Damascus by Joshua Mohr

At 206 pages Damascus is a light book, a light book that deals with a host of  heavy, complex issues, it touches briefly on lesbianism, cancer, alcoholism, art, soldiers, and war. The book sets the tone for the discourse of these topics, within the black walled, broken mirror decorated confines of the Damascus bar on Mission Street., The range of characters includes the depression induced, alcohol suffused Owen, owner of Damascus, said bar owner is currently in Santa Claus costume attempting to camouflage a physical birthmark that has robbed him of his self esteem.
His niece Daphne, is a creative, lively and caring person. There exists a very strong bond between uncle and niece.
The other characters in the book includes No-Eyebrows and Shambles who float around the edges of the bar.They add a third dimension to the book, the world outside. No-Eyebrows has stage four cancer and is looking to provide peace to his family, by ensuring their absence from his death.
Shambles turns tricks in the Damascus bar bathroom, tries to keep her trade professional but she succumbs to No-Eyebrows and his need for intimacy in his final days and he cannot bear to share this passage with his family.
This relationship is beset with the confusion of young romance, teenage angst and pain revived in the winter of their lives.
The book races into its fiery climax when Syl- Daphne's best friend, asks Owen if she could use the bar as a gallery for show-casing her anti-war art. She does this with all sincerity hoping her art will propel her forward as an artist.   
Syl is not the Force majeure, Bryan is an alcoholic Owen invites to his bar, Bryan is an ex-soldier discharged honourably from the army, he is unable to integrate himself with civilian life . His repulsion on seeing the art project spills over into the chaos that ensues.
Byran introduces us to Sam, Sam is caustic and scary. Malevolence and power soak his conversations. Joshua portrays the unhinged Sam as in control, defining the chaos that he has set to ensue.
A good book with a lot of depth it's insight is hidden well in plain sight between it's covers.

http://www.joshuamohr.net/