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The Things a Brother Knows

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
The story of a young marine’s return from war in the Middle East and the psychological effects it has on his family.

Finally, Levi Katznelson’s older brother, Boaz, has returned. Boaz was a high school star who had it all and gave it up to serve in a war Levi can’t understand. Things have been on hold since Boaz left. With the help of his two best friends Levi has fumbled his way through high school, weary of his role as little brother to the hero.
But when Boaz walks through the front door after his tour of duty is over, Levi knows there’s something wrong. Boaz is home, safe. But Levi knows that his brother is not the same.
Maybe things will never return to normal. Then Boaz leaves again, and this time Levi follows him, determined to understand who his brother was, who he has become, and how to bring him home again.
Award-winning author Dana Reinhardt introduces readers to Levi, who has never known what he believes, and whose journey reveals truths only a brother knows.
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  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Joshua Swanson recounts the story of a troubled vet, Boaz, recently returned from the Middle East, and his conflicted younger brother, Levi. "Boaz went in the military as a man and came back a ghost," claims Levi, who is so determined to bust through his brother's monosyllabic shell that he stalks him on a long trek from Baltimore to Washington, DC. The plans works eventually; conversation evolves, and so does Levi's understanding of war and kin. Swanson has the tempo and temperament of the brothers down pat. The boys' Israeli father and grandfather give Swanson a chance to demonstrate his Hebrew accent as they try to reach Boaz. Swanson's narration of Levi's colorful friendships and first romance is delivered as a counterpoint to the traumas of war. D.P.D. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from August 30, 2010
      With exceptional sensitivity, Reinhardt (How to Build a House) chronicles a soldier’s troubling homecoming, in this timely novel told from his younger brother’s point of view. Three years after joining the Marines and serving overseas, Levi Katznelson’s brother, Boaz, returns to his Boston suburb a hero. But he seems to be a different person: withdrawn and uncommunicative. After isolating himself from the family, Boaz announces his plans to hike the Appalachian Trail, yet Levi suspects his brother has another itinerary in mind. Using a route marked on a map Boaz left behind, Levi follows Boaz’s path and eventually catches up with him. Walking side by side with his brother all the way to Washington, D.C., visiting ex-Marines and soldiers’ families along the way, Levi learns more about his brother’s experiences—like why he’s stopped riding in automobiles—than Boaz can explain outright. Refraining from making political judgments about current conflicts, Reinhardt personalizes a soldier’s traumas in terms civilians can understand. Levi’s growing comprehension of Boaz’s internal turmoil is gracefully and powerfully evoked. Ages 14–up.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:4
  • Lexile® Measure:650
  • Interest Level:6-12(MG+)
  • Text Difficulty:2-3

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