Older Brother

In Uruguayan author Mella’s irreverent, recursive English-language debut, a writer named Dani describes the aftermath of his younger brother’s death three years earlier, by lightning strike. Mella changes tense fluidly, holding the moment the family hears the news about Dani’s brother, Alejandro (“Ale”), in suspension. Ale, a surfer and lifeguard who died at 31, was larger than life, though “he had a sadness deep inside him,” their mother says, vacillating between acceptance and denial. Initially, she asks Dani to text Ale and ask him to tell them it wasn’t him who was killed (instead, Dani writes, “I love you, cocksucker”). After their messy reactions to the news (Dani resents his ex-wife’s condolences and claims he’s now the oldest sibling, despite having an older sister), the family sits around and talks, sharing moments of guilt, anger, and longing as they consider their feelings about death. Mella plays with the line between autobiography and fiction, referencing titles of his previous Uruguayan publications as work written by Dani, while in a metafiction moment, he assures his mother he will disguise her in the text. Mella clearly captures the sharp moment of initial grief and the ways in which it can alter lives. This potent reflection on loss will stay with readers. (Apr.)