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Teenage twins Kit and Christy have grown up amid grinding poverty in their Essex village. As Christy has been 'simple' from birth, Kit is literally his brother's keeper. But the latest hardships visited upon their country home by the Great Frost of 1683–84 bring Kit to frustration and despair, and he abandons Christy to make his way to London, seeking to better himself. There he finds work as an apprentice to a struggling artist and much else to take his mind off what he has left behind. But the time comes when he can no longer ignore the problem of his brother.
A fascinating portrait of a young person struggling to balance family and freedom, The Brothers Story is also a frank depiction of Restoration London in its bawdy, raucous glory.
"Packed with authentic period detail, this is a lively adventure that merits a sequel." - Horn Book
"Starred Review. Inclusion of a few ribald period verses and Kit's mildly racy sexual encounters mark this solid, engrossing effort for a teen audience." - Kirkus Reviews
"Starred Review. Sturtevant's book is not only a stunning story but a challenging and deeply satisfying work of social conscience." - Booklist
"Sturtevant's fans will delight in another well-crafted story, while newcomers will certainly seek out her other novels." - School Library Journal
"Starred Review. An era comes alive in this tale of a young man's awakening to his life's call. Ages 14–up." - Publishers Weekly
This information about The Brothers Story was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Katherine Sturtevant has previously written At the Sign of the Star, a Booklist Editors' Choice, and its sequel, A True and Faithful Narrative, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, among other accolades. The author lives in Berkeley, California.
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