Library's review
The Burgess Boys are brothers, native Mainiacs now living in New York City, who could hardly be more different. The oldest, Jim, is a high-powered lawyer who seems destined for political office. The younger, Bob, has internalized the family story that he is responsible for his father's death and
Strout's writing is stellar as usual, but the characters here never really rise above the level of cardboard cutouts. I never really felt the depths of emotion that the dialogue kept insisting was being generated, leaving me ultimately unmoved by any of their plights.
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appears to be living a life of atonement by working as a Legal Aid lawyer. Unmentioned in the title is the Burgess sister, Susan, Bob's twin who remained in Maine and is an emotionally struggling single mother. When Susan's teenage son commits a seemingly minor crime that threatens to blow up into a national outrage, the Burgess boys are called home to reluctantly lend a hand.Strout's writing is stellar as usual, but the characters here never really rise above the level of cardboard cutouts. I never really felt the depths of emotion that the dialogue kept insisting was being generated, leaving me ultimately unmoved by any of their plights.
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Genres
Collection
Description
Catalyzed by a nephew's thoughtless prank, a pair of brothers confront painful psychological issues surrounding the freak accident that killed their father when they were boys, a loss linked to a heartbreaking deception that shaped their personal and professional lives.
Awards
Women's Prize for Fiction (Longlist — 2014)
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2015)
Maine Readers' Choice Award (Longlist — 2014)
Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction (Nominee — 2014)
NPR: Books We Love (2013)
Language
Original publication date
2013-03-26