“Part mystery, part Southern gothic, and wholly original, Cook’s debut novel establishes her as an author to watch….[and] for fans of Celeste Ng and Joshilyn Jackson. ” — BooklistHer brother’s letters reveal everything—if only he’d written one to her.Alice always thought she’d see her brother again. Rob ran away when he was fifteen, with so many years left to find his way home. But his funeral … funeral happened first.Eight years later she has to clear out her childhood home in Georgia, and the memories come flooding in, bringing with them an autopsy report showing her family’s lies—and sealed, addressed letters from Rob.In a search for answers to questions she’s always been afraid to ask, Alice delivers the letters. Each dares her to open her eyes to her family’s secrets and the ghosts of her own past. But it’s the last letter, addressed to her brother’s final home in New Orleans, that will force her to choose if she’ll let the trauma break her or finally bring her home.Everything I Never Told You meets The Night Olivia Fell set against a vivid Southern backdrop, How to Bury Your Brother is the highly-discussable story of a sister coming to terms with her brother’s life and death.
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Lindsey Rogers Cook is a radiant new voice in southern fiction. The debut novel, How to Bury Your Brother is both wise and captivating. Cook’s prose rings true…This is a book, and an author, who will grab your heart and not let go even after the very last page.
Lindsey Rogers Cook has penned a deeply felt novel that unspools the threads of secrets long-buried beneath the seemingly sunny surface of one Southern family. Readers will find themselves immersed in Alice’s quest, and rooting for her to discover the real meaning of home.
How To Bury Your Brother
by Lindsey Rogers Cook
This is such an emotional book that griefs with family, grief, loss and love. The story opens with news that Alice’s estranged brother who left their home when he was 15 yo and she 11 yo has committed suicide. With a family of her own, she has to learn to accept that she will never see him again, Years later as her mother is suffering from dementia and will now require more help and need to move to a facility, she discovers some letters from Rob that were kept hidden. The process of Alice discovering the truth about Rob’s story and why he left home is soon revealed.
This is a poignant story that spans generations about the Tate family and the secrets they hold. Cook wrote a beautiful story against the backdrop of the beautiful South and the ugly family traumas and drama people are willing to hide and keep secret.to save face. The story moved me as the story is slowly revealed from the past and how Alice is navigating her present circumstance and her own family.
Great domestic drama I enjoyed reading.
5 stars, Love is irreplaceable HOW TO BURY YOUR BROTHER by Lindsey Rogers Cook Alice loved her older brother Rob. He taught her so much, in the years before he disappeared. He ran away when he was 15 and Alice was 10. Their parents wanted them to be a part of the perfect little Southern gentry. Alice was devastated when Rob disappeared. Their mother destroyed every physical item that had anything to do with Rob. Secrets were kept from Alice. The book opens with Rob’s death. She never talked to Rob or saw him alive, ever again. Alice returns to her mother’s home, after her mother’s mental decline and need for the structured environment of an institution. She finds a stack of letters that Rob had left for several different people, many that she had never heard of before. She decides to take the time to deliver as many of the letters as she can. I had mixed feelings about this novel, for starters, the title sounds sinister, but in reality, it is about how a loving sister copes with all of the turmoil in her life and reacts to the secrets that are coming out all over the place. Much appreciation to #sourcebooks for the complimentary copy of #howtoburyyourbrother I was under no obligation to post a review.
How to Bury Your Brother tells the story of Alice and her quest to find out what happened to her older brother Rob. Alice and Rob were extremely close growing up, until that one night Rob ran away from home when he was 15. Alice was devastated by Rob’s leaving and could never figure out what made him just up and leave. To make matters worse Alice parents never spoke of Rob again, virtually acting as if he didn’t exist. Alice spent most of her life haunted by Rob’s leaving and wondering what really happened. Always feeling like she saw him at certain times in her life Alice just cant get past the nagging feeling that there had to be an explanation for his leaving. At Rob’s funeral she still finds no clarity and only knows he died of a drug overdose, Alice however feels there’s more to the story. Alice is tasked with cleaning out her parents old home that is set to be demolished and finds a series of letters her mother has kept hidden all from Rob, and addressed to random people (some of whom Alice has no idea who they are). Alice doesn’t understand why there’s no letter for her, but she is determined to figure it all out. Alice becomes more suspicious when her “Uncle” Jamie comes to the home and tries to remove boxes quickly so Alice cannot see them. Jamie was her father’s childhood friend whose parents died and he ended up living with Alice’s father and grandparents. Alice sets out on a mission to hand deliver the letters and see if these people can offer any clues as to what happened to Rob.
In the midst of looking for answers Alice also has to content with the fact that she has found out that her husband is having an affair that he doesn’t think she knows about. Alice doesn’t really love her husband, he was just a safe bet after the love of her life moved away after college. Her husband has never been to happy with Alice’s obsession with her brother, so she keeps her feelings from him until the moment she has to go to New Orleans to really dig into what happened to Rob. In the end Alice finds out the truth can be shocking and hurtful, but will bring closure.
My only issue with the book is I felt Alice’s husband cheating was a main point of the story, but there was no closure. The book never closes that chapter. We know she called her childhood friend and asked him to draw up divorce papers but I would’ve like to see a little more details with what happened when she served her husband and where she ended up. The cheating was such a big part of the storyline, the way it ended was flat. I also didn’t understand the point of bringing up the fact that Alice’s daughter was a lesbian. It added no depth to the story and felt like it was just being put in the story so it showed inclusivity. I think if you’re going to use sexuality then explore a little more what that means for the character. Maybe how their relationship grew due to her daughters coming out. It just seemed like it was being said just to say it, but why did we need to know her sexuality if it added nothing to the story. Authors don’t do that with heterosexual characters so why do it with gay characters. Her sexuality never would’ve been mentioned it she was straight. All in all this was a good book. I figured out what secret her brother had pretty quickly into the book, but I will say reading Alice find out what heartbreaking because I feel the way her character is written, she would’ve done more to bring those secrets to life had she knew.
Thank you Sourcebooks and Netgalley for this ARC