Brothers and Keepers

Description

A haunting portrait of lives arriving at different destinies, Brothers and Keepers is John Edgar Wideman's seminal memoir about two brothers - one an award-winning novelist, the other a fugitive. Wideman recalls the capture of his younger brother Robby, details the subsequent trials that resulted in a sentence of life in prison, and provides vivid views of the American prison system. A gripping, unsettling account, Brothers and Keepers weighs the bonds of blood, tenderness, and guilt that connect Wideman to his brother and measures the distance that lies between them.

John Edgar Wideman's books include Writing to Save a Life, Philadelphia Fire, Brothers and Keepers, Fatheralong, Hoop Dreams, and Sent for You Yesterday. He is a MacArthur Fellow and has won the PEN/Faulkner Award twice and has been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and National Book Award. He divides his time between New York and France.

A master storyteller, both a witness and a prophet -- CARYL PHILLIPS A rare triumph . . . Wideman has succeeded in both understanding his brother's life and coming to terms with his own * * New York Times * * Powerful and disturbing . . . Brothers and Keepers is guaranteed to shock and sadden * * Washington Post * * Brave and brilliant, an almost frightening thing to behold * * Philadelphia Enquirer * * A profound writer -- RICHARD FORD A great American writer -- JOY WILLIAMS One of my favourite books of non-fiction -- MITCHELL JACKSON