The Last Brother (2007)

by Nathacha Appanah

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Fiction. Literature. HTML: In The Last Brother by Nathacha Appanah, 1944 is coming to a close and nine-year-old Raj is unaware of the war devastating the rest of the world. He lives in Mauritius, a remote island in the Indian Ocean, where survival is a daily struggle for his family. When a brutal beating lands Raj in the hospital of the prison camp where his father is a guard, he meets a mysterious boy his own age. David is a refugee, one of a group of Jewish exiles whose harrowing journey took them from Nazi occupied Europe to Palestine, where they were refused entry and sent on to indefinite detainment in Mauritius. A massive storm on the island leads to a breach of security at the camp, and David escapes, with Raj's help. After a few days spent hiding from Raj's cruel father, the two young boys flee into the forest. Danger, hunger, and malaria turn what at first seems like an adventure to Raj into an increasingly desperate mission. This unforgettable and deeply moving novel sheds light on a fascinating and unexplored corner of World War II history, and establishes Nathacha Appanah as a significant international voice. .… (more)

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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (jordantaylor)
jordantaylor: Both books are about young boys who innocently befriend Jewish children imprisoned in concentration camps, without understanding the war or the Holocaust. I would highly recommend both books, especially "The Last Brother."
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The Lizard Cage by Karen Connelly (susanbooks)

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As World War II starts to wind down, Raj, a 9-year-old living in poverty in Mauritius, knows nothing about the war or, it seems, anything else outside of his immediate experience; given that survival for his family is a day-to-day matter, it’s hardly a surprise. One day he is badly beaten and is taken to the hospital of a nearby prison camp where his father is a guard. There he meets David, a boy his own age. David, we learn (though Raj doesn’t until later), is a refugee, one of a group of Jews whose escape from Nazi Germany ended in their extended internment in this camp in Mauritius. A highly destructive island-wide storm allows David to escape with Raj's help. Eventually, the boys flee into the forest which leads in turn to the central tragedy of the story. The story is told by the aging Raj through recollection, interspersed with current-day reflections on aging and (particularly on) loss. I enjoyed this more than I expected and found that the book resonated…and has stayed with me. Recommended. (

)

Gypsy_Boy | Aug 24, 2023 |

An interesting lesson, and not a bad story in its bones (though a bit maudlin), but far too long. It explains itself too much, repeats and fills and drags itself too much. I think cutting fully half the writing would turn this into a powerful short story.
2.5 (

)

Kiramke | Jun 27, 2023 |

In September of 1940 a European ship filled with Jewish refugees was denied entry into Palestine. They were without entry permits and the British sent them to a detainee camp on the Island of Mauritius. This short, poignant, book tells this story through the memories of a native man who befriended another boy, who was in this camp.

When Raj, our narrator, first sees David he is confused as to why the young boy is in jail. Lacking language skills to communicate, their eyes and hand signals draw them into a beautiful relationship built on the innocence of childhood.

Nathacha Appanah was born and lived in Mauritius most of her life. Her vivid descriptions of the landscape on the island drew me in to the point where I could feel the wind, and hear the rustle on forest floor.

This book won't be for everyone. The sadness and despair was strong enough to prevent me from reading too much at one time. At only 169 pages, it should have been a quick read-took me all month. Well worth the time, effort and sadness. Beautiful.
(

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JBroda | Sep 24, 2021 |

Raj, the middle brother of three, lives with his parents in a hut in Mauritius during the 1940s until a bad storm kills his older and younger brother. His family moves halfway across the island to Beau-Bassin, where Raj’s father finds work as a prison guard, overseeing European Jewish exiles interned by the British after being turned away from Palestine. While there, Raj befriends a young boy exile named David, and together they escape the tyranny in their lives: an abusive father and prison, respectively. The story is told by a now 70-year old Raj as he visits the grave of his Jewish friend. Nice written and emotionally moving, 3.5 stars. (

)

skipstern | Jul 11, 2021 |

Achingly beautiful. (

)

susanbooks | May 21, 2021 |

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Nathacha Appanah	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
Strachan, Geoffrey	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Series and work relationships

Belongs to Publisher Series

The Lannan Translation Series

▾Awards and Honors

Awards

The Morning News Tournament of Books (Short List – 2012)

Prix culture et bibliothèques pour tous (2008)

Prix des lecteurs de l'Express (2008)

Notable Lists

365 Books by Women Authors

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Canonical title

The Last Brother

Original title

Le dernier frère

Alternative titles

Original publication date

2007

2010 (English translation)

People/Characters

Raj

David

Important places

Mauritius

Beau-Bassin, Mauritius

Mapou, Mauritius

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

Dedication

First words

I saw David again yesterday.

Quotations

We very rarely notice changes within ourselves at the time, we perceive them later, in the light of events and our reactions to them, but, sitting there as I did, motionless in the dark, I sensed it, a change in myself, I felt as if I were getting bigger, growing, like the trees around me, and it seemed to me that the exhalation of the green, dark forest had something to do with it.

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▾Book descriptions

Fiction. Literature. HTML:

In The Last Brother by Nathacha Appanah, 1944 is coming to a close and nine-year-old Raj is unaware of the war devastating the rest of the world. He lives in Mauritius, a remote island in the Indian Ocean, where survival is a daily struggle for his family. When a brutal beating lands Raj in the hospital of the prison camp where his father is a guard, he meets a mysterious boy his own age. David is a refugee, one of a group of Jewish exiles whose harrowing journey took them from Nazi occupied Europe to Palestine, where they were refused entry and sent on to indefinite detainment in Mauritius.
A massive storm on the island leads to a breach of security at the camp, and David escapes, with Raj's help. After a few days spent hiding from Raj's cruel father, the two young boys flee into the forest. Danger, hunger, and malaria turn what at first seems like an adventure to Raj into an increasingly desperate mission.
This unforgettable and deeply moving novel sheds light on a fascinating and unexplored corner of World War II history, and establishes Nathacha Appanah as a significant international voice.

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