Not My Brother’s Keeper by Colette McCormick has just been published with Accent Press. Asking the question ‘How strong are your family ties?’, it explores the family dynamic, the sibling dynamic and the changes in these relationships over the years.
Robert is a lad, a boy about town. Girls gravitate towards him and guys want to be his friend. Robert’s younger brother Tom looks up to his big brother, he idolises him, hoping that some day he can be just as cool. As the years pass and the teenage years go by, Robert is working as a mechanic with Michelle, his girlfriend, by his side. Michelle is a nurse with plans for a very bright future but plans change, and, for Michelle, her life takes a dramatic twist on the discovery of her being pregnant.
Robert is unable to cope. He’s young. His whole life is ahead of him. He has no interest in fatherhood, marriage or settling down, so he makes a break for it. He runs.
Leaving his parents distraught and Michelle in bits, Robert leaves a note for each of them. He makes one request to Tom, that he would look out for Michelle.
But Robert never looks back. His mother is distracted by him leaving. His father is angry and Tom is in shock. How could his brother, his idol do such a shameful thing?
As time passes, an unexpected love blossoms between Michelle and Tom. Their relationship develops and moves on, with memories of Robert pushed to the background.
Robert’s story is a very different one. He never forgets what he did. His disappointment is palpable, his disgust with himself is always with him. He tries to make a new life for himself and tries to move beyond the callous decision of his youth but it’s very hard to escape your past.
After sixteen years, Robert makes the decision to return home, to face up to his past but when Tom and Michelle hear he is town, they are afraid, frightened of what he will want and what he will take away with him.
Not My Brother’s Keeper is a gentle read with a very important message in it’s core, the importance of family. Robert and Tom are two brothers with a shared history. After years apart, can their relationship be re-established or is the damage too great?
There is no major drama or twist in Not My Brother’s Keeper. It is a study of humanity and how we cope with life when something arises that could tear us down. How much are we prepared to forgive? How far are we willing to go to make reparation?
(c) Swirl and Thread
Order your copy online here.
