Brother. Do. You. Love. Me.

By: Manni Coe, Reuben Coe

Narrated by: Manni Coe, Reuben Coe

The story of two brothers, one with Down syndrome, and their extraordinary journey of resilience and repair.

"Profoundly moving and hugely uplifting."—Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Reuben, aged 38, was living in a home for adults with learning disabilities. He hadn’t established an independent life in the care system and was still struggling to accept that he had Down syndrome. Depressed and in a fog of antidepressants, he hadn’t spoken for over a year. The only way he expressed himself was by writing poems or drawing felt-tip scenes from his favorite musicals and films. Increasingly isolated, cut off from everyone and everything he loved, Reuben sent a text message: brother. do. you. love. me.

When Manni received this desperate message from his youngest brother, he knew everything had to change. He immediately left his life in Spain and returned to England, moving Reuben out of the care home and into an old farm cottage in the countryside. In the stillness of winter, they began an extraordinary journey of repair, rediscovering the depths of their brotherhood, one gradual step at a time.

The two brothers' story of hope and resilience questions how we care for those we love, and demands that, through troubled times, we learn how to take better care of each other.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©20 Manni Coe and Reuben Coe (P)2024 Greystone Books

Critic reviews

Shortlisted for the British Booksellers Award Book of the Year

“Profoundly moving and hugely uplifting.” —Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

“While this is a book about how we take care of each other in any context, it also has something profound to communicate about those made vulnerable by society’s tendency to view such gifts as limitations.” —The Bookseller

“You close the book feeling deeply moved by the depth of their brotherly love.” —Daily Mail

Empathy

A story of humanities’ potential coming to fruition via love and caring. Life matters… all of it.… each and every being.

Who rescued who?

I loved the British scent and references to life in Britain. The way Rueben got to be a part of it. Showing us the problems with care facilities during COVID