My Brother’s Keeper by Tim Powers
Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Agnes Grey are well-known novels by the Brontë sisters—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. They lived with their father, Patrick, the rector of the parish church in Haworth. Also living with them was their dissolute brother, Branwell.
But this is not the story you might expect.
Described as a Gothic horror, My Brother’s Keeper is a tale filled with ghosts, phantoms, and werewolves. A terrible hidden secret lies out on the moors, waiting to be unleashed upon the protagonists. During one of her solitary walks, Emily stumbles across a wounded soldier who reveals a dreadful curse, somehow connected to an ogham-inscribed slab in the Haworth churchyard. Not only their lives, but also their souls, may be at risk.
This atmospheric novel explores themes of pure hatred and vengeance, interwoven with love and compassion. We are reminded that none of the sisters lived very long in any case, adding a haunting poignancy to the tale.
If you're a fan of Gothic horror, this is a must-read—reminiscent of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Bram Stoker's Dracula. The book keeps you on the edge of your seat. I won’t reveal the ending—if you can bear the suspense, read it for yourself. There are even rumours of a horror film adaptation in the works.
My Brother’s Keeper by Tim Powers
Christopher (Reading Circle Patron)
