Monday, October 7, 2013

Brotherhood

Brotherhood by AB Westrick
4/5 stars
Viking, 2013
361 pages
YA Historical

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I'm sad not to have seen more reviews of this though not surprised as it is a historical novel, which tends to be one of the less popular genres in YA :( Its setting is the Reconstruction period and I can only think of two other books I've read involving that period. And it features the Ku Klux Klan in a somewhat positive light, which is historically accurate for the characters and settings but is difficult to read from a modern perspective.

Our main character is Shadrach Alfriend Weaver (quite a mouthful, right?), more commonly known as Shad, a fourteen year old, would-be tailor living with his widowed mother and older brother in war torn Richmond around 1867, bristling under Yankee domination. As a teenager, Shad is struggling with growing up, particularly what it means to be a man and he eagerly jumps at the chance to join a brotherhood of men committed to protecting Confederate widows and orphans as well as representing Southern pride. But when that "pride" turns violent, it challenges that which Shad knows to be right such as threatening his adventures in helping newly-freed slaves gain an education.

The big draw from the outset was the setting. The Civil War itself has proven far more popular for novels and I can see why but it makes me sad that this one is less well-represented because there's so much material and so many stories waiting to be told. It's also tricky though in choosing who to portray. Here we see some poor Southerners (who might be called white-trash) who still retain immense pride in their heritage and now have to confront such a different climate. As a proud American, I don't tend to have sympathy with the Confederate cause but this book brought me the closest I've ever been to seeing their point of view.

Shad in particular is an interesting protagonist. He is not well-educated and tends to think of himself as dumb because he has (undiagnosed) dyslexia and his brother is always held up as the model of manliness. Shad scorns his brothers hotheaded temper that makes him unemployable and wishes for his brother's inheritance in the family tailor business that cannot be changed to favor the second-born. He's extremely bigoted and prejudiced but manages to swallow that to accept education from African-American former slaves who complicate his preconceptions. He's also struggling with growing up and what it means to be a man. So frequently he justifies his membership in the KKK (as his tasks turn violent) as being what would make his father proud and that it's necessary to protect his mother. This in spite of doing things that rub against his conscience.

I probably ended up being most intrigued by the representation of the KKK, an organization which ostensibly had honorable motives but in practice was a terrorist organization attacking anyone they felt like (in this period, they're only shown harassing African-Americans and Yankees who come down to Richmond but their ire expanded to include immigrants, Catholics, and anyone deemed different as shared in the author's note.) Personally this also led to a great discussion with my friend and that's always high praise for a book.

So, we got an unusual setting, a male narrator/main character who experiences tons of growth and challenges to his world view over the course of the book, and a peek at a secretive organization. What are you waiting for? Go, give it a try!

20 comments:

  1. It does sound interesting....even with the KKK

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    1. I think the KKK aspect added a lot of interest for me-great to get a different perspective.

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    1. That really made this book stand out for me and I hope it gets a foothold in schools because I think it will be very educational without feeling too lecture-y.

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  3. This one does sound really interesting. And you're right, there aren't many Reconstruction books.

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    1. I really struggle to think of any but it's a time period worthy of being written about; other authors need to get on that!

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  4. Ohh, you make it sound pretty awesome :) I do love the cover. So interesting. Glad you enjoyed the book so much :) Thank you for sharing. <3

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    1. Yeah, it might be more interesting to American history nerds (like moi) but I think it's also just an interesting read for HF fans in general and those who want something out of the ordinary.

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  5. I would actually really like to read this one. It's on my to-read! But I'm fascinated by history & the cult mind, so I bet I'll like this one. Shad seems like a fairly good character-- it's nice that he's actually "shown" growing up. (: Awesome review, girly! I really wanna read this. <3

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    1. I'm glad you've actually heard of this one! I hope you do give it a read and I look forward to your thoughts.

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  6. Wow, I really think this sounds like a good one. I don't mind it being a historical fiction either. Off to check my library. :)

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    1. Neat-hope your library stocks it so we can compare notes :)

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  7. This one sounds good, I love to see things from a different perspective and this sounds like it really delivers that. I hadn't heard of it before so I'll watch for it now!

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    1. I can't always predict your taste but I think this one might really appeal to you-I know you read an eclectic mix just like me and this has many unusual aspects.

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  8. Okay, you've tempted me. This sounds really different and intriguing!
    Jen @ YA Romantics

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  9. I have this book on my shelf, and haven't picked it up yet. :( I made a book challenge this year for my students, and I am forcing them to read a HF book, since it's rarely picked up.

    Jenni @ bookandbabes.blogspot.com

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    1. It is so sad to me that HF isn't as popular as other genres because I think there are so many outstanding examples of it in YA. Give this one a try!

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  10. I don't know anything at all about the Reconstruction period, but when I was in US in August I learnt a lot about The Civil War from states like Boston who were pro civil rights and freeing the slaves so I think it would be really interesting to see this book and learn about it from a Southern perspective. I really appreciate books/authors that try to broach a difficult topic - being a member of the KKK - which most people would demonize to the extreme. It would be very difficult, I think, to find a whole lot of fiction based on a member of the Nazi party for example. But I appreciate authors that challenge our beliefs and do try to show life from another, more ostracised point of view. I would read it for that reason alone, but it would be great to learn more about that period, too.

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    1. I imagine this book would have more resonance for Americans well steeped in Civil War mythology but I'd love to hear what a non-American thinks about how it's portrayed. Does it make sense without growing up knowing about the Civil War and what it means?

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