Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt

The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt: After graduating from high school, Boaz Katznelson joined the Marines. Two years later, he comes home - and he's not the same person he was when he left. Once, he was his little brother's idol and the star of his school; now, he's distant, a shadow of his former self. He refuses to travel in cars or talk about his experiences.

Levi, Bo's younger brother, is determined to find out what happened. There are those who may say they'd be willing to follow their loved ones to the ends of the Earth, but not everyone would actually do that. Levi would. It is from Levi's point of view that this story is told, as he joins his older brother on a walk that will take them far from home -- and closer to the truth.

This is the story of an Israeli-American family, of any American family with brothers, of soldiers and the civilians who love and support them, of broken heroes, of survivor's guilt, and of heritage. The Things a Brother Knows is not about whether or not we should be in this war we're in; it never encourages nor discourages readers to enlist. Instead of preaching or teaching about politics, Dana Reinhardt's powerful story discusses how and why we connect with others, and illustrates an unbreakable bond between two brothers who are striving to know each other - and themselves - better.

I recently updated the author's website at http://www.danareinhardt.net - Drop by to say hello to Dana and learn more about her other novels.

2 comments :

Meytal Radzinski said...

I liked Reinhardt's A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life a great deal but haven't read any of her other books. The Things a Brother Knows seems fascinating on many counts - the war story (which is fairly missing in young adult literature), brotherhood (which is often poorly done), and the whole premise.

I'm looking forward to reading this.

Little Willow said...

Thanks for leaving a comment, Biblibio! I hope you enjoy Things. If you liked Brief Chapter, I think you'll appreciate her other works.