LONGLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 2021
Summer Brother is an honest, tender account of brotherly love
between a disabled boy and his abled brother, which will resonate with
readers of Rain Man.
"Dutch author Jaap Robben's second novel shows us the shedding of
innocence. Summer Brother, translated by David Doherty, shakes out
over a hot summer, during that potent lull when characters so splendidly
boil, burst and bloom...Summer Brother grapples with the consequences
of carelessness and the abuse of power and trust, even if the violation
is unintentional...Robben is wonderful at drawing characters with just a
few deliberate strokes...Like a photographer shooting a portrait, Robben
captures his subjects in Summer Brother in a focused close-up."
--New York Times
Thirteen-year-old Brian lives in a trailer on a forgotten patch of land
with his divorced and uncaring father. His older brother Lucien,
physically and mentally disabled, has been institutionalized for years.
While Lucien's home is undergoing renovations, he is sent to live with
his father and younger brother for the summer. Their detached father
leaves Brian to care for Lucien's special needs. But how do you look
after someone when you don't know what they need? How do you make the
right choices when you still have so much to discover? Summer Brother
is an honest, tender account of brotherly love, which will resonate with
readers of Rain Man.
