Brother Alive

In Brother Alive, Zain Khalid explores the lives of three boys adopted as infants and living in a shared bedroom atop a mosque in Staten Island. Youssef, the middle child, has an imaginary double, Brother, a shapeshifting creature he calls. The boys' adoptive father, Imam Salim, is known for his radical sermons but is uncharismatic at home. When Imam Salim returns to Saudi Arabia, the boys are forced to follow and are captivated by an opulent, futuristic world. They must change to survive, and the arrival of Brother will not go unnoticed. The novel explores themes of family, capitalism, power, sexuality, and the possibility of reunion for those who are broken.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 06 July 2023
Publisher: Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press

In 1990, three boys, Dayo, Iseul, and Youssef, were born, unrelated but intertwined by circumstance. They were adopted as infants and lived in a shared bedroom perched atop a mosque in Staten Island. The boys were a conspicuous trio, with Dayo of Nigerian origin, Iseul Korean, and Youssef indeterminately Middle Eastern, but they were so close as to be almost inseparable. Nevertheless, Youssef was keeping a secret from his brothers: he had an imaginary double, a familiar who seemed absolutely real, a shapeshifting creature he called Brother.

The boys' adoptive father, Imam Salim, was known for his radical sermons extolling the virtues of opting out of Western ideologies. But he was uncharismatic at home, a distant father who spent evenings in his study with whiskey-laced coffee, writing letters to his former compatriots back in Saudi Arabia. Like Youssef, he too had secrets, including the cause of his failing health, the reason for his nighttime excursions from the house, and the truth about what happened to the boys' parents. When Imam Salim's path took him back to Saudi Arabia, the boys would be forced to follow.

There, they would be captivated by an opulent, almost futuristic world and find traces of their parents' stories. But they would have to change if they wanted to survive in this new world, and the arrival of a creature as powerful as Brother would not go unnoticed.

With stylistic brilliance and intellectual acuity, in Brother Alive, Zain Khalid brings characters to vivid life with a bold energy that matches the great themes of his novel. The novel explores the complexities of identity, belonging, and the search for meaning in a world that is often bewildering and uncertain. It is a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of the human condition that will leave readers deeply moved and inspired.

In conclusion, Brother Alive is a remarkable achievement that deserves to be widely read and celebrated. Zain Khalid's writing is a testament to his talent and his commitment to exploring the depths of the human experience. This novel is a must-read for anyone who loves literature and is interested in exploring the complexities of the human condition.

Weight: 310g
Dimension: 131 x 198 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781611854237
Edition number: Main