“My Brother” by Lena Renshaw is a sweet, touching story about a girl and her brother, who is struggling to accept the fact that he is homosexual. The story revolves around these two and how they interacted with each other and the world around them. It is told in a strange way, with Roman numerals marking the beginning of each new paragraph, replacing an indentation. However, this odd separation makes the story more interesting somehow, giving it a different feel; not of flowing, but of succession.
I love how each section begins with “my brother and I,” then proceeds to show one small moment in the lives of these two. The author doesn’t sugarcoat anything. She also doesn’t let us know why her brother is being teased until the fifth and last section. She keeps us waiting, hanging on her every word, even after she reveals her brother’s sexuality. This is a story about love and who we give it to, and how loving people of your own gender won’t stop your family from loving you.