New Queer Historical Novel Available from Frayed Edge Press

Nov 10, 2026

"…successfully blends mid-20th century reality with a riveting portrait of queer self-discovery, love, and longing."—BookLife Editor’s Pick

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Nov 10, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - Frayed Edge Press is pleased to announce the publication of Music the World Makes by John P. Loonam.

In New York City, 1957, Betty McCready is in love with her best friend, Rose Palermo. But when Rose chooses the safety of convention and marries, Betty is left to build a life in a world that seems to have no space for her.

Determined not to disappear into a marriage she doesn't want, yet unwilling to embrace the full visibility her lover Josephine demands, Betty searches for a path between secrecy and truth while every step potentially threatens her family ties, her friendships, her sense of self.

As the city around her crackles with possibility and hypocrisy--jazz clubs humming with hidden lives, neighborhoods shifting under the first tremors of social change--Betty seeks a life where being true to herself doesn't require isolation, and community doesn't demand surrender.

A story of longing, courage, and the cost of authenticity, this novel follows one woman's fight to claim her true self in a society not ready to accept her.

What advance readers are saying:

"In exquisitely wrought, often heart-breaking, detail, Loonam's story follows a young Manhattan office worker who is quietly unable to conform to the familial and cultural demands placed upon women in the 1950s."--Diane Simmons, author of Kidnappers: A Love Story

"With great skill and understanding, John Loonam gives us a fully realized character in Betty McCreary, a woman trapped by the unjust mores of the 1950s. Betty's struggle to navigate her world make for a compelling--at times heart-stopping--and memorable read."--Martha Anne Toll, author and literary critic

"...aching, layered, and uplifting."--Kip Zegers, author of The Pond in Room 318

John P. Loonam is also the author of The Price of Their Toys (Cornerstone Press, 2026). He taught in New York's public schools for thirty-five years. He and his wife Maria and his sons John James and Joseph have lived in Brooklyn since before it was cool. Music the World Makes was inspired by family history as well as research into 1950s lesbian culture in New York.

The author is available for interviews, panel presentations, book signings, and other events. For more information, contact Frayed Edge Press at [email protected].

Music the World Makes officially launched November 10, 2026 and may be purchased directly from the press at https://www.frayededgepress.com/store/p156/music_order.html The book is also available through major online booksellers, including Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/1642510750?th=1 and Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/music-the-world-makes-john-p-loonam/1151869310 as well as most library book jobbers, including Ingram.

Frayed Edge Press is a small independent press located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which specializes in publishing marginalized voices, forgotten history, overlooked literature in translation, and works that wrestle with important questions impacting contemporary society. For more information about the press, visit our website at: https://www.frayededgepress.com/

Title: Music the World Makes
Author: John P. Loonam
Format: 6x9; 250 p.
ISBN: 9781642510751
Price: $18.00 (pbk.)
Link: https://www.frayededgepress.com/music_the_world_makes.html
Categories: Literary Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction