Review of SUMMER BROTHER by Jaap Robben (New Release)

3.5 Stars 

The narrator is 13-year-old Brian Chevalier.  He lives with his father Maurice in a filthy, rundown trailer.  Maurice, a ne'er-do-well, learns that he can get money if he cares for his physically and mentally disabled son for the summer while his assisted-living residence is being renovated.  Of course Brian becomes Lucien’s primary care giver.  A strong bond develops between the brothers and Lucien even shows signs of physical improvement when he is not as sedated as he seems to be at the residence.  All is not well, however, as they are threatened with eviction.

The characterization of Brian is very realistic.  Appropriately for his age, he is naïve, impulsive, emotionally immature, and curious about sex.  Despite his flaws, like an occasional unthinking disregard for Lucien’s safety, there is no doubt that he loves his brother.  Unfortunately, Brian, not having any other role model, has picked up some of his father’s behaviours.  For instance, he knows how to pressure a person to get money.  Brian may not want to be like his father, but it seems almost inevitable that he will be like him.  His mother has moved on to another marriage and seems to have abandoned Brian to his life with his father.  Emile, a man who moves into another trailer, offers more of a positive example, but Brian’s time with him is limited for a number of reasons.  He is told that the trailer is not a good home for him, but he has no options.

Maurice is anything but admirable.  He leaves Brian in charge of his brother when giving Lucien proper care is not an easy task.  He is shiftless, leaving his sons every day with no explanation for his absences.  He is known to police.  He is not beyond using his son’s disability to get money and cover crimes.  Besides being neglectful, Maurice is also abusive.  It is clear that Brian fears his father who has violent outbursts.  The reader does get glimpses of positive traits, but there is little to like about the man.  What puzzled me is the choice of name for the father.  I know Maurice Chevalier as a French actor and singer and wondered if the author’s choice of name was intentional.  (And this raises another question:  why did the Dutch author choose to set his novel in France?)

Tension exists throughout the book.  Will Brian be able to care for his brother and keep him safe?  Will they be evicted by the landlords who are becoming more and more impatient with Maurice’s rent non-payment and lies?  Brian’s relationship with Selma, a 19-year-old resident at the home, is unsettling.  Maurice, though he can be funny and charming, is a threatening presence.  I kept waiting for something serious to happen. 

I also found myself feeling sad and angry.  Brian deserves a better life, but he just doesn’t have any opportunities.  He tells Lucien, “’When I’m old enough, you can come and live with me,’” but it’s a promise that will be difficult to keep.  Maurice is a dysfunctional person and that dysfunction may very well prove to be generational since Brian has been largely abandoned to a father who models inappropriate, if not dangerous, behaviour. 

Because of the subject matter, the book is not always an easy read, but it realistically and unsentimentally portrays life on the margins of society.  The novel is described as “an honest, tender account of brotherly love,” and that too is true.  That love is the one hopeful note.

Note:  I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.