‘Faggot: An Appalachian Tale, Surviving Bullying’ by Frank E. Billingsley

As a young-adult-oriented memoir, Faggot has been 30 years in the making. As a teenager, Frank E. Billingsley couldn’t understand why he was constantly bullied. Depressed and humiliated, he finally manages to find inspiration through a personal revelation on a dark, rainy night. Under 100 pages, this “Appalachian tale” is ultimately a story of hope. Harvard Square Editions (harvardsquareeditions.com). —Lucy Doyle