Brothers by Ralph Josiah Bardsley
Date of Publication: December 14, 2015
Blurb
At twenty-three, Jamus Cork's plans are simple—graduate college, stay in New York City, and write. But those plans change when his parents are suddenly killed and he finds himself the guardian of his little brother, Nick. Jamus ends up back in the Boston neighborhood where he grew up, with a crying toddler on his knee and the challenge of building a new life for himself and the boy. Jamus somehow finds a way to navigate the ups and downs of single parenting, but over a decade of raising Nick, Jamus never truly overcomes his struggles with loneliness and the guilt he feels as the sole survivor of the crash that killed his parents. That changes when he meets bookishly handsome Sean Malloy. There's a spark between the two men, but both must face down their own private demons to find love in the Irish enclave of South Boston.
Brothers, explores the dynamics between two sets of Irish American brothers from South Boston. Their lives meet in unexpected ways and, as they grow together they learn about bravery, love and being comfortable in their own skins.
Brothers, explores the dynamics between two sets of Irish American brothers from South Boston. Their lives meet in unexpected ways and, as they grow together they learn about bravery, love and being comfortable in their own skins.
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Brothers by Ralph Josiah Bardsley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Brothers gives us the stories of two characters and their families, specifically their brothers. Jamus Cork and his brother Nick lost their parents when Jamus was 23 and Nick was 3. Jamus has been trying to walk the line between parent and brother for the past 11 years and has put much of his life on hold to ensure that his Nick has what he needs and is well cared for. Sean Malloy has graduated with his doctorate and is teaching high school English. He has moved back home at the same time as his brother Kevin, who is returning from the military and attempting to get his civilian life going. Sean is doing well professionally, but is struggling personally with his own identity and desires.
Both Jamus and Sean are very easy characters to care about. Jamus has struggled with a lot since the death of his parents, including guilt about being the person who was driving during the accident that killed them. Watching him put his personal life on hold and support a brother who is going through the horrors of adolescence was both challenging and endearing. Sean is from a very traditional Irish Catholic family and it was tough to see him struggling to allow himself to be who he really is while living in the midst of a family who has all sorts of ideas about how he should live his life. His relationship with his brother Kevin was interesting, and I was glad to see it become even more rewarding as the story continued. Jamus and Sean meet through a couple of common intersections, and it was wonderful to see their friendship turn into something that both needed very badly. Nick was an interesting character as well. It is tough to watch anyone go through the pains of adolescence, but even harder when Nick has to really come to terms with the realities of his parents death and what that means about his relationship with his brother. There were a couple times when Nick acted a whole lot older than the 14 year old he was, but mostly he struggled with the same impulsivity and emotional regulation as other adolescents.
My only criticism is that I would have liked more time with these characters and their stories. I would gladly read more by this author in the future.
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
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My Review
Brothers by Ralph Josiah BardsleyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Brothers gives us the stories of two characters and their families, specifically their brothers. Jamus Cork and his brother Nick lost their parents when Jamus was 23 and Nick was 3. Jamus has been trying to walk the line between parent and brother for the past 11 years and has put much of his life on hold to ensure that his Nick has what he needs and is well cared for. Sean Malloy has graduated with his doctorate and is teaching high school English. He has moved back home at the same time as his brother Kevin, who is returning from the military and attempting to get his civilian life going. Sean is doing well professionally, but is struggling personally with his own identity and desires.
Both Jamus and Sean are very easy characters to care about. Jamus has struggled with a lot since the death of his parents, including guilt about being the person who was driving during the accident that killed them. Watching him put his personal life on hold and support a brother who is going through the horrors of adolescence was both challenging and endearing. Sean is from a very traditional Irish Catholic family and it was tough to see him struggling to allow himself to be who he really is while living in the midst of a family who has all sorts of ideas about how he should live his life. His relationship with his brother Kevin was interesting, and I was glad to see it become even more rewarding as the story continued. Jamus and Sean meet through a couple of common intersections, and it was wonderful to see their friendship turn into something that both needed very badly. Nick was an interesting character as well. It is tough to watch anyone go through the pains of adolescence, but even harder when Nick has to really come to terms with the realities of his parents death and what that means about his relationship with his brother. There were a couple times when Nick acted a whole lot older than the 14 year old he was, but mostly he struggled with the same impulsivity and emotional regulation as other adolescents.
My only criticism is that I would have liked more time with these characters and their stories. I would gladly read more by this author in the future.
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
About Ralph Josiah Bardsley
A little bit more about me – I was born in a small town outside of Boston. My dad was in the Coast Guard and so I grew up in a lot of different places – New Orleans, Cape Cod, North Carolina and Sitka, Alaska. When I wasn't in school, I spent most of my time in Coast Guard hangers or reading. Today I live in San Francisco where my hobbies include writing, running and wine tasting! Like everyone else I wear a few hats. I work in the high tech industry in marketing. I hold a bachelor's degree from Greensboro College and a master's in communication from Emerson College.
When I read a writer's bio, I usually want to know why they write - what makes them sit down at a keyboard and what do they hope to accomplish. When I ask myself those same questions, it's more difficult to answer. I've always loved writing - in any capacity. For a long time I got enough fulfillment out of the writing assignments I did for work. I've written white papers on software, airlines, mobile technology and advertising practices. These were (and continue to be) great assignments and I absolutely love them - I get to learn about all sorts of cool new things all the time. But eventually I wanted to do something more personal. So I started a blog called BrandFiller. I recruited several contributors and we had a lot of fun for a year or so writing short form articles and posts about everything from hockey to fashion. Let me say - for me blogging was A LOT of work. It was rewarding, but I wanted to do something bigger - something that expressed bits and pieces of my own life and feelings in a work of fiction. So that's when I decided to retire the blog and try a novel. I never expected anyone would publish it. But the team over at Bold Strokes Books saw my manuscript for Brothers and decided to take a chance on me. You can be the judge of if they were right, when the book comes out on December 1, 2015. So what makes me sit down and write now? I guess just the opportunity to express myself and share that expression.
My writing comes from a combination of experience and imagination. My family - especially my husband Dana - is a big part of my inspiration. They're always pushing me to do more and I love them for it. I also love to travel, and I manage to work the details from the places I visit into the stories and the books I write. Someone once told me that the only true value you ever get for your money is travel - and I couldn't agree more.
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