In this epistolary novel for adolescents, a boy named Joeri is sent to his grandmother overnight without an explanation. When he is finally allowed to return home, the family has moved and his parents pretend that he is the only child, although Stefan is his elder brother. Stefan has done something so terrible that it is unspeakable, yet Joeri is determined to find out what happened and where his brother is. He reconstructs his recent experiences with Stefan and his search for him in a series of gripping letters. Broergeheim is Emiel de Wild’s breath-taking debut novel, fast-paced and bold. Although the starting point of the plot may seem outrageous, the parents’ – and especially the mother’s – psychology is authentically developed. The novel is a genuine page-turner, as the reader – like Joeri – becomes ever more anxious to find out what his brother actually did. The ending is shocking and leaves one with a lot to think about, there are no easy answers.
