When Brother's dad is shipped off to Iraq, along with the rest of his reserve unit, Brother must help his grandparents keep the ranch going. He's determined to maintain it just as his father left it, in the hope that doing so will ensure his father's safe return. The hardships Brother faces will not only change the ranch, but also reveal his true calling.
Starred Review, Horn Book Magazine, May/June 2009:
"Brother's honest voice conveys an emotional terrain as thoughtfully developed as Parry's evocation of the Western landscape."
"Isn't it wonderful that there are books like this--about good people, about striving, and about doing the right thing!"
--Patricia Reilly Giff, two-time recipient of the Newbery Honor
"A true evocation of modern ranch life, a life rooted in community and love, a life seldom written about with such grace and authenticity."
--Molly Gloss, finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction