Big Brother: a novel by Lionel Shriver FIC Shr

Having enjoyed one of Shriver's older novels earlier this summer, I was excited to read her newest one.  The big brother in the title is not some government agency watching us!  It is in fact a brother who got really, really big.  I will admit that part of the 'fun' of reading this novel was because it took place around Iowa City, so I recognized lots of landmarks and street names.  Pandora is married to Fletcher and is a stepmother to his two children.  Her husband makes handcrafted furniture which is beautiful but not a very great source of income.  That isn't a problem because Pandora has a business that has exploded.  Pandora lives far from her siblings and she hasn't seen her brother Edison in four years.  He left home as a teen to chase his dream of being a jazz musician.  He lives in New York and tells a good story but it is obvious that things aren't going well.  When she receives a phone call from Edison's friend telling her of his financial woes she decides to send him a ticket to come out for a visit.

     When she goes to the airport in Cedar Rapids she hears passengers making derogatory remarks about an obese man on the flight.  She sees that man and is shocked to find out it is her brother.  The visit doesn't go well.  Edison is eating an enormous amount of food and making great messes.  He breaks one of Fletcher's most prized chairs and is giving Pandora's stepson the idea of dropping out of school.  Finally Fletcher has had enough - Edison has to go!  But at the last minute she decides to choose her brother for the time being and help him lose weight.  It was an interesting read and there is a surprise at the end.