START A CONVERSATION ABOUT . . .. . . secrets

Discussion Questions

• Brotherisasomewhatpassivepersonatthebeginningofthestoryandgoesalongwithwhathisgrandmotherandsmall-townlifeinSchuylerrequireofhim.Howdoesthischangeinthecourseofthestory?Whatarethecatalystsforthischange?

• WhatisBrother’sdefinitionofafamilyandhowdoesthischangebytheendofabook?DescribehowBrotherandGabequestionandresolvetheirdifferentideasofwhatafamilyis.Whatabrotheris?

• HowdoesmeetingKitinfluenceBrother?DoyouthinksheandBrotherwillstillbetogetherintenyears?Whyorwhynot?

• Thereareanumberoffraternalpairingsinthestory:BrotherandGabe,ColeandJack,SenatorandAmos,MitchellandCarl—evenunrelatedTrooperandFrankbecomebrothersofakind.Compareandcontrastoneortwoofthesepairings.Whatdoesitmeantobesomeone’sbrother?Whatareabrother’sburdens,obligations,andresponsibilities?

• Mem’sprimaryliferuleis:payattention,payattention,payattention.HowimportantispayingattentioninthelivesofBROTHER,BROTHER’smaincharacters?Inlife?

• FamilyandhiddenpastsplaybigrolesinBROTHER,BROTHER.HowdoesBrother’sarrivalatEdenrevealandalterthetroubledfamilyhistoryontheislandestate?

• DescribeBrotherandGabe’sinitialinteraction.Howdoyouthinktheirrelationshipwillprogressinthefuture?WhatdoyouseeBrotherandGabedoinginfifteenyears?Inthirty?Doyouseethemcloserorfurtherapart?

• TheSenator’sislandiscalledEden.Inwhatwaysisthisplaceaptlynamed?Inwhatwaysnot?

• TheOscarWildequote,“Thepureandsimpletruthisrarelypureandneversimple,”isthreadedthroughoutthestory.HowdoesBrothercometotermswithhishiddenfamilyhistory?

• Thesearchforidentityisanessentialcomponenttothestory.WhatparallelscanyoudrawbetweenBrother,Gabe,andtheSenator’sreactiontothefamilyrevelations?Howdothesereactionsdiffer?

REALITYREADS.COM

A Discussion Guide for BROTHER, BROTHER by Clay Carmichael

A note from the author

What makes your book real?“On the most basic level, I hope that BROTHER,BROTHERhas a strong senseofplace. I’manativeNorth Carolinian and though the places in thebook arefictional, they’rebasedonN.C. Piedmontand coastal places. The characters are compositesof people, family and not, whom I have known intheyearsI’velivedinandexploredmystate.NorthCarolinahaslongbeensharplydividedaboutmanyissues, just as the country is today. In BROTHER,BROTHERIexploredtheseinmicrocosm,usingthepersonalandpoliticaldivideswithinBrother’sfamily.Growingup,thiswaswhereIfirstexperiencedthesedividesandexperiencedthemmostintensely.”—CLAYCARMICHAEL

A note from the editor

What made you acquire this book?“BROTHER,BROTHERisoneofthosebookswhereyou fall in lovewith thecharacters immediately.When I made my offer for this novel, I evenincludedachartofwhocouldplaywhominthemovieversion—that’showclearlyIcouldvisualizethese people! I especially love Brother, who issearching for his identity and uncovering somedeeplyunsettlingsecretsalongtheway.”—NANCYMERCADO

Ages 12 and upHC: 9781596437432 • $17.99/$19.99 CAN

E-Book: 9781596438798 • $9.99