''The Burgess Boys'' (2013) is the fourth book by the American author
Elizabeth Strout. The novel was first published in hardback on March 26, 2013, through
Random House. The story follows two brothers who must return home to help out their sister after her son is accused of a
hate crime
A hate crime (also known as a bias-motivated crime or bias crime) is a prejudice-motivated crime which occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of their membership (or perceived membership) of a certain social group or racial demograph ...
. The novel is set in the fictional
New England town of Shirley Falls, the setting of Strout's first novel, ''
Amy and Isabelle
''Amy and Isabelle'', also stylized as ''Amy & Isabelle'', is the 1998 debut novel by the American author Elizabeth Strout. The novel was first published in hardback on December 29, 1998 through Random House and is set in the fictional town of Shi ...
''.
Synopsis
After their father died in a
freak car accident, Jim and Bob Burgess were eager to leave their home in Shirley Falls,
Maine. In the years that followed they managed to find careers in the legal field in
New York City. Jim has been especially successful as a
corporate lawyer while Bob became a
Legal Aid
Legal aid is the provision of assistance to people who are unable to afford legal representation and access to the court system. Legal aid is regarded as central in providing access to justice by ensuring equality before the law, the right to co ...
attorney. The two have a seemingly loving but competitive relationship that is only truly challenged after their sister Susan calls them seeking assistance. Her son Zach has been accused of committing a hate crime against the
Somali community of Shirley Falls. He had been caught throwing a pig's head into a Somali mosque during
Ramadan
, type = islam
, longtype = Religious
, image = Ramadan montage.jpg
, caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...
, which he claims was meant only as a joke
As the siblings reconnect, long-running tensions are brought to the surface. It's revealed that Bob has always resented Jim's teasing and Bob's twin sister Susan actively dislikes her twin. Jim is not immune to all of this, as he eventually finds that he has been taking his seemingly perfect home life for granted.
Reception
Critical reception for ''The Burgess Boys'' has been positive. Writing for ''
The New York Times, a''uthor
Sylvia Brownrigg
Sylvia Alderyn Brownrigg (born December 16, 1964) is an American author. She is the author of seven books of fiction. Brownrigg's books have been on ''The New York Times'' notable fiction lists and ''Los Angeles Times'' and ''Kirkus'' books of the ...
has rated the work favorably, writing that "Strout handles her storytelling with grace, intelligence and low-key humor, demonstrating a great ear for the many registers in which people speak to their loved ones. If there’s a weakness here, it’s Zach, offstage for much of the action in spite of being the catalyst for it." ''
The Washington Times'' also praised the novel, as they felt that Strout "has a gift for straightforward storytelling and original turns of phrase, coupled with insight into the human heart and psyche."
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Burgess Boys
2013 American novels
Novels by Elizabeth Strout
Random House books