ALL THAT SHE BRINGS

A man whose life is derailed by tragedy discovers a path forward in unlikely circumstances in Brookes’ debut novel.

Matthew Banks, an insurance agent living in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1999, believes that he has “a life poised for liftoff” and nothing but optimism about the future, until his wife, Julia, dies in a car accident after cheating on him with a violent misogynist. Matthew falls into months of despair that he only begins to overcome when he starts sessions with his workplace therapist, Madeleine Batiste. Matthew opens up about his ailing alcoholic mother and his absent father, sharing the rough childhood that pushed him to seek comfort in marriage. After Matthew fails in his attempt to exact revenge on his late wife’s lover, he realizes that his relationship with Batiste is developing into something romantic (and unethical). Soon, his life’s twists and turns lead him away from the “monotonous execution of routine tasks in the office” to California, where he must assist with his family’s affairs after his mother ends up in a rehabilitation center. It’s only then, at one of the most precarious moments in Matthew’s life, that an unexpected event throws several characters for a loop. Over the course of this novel, Brookes offers readers a work of strong emotion that treats even the most calamitous events with care and depth. The author develops the various players well, with all their personal successes and mistakes. The overall plot, however, is so sweeping and expansive that it may become difficult for the reader to stay on track amid all the side conversations, backstory, and character introductions. As a result, the story’s conclusion feels a bit rushed, although there are some affecting moments among family members, lovers, and friends.

An earnest but overcrowded tale of heartbreak and redemption.