A Must Read – THE THINGS A BROTHER KNOWS

So you're looking for a book to read. You're strolling through the bookstore or clicking around online. But you just don't know what to get. I HAVE THE BEST BOOK FOR YOU!!!

You must must must read THE THINGS A BROTHER KNOWS by Dana Reinhardt. It is one of the best books I have read in my entire life. Yes, it's up there with A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT, IF I STAY, SOMETHING BORROWED, HARRY POTTER, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and A SEPARATE PEACE — all-time favorites of mine!

Why is it so good? Because it's subtle and beautiful and graceful and it's ultimately about the simplest and the most important of things – human connection. It's about how we try and how we fail and how we try again to connect with other people. That's why it reminds me so much of my favorite book ever – A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT – because that book is also about the fragility of human connection.

So if I can urge you to buy one book, please buy THE THINGS A BROTHER KNOWS. It's about brothers and it's a young adult novel, so it's a great read for boys, girls, men, women, everyone! Plus – every writer should read this. It's so well done that it's like a clinic on how to write. I learned so much from this book that I have already put to use in my edits for my novels.

Here's what I said about THE THINGS A BROTHER KNOWS in my online reviews.

Touching, tender and subtle – the story of Levi's effort to reconnect with his soldier brother Boaz is one of the best books I've ever read. Boaz returns from war and is changed; Levi wants to understand him, but can't. So Levi joins Boaz on a walk from Boston to D.C. in a story that's ultimately about connection – whether two people can or can't connect. Dana Reinhardt conveys with one sentence – sometimes even one word – what it would take lesser writers a paragraph to do. She trusts the reader implicitly to understand the big moments without ever signaling "this is a big moment." And in so doing, the story weaves its way into your heart and under your skin and stays with you long after you've finished reading. A beautiful story about humanity, connection, love and healing that should be read by everyone.