The Things a Brother Knows

Reinhardt, Dana. The Things a Brother Knows. Wendy Lamb Books: 2010. ISBN: 9780375844553.

Plot Summary:
Levi Katznelson is part of a good Jewish family. Life is pretty normal with no surprises, until his older brother Boaz joins the Marine Corp after high school graduation instead of entering one of the Ivy League Schools that accepted him. This sends the Katznelson family into a tailspin, they are angry and don't understand why he made this decision. As expected, Boaz is sent into combat and the family anxiously awaits his return. The book begins as Boaz comes home from the Marine Corp, his enlistment is over. Levi is still angry with Boaz for going away, he worshiped his big brother and is struggling with ambivalence. Once home Boaz is clearly not the same. He stays in his room and rarely comes out for meals. His conversations are minimal and very brief. After awhile Boaz announces that he is going to hike the Appalachian Trail. Levi doesn't believe that this is really his plan and follows him. The remainder of the story revolves around this trip.

Critical Evaluation:
This book fills a need for today's teens who have to deal with family members returning from combat. The author does a great job of showing the helplessness a family feels at seeing their loved one come home a changed person. This is also a commentary on teens joining right out of high school. The oorah doesn't last long and the teens are not prepared to deal with the situations. Before Boaz left he wasn't old enough to buy a beer, but he could go out and kill someone. Levi's voice is strong. At first he is angry and doesn't have a position on the war until Boaz joins, it really doesn't impact his life. That is a common experience for many people. Levi has always wanted to be like Boaz, confident, strong, good with the girls. These feelings mixed with the confusion about Boaz's joining up and how he is acting now that he is back home, anchor the story and allow both characters to grow and learn.

Reader's Annotation:
Sometimes knowing what you don't believe in is more important than knowing what you do believe in.

Bibliotherapeutic Purposes:
As family members it is important to try and understanding what a service member experiences during war. We can never completely understand, but reading novels like this give us a glimpse of the pain and conflict they are feeling.

Genre:
Issue Novel/Politics

Why I Chose This Book:
My son joined the Marine Corps two years ago when he was twenty-one. The decision hit me like a mack truck. Thankfully so far his deployments have not included combat.