Plot

William, a once obese and depressed adolescent, is able to move past his teenage years when he moves to the city and comes out as being gay. When he returns home though, he can't cope with his memories.

William, a once obese and troubled teen, goes back to his family's home after being gone, without word, for ten years and finds it (and his family) haunted with his past. He had moved to the city and become a fit, well-adjusted gay man, but during his visit home, he becomes unhinged as the newly remembered reasons for his miserable adolescence come to life in each of their presents.—Tom Hunt Brooks <thuntb@relaypoint.net>

Sweet William, a gay man named after the flower of the same name, had a difficult growing up period in rural Nova Scotia with his alcoholic father, Whiskey Mac, nurturing their garden more than he nurtured the family which included forcing William to memorize the common names of plants and when they bloomed with the consequences for not doing so often being beaten, with his mother Iris trying to deny his homosexual orientation with a specific act, and with his devoutly Catholic paternal grandmother, who he calls Nana and he loves dearly, also reacting strongly against discovering his homosexual orientation. That family dysfunction was arguably the reason for William's obesity during his teenage years in not much liking himself. Since moving to the city ten years ago, William has flourished in life, including being in a loving same-sex relationship and no longer being overweight. Somewhat to his family's surprise, William returns home for the first time since moving away for his younger sister Rosemary's wedding to her and William's childhood friend, Fletcher. Beyond everyone now being ten years older including William, Rosemary and Fletcher's transitions into adulthood, not much has changed within the family dynamic except for Nana now suffering from dementia, and William meeting his precocious and tomboyish adolescent sister Violet for the first time, she who was born after he left for the city. Despite being a different person than he was ten years ago, William will have to reconcile his life back to his time growing up at the family home, especially the continual visions he and others have of something hanging in the garden that was there ten years ago. His family, including Fletcher, will also have to do the same to be able to move on successfully with their individual lives.—Huggo

Having run away as a self-hating, obese and abused 15-year old, William returns to his parents home after 10 years to attend his sister's wedding. He's happy in his new life, with a partner, steady work and having lost all of his excess weight. Being back at home revives all of awful memories of his childhood: overeating because it's the one thing nobody can stop him from doing; being hit by his drunken and abusive father; being seen by his grandmother when he has his first sexual encounter with a male friend; his mother arranging for him to have sex with a woman while she sat in the next room. New revelations are in store however.—garykmcd