start a conversation about . . . . . . secrets · in brother, brother i explored these in...

START A CONVERSATION ABOUT . . . . . . secrets Discussion Questions • Brother is a somewhat passive person at the beginning of the story and goes along with what his grandmother and small-town life in Schuyler require of him. How does this change in the course of the story? What are the catalysts for this change? • What is Brother’s definition of a family and how does this change by the end of a book? Describe how Brother and Gabe question and resolve their different ideas of what a family is. What a brother is? • How does meeting Kit influence Brother? Do you think she and Brother will still be together in ten years? Why or why not? • There are a number of fraternal pairings in the story: Brother and Gabe, Cole and Jack, Senator and Amos, Mitchell and Carl—even unrelated Trooper and Frank become brothers of a kind. Compare and contrast one or two of these pairings. What does it mean to be someone’s brother? What are a brother’s burdens, obligations, and responsibilities? • Mem’s primary life rule is: pay attention, pay attention, pay attention. How important is paying attention in the lives of BROTHER, BROTHER’s main characters? In life? • Family and hidden pasts play big roles in BROTHER, BROTHER. How does Brother’s arrival at Eden reveal and alter the troubled family history on the island estate? • Describe Brother and Gabe’s initial interaction. How do you think their relationship will progress in the future? What do you see Brother and Gabe doing in fifteen years? In thirty? Do you see them closer or further apart? • The Senator’s island is called Eden. In what ways is this place aptly named? In what ways not? • The Oscar Wilde quote, “The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple,”is threaded throughout the story. How does Brother come to terms with his hidden family history? • The search for identity is an essential component to the story. What parallels can you draw between Brother, Gabe, and the Senator’s reaction to the family revelations? How do these reactions differ? REA LIT YREADS.COM A Discuion 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, BROTHER has a strong sense of place. I’m a native North Carolinian and though the places in the book are fictional, they’re based on N.C. Piedmont and coastal places. The characters are composites of people, family and not, whom I have known in the years I’ve lived in and explored my state. North Carolina has long been sharply divided about many issues, just as the country is today. In BROTHER, BROTHER I explored these in microcosm, using the personal and political divides within Brother’s family. Growing up, this was where I first experienced these divides and experienced them most intensely.” —CLAY CARMICHAEL A note from the editor What made you acquire this book? “BROTHER, BROTHER is one of those books where you fall in love with the characters immediately. When I made my offer for this novel, I even included a chart of who could play whom in the movie version—that’s how clearly I could visualize these people! I especially love Brother, who is searching for his identity and uncovering some deeply unsettling secrets along the way.” —NANCY MERCADO Ages 12 and up HC: 9781596437432 • $17.99/$19.99 CAN E-Book: 9781596438798 • $9.99

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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

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