

The story, told in the first person from her POV, then switches to the point of view of Patrick, a somewhat older, debonair, closeted gay man who works as a curator in the local museum. When Patrick happens to witness a bicycle accident one day, he reports it to the local constable who happens to be none other than Tom. The two men meet, exchange a few words and meaningful glances, and Patrick too is swept off his feet, comparing Tom to “that wonderful Greek boy with the broken arm in the British Museum.”  He does notice a considerable amount of ardor—on Tom’s part.

Poor Tom, who, like the closeted Heath Ledger character in “Brokeback Mountain,” is confused. His heart wants Patrick, but his “duty” is to marry Marion, who amazingly doesn’t suspect a thing.

Lest we judge Marion’s ignorance too harshly, remember this novel is set in 1950’s England, where same-sex love dared not speak its name. Or, heaven forfend, if such “invert” feelings were acted upon, they could land you in prison—and often did.

Besides the plot, what is so wonderful about Roberts’ language is her description of

the pure infatuation Tom inspires from both Marion and Patrick. Not only is it NOT cringe, it’s also swoon-worthy—and will resound with anyone who’s seen the frustration of Shirley MacLaine’s character in “The Children’s Hour” (1962), Julianne Moore’s in “Far From Away” (2002), and Michelle Williams’ in “Brokeback” (2006).

Anyway, I can’t wait to see how young Harry Styles will play Tom. I suspect millions of his young fans will suddenly be scouring thrift shops for British constabulary uniforms. Or how many bobbies will be selling theirs on eBay. And for how many bazillions of quid.