by Ethan Canin
First published 1992
Edward has always been the reliable son, the one his mother counts on while his brilliant older brother Lawrence burns through opportunities with his barely contained rage. Everyone knows the roles they play. Lawrence is the troublemaker, the disappointment. Edward is steady, careful, good. But Edward sees what others miss about his volatile brother, and he knows the truth about their family runs deeper than these simple labels. As the brothers move through their lives, the weight of being cast as the responsible one begins to wear on Edward. He watches Lawrence struggle against the world's expectations while fighting his own urge to break free from the prison of being perpetually good. The distance between them grows, shaped by resentment, loyalty, and the complicated love that binds brothers together even as it tears them apart.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, relationships, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: brothers, family-dynamics, unreliable-narrator
240 pages · Paperback · Picador