“That’s what love is. Not the fireworks. Not whispered confessions under perfect lighting. Love is quieter than that. It’s stubborn. It’s patient. It’s someone saying I see you, and then staying. Refusing to leave when it gets hard. Choosing you, again and again, without needing applause for it.”

Under the Covered Bridge is a quiet, introspective coming-of-age novel told through the lens of Kaveh Hartwell, a queer teenager growing up in 1990s rural Quebec. In the wake of loss, Kaveh writes to the boy who changed everything, retracing the memories, both painful and tender, that shaped his journey.

What begins as an attempt to make sense of the past becomes something more: a reflection on love, grief, and the quiet strength it takes to be yourself in a world that doesn’t always make room for you. Through barnyard chores, silent classrooms, and whispered conversations, Kaveh begins to unearth a version of himself he never knew existed.

Told with tenderness and emotional honesty, this debut novel explores queer resilience, friendship, and the complicated beauty of becoming who you are.