First published 1978
Oliver stands at the threshold of his final commitment as a Hindu monk in India when his older brother Patrick arrives from London. The brothers have been apart for years, their lives taking radically different paths. Patrick has built a successful publishing career, maintains a marriage and children in England, and keeps a male lover in California. He has always publicly praised Oliver's spiritual journey while harboring private doubts about his brother's choices. Now face to face in India, the two men must navigate the accumulated tensions of their separation. Their conversations reveal layers of sibling rivalry, mutual criticism, and conflicting values. Patrick questions whether Oliver's religious devotion represents genuine enlightenment or escape from the world. Oliver must defend his path while confronting his own uncertainties about the vows he is about to take. The reunion forces both brothers to examine not only their different life choices but the complicated bonds of family that persist despite distance and disagreement.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: California, England, India, London
Period: 20th-century
160 pages · Paperback · Avon Books