Personal Effects

Through raw moments and strikingly mature characterizations, Kokie explores loss, personal relationships, and the burden of preconceptions. -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) T.J. is gone, but Matt can't shake the feeling that if only he could get his hands on his brother's stuff from Iraq, he'd be able to make sense of his death. As Matt searches for answers, he faces a shocking revelation about T.J.'s life. What he learns challenges him to stand up to his father, honor his brother's memory, and take charge of his own life. With compassion, humor, and a compelling narrative voice, E. M. Kokie explores grief, social mores, and self-discovery in a provocative first novel.