runner

A very informative story that shows to keen outsiders how complex the relationship within families can be and how destructive allegiance to an ideal can prove. Big brother is a taxi driver and everyday he dreams about the direction his life has taken and his inability to go beyond the confines of his metal coffin. Little brother, once a surgeon, now fighting in Syria for a belief he has come to accept as the true way to happiness and fulfillment. What happens when family, ambition, and belief collide is the essence of this wonderful novel. One of the best opening lines I have ever read..." Death is the only true thing, the rest is just a list of details." is followed by many insightful observations..."Muslims were shit, less than zeros in a society that teaches about equality and tolerance and respect"....."And then you just keep going up toward the next summit. It's simple. You just have to breathe a little bit sometimes to catch your breath"....."Life hangs on the word if".....Many thanks to the good people at netgalley for a gratis copy of Older Brother in return for an honest review and that is what I have written. Recommended.