Brotherly Love

By: Dalton Giesick

Narrated by: Greg Paxton

"When Dayton was hammering the staples into the wood, Grandpa cut a window on each end. Then he made a door for us.... Our clubhouse was finished."

Dalton Giesick's short memoir Brotherly Love depicts the author's early childhood years, being the all too brief moment in time that he was able to spend with his little brother, Dayton. The book describes those early years in a fleeting but endearing way. At the center of the story is the family's relocation to Colorado, the boys' moving in with their grandparents during that short duration, and the heart-wrenching changes the family endures once they have moved out West.

Part coming of age story and part eulogy, Giesick's treatment of his subject is heart-felt and gentle. His book is a sweet and tender listen and the author's presentation of his memories of Dayton is much in tune with how an adult would treat a young child. A quick, yet powerful listen, Giesick's writing is strong and tight. There are foreboding moments embedded throughout the story alluding to Dayton's disappearance. Although anticipated, the last revelation is both unexpected to the narrator and listener.

©2011 Dalton Giesick (P)2013 Dalton Giesick

Critic reviews

" Brotherly Love is a tribute to a little boy with a large heart and an even bigger soul, Brotherly Love is a big brother's beautiful telling of the precious and too brief an instant he spent in the company of his little brother. Although short, the time that the author spent with Dayton was deeply transformative for himself, and by telling his story the author was able to provide this transformation for his readers." ( The US Review of Books)

" Brotherly Love is a true, inspirational story that is sure to appeal to readers with siblings, as well as those who have that one special person they may sometimes take for granted or who have lost someone special they have cared about." ( Trafford Press)

"There are few things more shattering than the sudden death of a small child. It's a parent's worst nightmare; one many never fully recover from. But young siblings also suffer mightily, their confusion and fear often forgotten in the vortex of the grown-ups' grief." ( BlueInk Review)