The Half Brother: A Novel

The Half Brother: A Novel

A passionate, provocative story of complex family bonds and the search for identity set within the ivy-covered walls of a New England boarding school When Charlie Garrett arrives as a young teacher at the shabby-yet-genteel Abbott School, he finds a world steeped in privilege and tradition. Fresh out of college and barely older than the students he teaches, Charlie longs to leave his complicated southern childhood behind and find his place in the rarefied world of Abbottsford. Before long he is drawn to May Bankhead, the daughter of the legendary school chaplain; but when he discovers he cannot be with her, he forces himself to break her heart, and she leaves Abbott—he believes forever. He hunkers down in his house in the foothills of Massachusetts, thinking his sacrifice has contained the damage and controlled their fates.      But nearly a decade later, his peace is shattered when his golden-boy half brother, Nick, comes to Abbott to teach—and May returns as a teacher as well. Students and teachers alike are drawn by Nick’s magnetism, and even May falls under his spell. When Charlie pushes his brother and his first love together, with what he believes are the best of intentions, a love triangle ensues that is haunted by desire, regret, and a long-buried mystery.      With wisdom and emotional generosity, LeCraw takes us through a year that transforms both the teachers and students of Abbott forever. Page-turning, lyrical, and ambitious, The Half Brother is a powerful examination of family, loyalty, and love. Advance praise for Holly LeCraw’s  The Half Brother: “Beautifully written . . . a thoughtful meditation on family and mortality, with sympathetic characters and a well-drawn setting . . . The Half Brother is at its core a love story… [as] two young people come together in a heated romance that feels natural, healthy, even life-affirming amid the dark circumstances… One of the finest portions of this novel involves a deathbed vigil. Set during a blizzard, when Charlie’s emotional isolation is mirrored by his surroundings, it is a marvel of detail and emotion.” —Clea Simon, The Boston Globe "When Harvard graduate Charlie Garrett starts teaching at Abbott, an Episcopal boarding school in Massachusetts, the chair of the English department tells the young teacher that his students ‘all still believe in truth.’ LeCraw’s gorgeous sentences dramatize a campus where literature stirs young hearts and minds . . . LeCraw never eases the emotional tension. . . One of the finest school-set novels in recent memory.”  — The Millions "With profound insights and through elegant, understated prose, LeCraw tells an intricate tale of loyalty and betrayal, secrets and truths, taking readers on a dreamlike journey into the heart of passion and the soul of family. In this exotic, emotive, and evocatively delicate novel, LeCraw brings southern gothic to staid New England in a tale reminiscent of books by Pat Conroy, Anne Rivers Siddons, Anne Tyler, and Donna Tartt." — Carol Haggas, Booklist (starred) “I don’t think there’s ever been a novel that’s quite made me think this way . . . I loved this book. The writing is absolutely splendid . . . You all need to read The Half Brother. ” —Nancy Pearl, Seattle NPR “This second novel by transplanted Southerner LeCraw is written in the analytic but un-self-pitying voice of Charlie, with an air of Greek tragedy or Southern gothic that should appeal to readers who liked Amber Dermot’s  The Starboard Sea . . . Fans of boarding school novels will snap up this story of lost loves, family secrets, and life at a New England prep school from behind the teacher’s desk.” –Laurie Cavanaugh, Library Journal “Irresistible . . . Holly LeCraw has created an appealing setting in the Abbott School, a campus at the top of a ridge in north Massachusetts where azaleas and cherry blossoms surround the stone and clapboard buildings, and the grass almost shimmers with mist . . . It is a pleasure to get lost in LeCraw’s prose, which is both graceful and filled with smart observations . . . By the end, we’re invested.” – BookPage "Atmospheric . . . LeCraw's writing is evocative and rich . . . LeCraw's beautiful prose gives his thoughts depth and fullness . . . The Half Brother  is a complex, thoughtful book, perfect for reading away a snowy evening." –Deb Baker, NewHampshire.com “ LeCraw’s writing is laced with insights that sweeten the reading like pieces of verbal candy . . .  A gem of a literary page turner." –Betty J. Cotter, Providence Journal "Thoughtful . . . [LeCraw's] characters keep big secrets from each other, for reasons that ultimately feel earned as well as poignant. As they weather loss and upheaval, they never stop trying to understand themselves and one another. Even in the face of defeat, they remain open to the possibilities of change and renewal." –Emily Choate,  The Nashville Scene "I gobbled up Holly LeCraw’s latest novel, The Half Brother , in two ni