Translated by: Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp
Jackie Thomae’s Brothers: what makes us who we are?
Brothers is a bold exploration of family and Black masculinity through a German lens – recommended for readers of Addie E. Citchens' Dominion.
By Ciara Bowen
The dedication at the start of Brothers is “For all you black sheep” – right away, this novel spoke to me. Anyone who has ever been the only different face in the crowd, or who has felt as though there was only one acceptable way to be who they are, will find their feelings reflected back to them in this novel, thoughtfully translated into English by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp.
From 1980s Berlin to 2010s London, Brothers charts the lives of two half-brothers, Mick and Gabriel. Both are born in the GDR to the same Senegalese father, Idris – who returns to Dakar, leaving his sons with their mothers in Germany’s changing political landscape. They don’t know each other and lead entirely opposite lives, but neither of them want their race to define who they are. Through these brothers, Thomae compellingly explores the extent to which our identities and our backgrounds shape us. Thomae pulls from her own family story in Brothers – having also grown up in the GDR in this era without her father, the mixed-race experience is described with nuance and care, and she succeeds in creating multi-faceted (and messy!) characters who offer intriguing social commentary.
The novel begins with Mick, a party animal and a people person who, despite his popularity, can’t shake the feeling of being an outsider. Passive and avoidant, a serial cheater, Mick doesn’t immediately spark empathy in the reader. But Thomae gradually exposes his very relatable fears of abandonment as the world starts to move on: his girlfriend leaves him, his friends age out of the club scene, and his raving lifestyle comes to a screeching halt. The nightlife that made him feel like he belonged has no room left for him as Germany begins its reunification process, the internet age looms, and the story barrels towards the year 2000.
Mick and Gabriel’s stories are not interwoven, but rather separated into two clear halves. After Mick’s third-person narrative, Gabriel’s story unfolds in the first-person. Through his practical, no-nonsense and often disdainful voice, Thomae paints a clear picture of this ambitious and driven architect. Gabriel strives to maintain a polished image of his life and is determined not to be trapped by clichés of Black masculinity – ironically, he embodies the efficiency, fastidious neatness, and blunt honesty of the stereotypical (white) German instead. The crux of Brothers is neatly explained by Gabriel: “I don’t want to be pigeonholed. White people get to pick and choose what matters to them. I’m also claiming that privilege.” Through her characters, Thomae shows the diversity of Black masculinities and despite the brothers’ flaws, it was remarkably refreshing that their lives were not dictated by imposter syndrome in the majority white spaces they occupied.
It’s hard to distil such an expansive story into a review. This book is driven by its characters and offers meaningful insight into the ways that identity shapes them and affects their interpretation of events. I loved delving into Mick and Gabriel’s lives, and I loved to hate them at times too. Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp skilfully translates the humanity and humour of Jackie Thomae’s work, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.
Approximate Reading Time: 4–5 minutes