My Brother's Keeper

by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Book Overview

In a captivating novel that is both humorous and heart wrenching, ReShonda Tate Billingsley spins a touching story that follows a young woman trying to navigate love after tragedy strikes her family, and what it means for her to move on.

Aja James hasn't had it easy. After the loss of their mother at their father's hand, Aja has kept a close watch over her siblings. The three siblings much find a way to recover from their family's history,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743477138
• ISBN13: 9780743477130
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Gallery Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

The Beat Goes On!

I have always loved this author and have more than a half dozen books by her, but I had never heard of this one. Apparently, this is her first novel. It was good but did not have as much of the suspense, shock values and twists as her other works. She is an adept storyteller who knows how to reel you in and then hit you with a twist. This story was a tad basic for me. I felt so sorry for Aja. she was left with all the grief and the job of healing all of her family wounds and sorrows without professional help. She was happy to have Roxie as a friend. Eric was so much in need of help that he never got. I'm glad that Charles stepped up and saved the day. The ending was a bit too syrupy sweet for me. I"m a great supporter of ReShonda and can't wait to find another great gem from her.

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

Apparently Aja thought so. The first few pages alone will just suck you right on it. You are left trying to pick your jaw up as you almost get a paper cut trying to turn the pages fast enough!This was a story, as others have said before me, of the tragedy of domestic abuse, how it can not only destroy the life of the one being abused, but the children too. It was a story of just how hard it is to break the cycle of abuse, no matter how much you tell yourself that you are not going to be like the abuser. Aja felt it was her duty, because she did nothing the night of the ultimate degree of abuse to her mother, that now she had to give up her life to make it up to her brother and sister. Wrongly, she felt that it was her punishment to sacrafice her own happiness in order to make sure they could be happy. Her sister was really beyond her help, and in his own way, so was her brother.When she meets the incredibly handsome Charles, she can't believe that some one as handsome, successful and loving could want her and she risks sabatoging herself. The character of Aja could have worked your nerves, but the way Ms. Billingsley wrote her, she didn't. You could understand her motives and reasons for some of the things she did. For a first time novelist, I think Ms. Billingsley did an outstanding job of drawing you into her story and becoming involved with her characters. All the threads were beautifully woven together at the end and you are left fulfill and satisfied.I am sure we will be hearing alot more from this talented author!

Forgive and Be Free

The story of the James family takes us into their world of despair, domestic violence, anger and hatred. As the book opens you are exposed to a tragic act of violence that will haunt the children into adulthood.Aja, the oldest takes on the responsibility of being her brother and sister's keeper at the expense of her own needs. Aja was so concerned about Eric's need for help that she didn't realize that she too had a need for help. The one theme that struck this reader was Aja placing blame on her brother's behavior on the father. While that may have been the case to a certain degree, Eric needed to let it go to heal. Little sister Jada is the one that helped all to realize that to forgive is to be free. And Roxanne, aka Roxie, was funny as all get out and provided some much needed humor and insight for Aja.The one lesson learned and overall message was to forgive and overcome hatred or it can destroy you and your relationships. You will learn something about forgiveness with this one.

Full of Every Emotion Known to Man

After reading My Brothers Keeper, I find it hard to believe this is a debut novel. ReShonda Tate Billingsley is a name that literary readers will come to know and love. This novel is by far one of the best debut novels I've read to date and has been placed thus far as one of my best reads of 2001. ReShonda takes us inside the lives of the James' clan, at one time the picture perfect family with a loving father, doting mother and three carefree children. That is until the patriarch of the family loses his job and with that his identity as a man. Their father's only sense of self-worth is in the nearest bottle of alcohol, a dime bag of ... and the bruises he leaves on the woman he promised to love 'till death do us part'. One night during his tirade Gerald (father) goes too far and forces his children to come to the aid of their mother. Their son Eric and youngest daughter Jada comes to their mother's rescue while Aja (pronounced Asia) stands by and does nothing. The course of events that happen that night will change their lives forever. Meet Aja who thirteen years later has taken on the role of Eric and Jada's keeper. Aja seems to have it all; great looks, a job she loves and a best friend that personifies the true meaning of sisterfriend. However, Aja uses her siblings as a crutch to hold onto the past, avoiding all future happiness with handsome sportscaster, Charles Clayton. Charles is the epitome of the perfect man, willing to stand by Aja as she deals with her ghost from the past. Their romantic attempts are continuously interrupted by Eric, who's anger has become parallel to that of their father. Eric is an NBA hopeful who's so concerned with not being like his father that he becomes him anyway. Aja and Eric complement one another's anger as they continue to wallow subconsciously in the past, harming all those who love them emotionally. Jada is the only one who seems oblivious to the incident that occurred so many years ago, as it has left her mentally handicapped. Mrs. Billingsley does a wonderful job of teaching us the pitfalls of harboring hatred and anger. She immediately pulls you in from the very first page and holds you captive until the end. I found myself laughing out loud, wanting to shake the characters but she threw me for a complete loop as I got near the ending of the story and cried as if I had lost my best friend. My Brothers Keeper is a wonderful read, full of every emotion known to man. If I learned one thing from this book is that a child should be protected, but that's not always the case. We may not be responsible for the things that occur to us as a child, but we have to find a way to overcome it or it will destroy you in one way or another. Reviewed by Tanya

Absolutely Outstanding!

This is an incredibly written story about a family who suffers an extremely horrific tragedy that affects the lives of each and every member. It's a story about survival and maintaining one's sanity and developing the strength to move forward. It's about dealing with life long affecting issues up front and center and learning forgiveness in order to put the past behind you. The characters are so individual and lively that they engulf you from the first page.Creatively written, MY BROTHER'S KEEPER is a real true page turner that is bound to leave readers in "AWE" of the authors ability to sweep you in from the very first sentence!A definate "MUST READ" that deserves more than 5 stars.

A must read!

I just finished reading My Brother's Keeper by Reshonda Tate Billingsley and I must say I am impressed. For a first time author, Reshonda did an excellent job. The characters were so real and many of the issues really hit home. These were people that you see everyday or may even be friends with. I love how Reshonda explored the thoughts and feelings of each character. The climax was one that I never expected to happen. The book held my attention the entire way through. I read the book in one day!