FICTION

How To Bury Your Brother

by Lindsey Rogers Cook
Sourcebooks Landmark. May 2020. 384p. ISBN 9781728205373. pap. $16.99. F
COPY ISBN
DEBUT Just before her childhood home in Atlanta is to be razed, Alice Wright finds seven sealed letters hidden in a crawl space. The letters are written by her brother, Rob Tate, who died nine years earlier. Despite her disappointment that there is no letter for her, she sets out to deliver each of them, hoping to learn about Rob’s life and—especially—why he disappeared from home just before turning 16 and never returned. She and Rob had been particularly close, despite their five-year age difference, and she looked for him while his absence irretrievably damaged their family. Now, with her father dead and her mother in assisted living, Alice must face her own marital problems and family conflicts while struggling to stop the pattern of convenient lies.
VERDICT Although the title suggests that this is a mystery, it’s actually literary fiction about a particularly dysfunctional Southern family with dark secrets, featuring a woman who confronts hard truths. This is an accomplished, insightful debut ideally suited for book groups, with reading group guide and author interview included.
Reviewed by Michele Leber, Arlington, VA , Apr 01, 2020
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

FICTION

Secret Fling with the Billionaire
by Douglas, Michelle
FICTION

Holiday Under Wraps
by Mettner, Katie
FICTION

Tracking Down the Lawman’s Son
by Fossen, Delores
FICTION

Cold Case Protection
by Helm, Nicole
FICTION

One Waltz with the Viscount
by Martin, Laura
FICTION

When Cinderella Met the Duke
by Williams, Sophia
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?