The Case Against My Brother

In Portland, Oregon, against the backdrop of the Prohibition, fifteen-year-old Carl Matuski struggles to prove his older, revered brother Adam is innocent of a robbery. As all around him, bigotry against the Matuski family's heritage and religion surges, can Carl save his suddenly diminished brother from the law, Adam's disreputable friends, and from Adam himself?

This is a compulsively readable page-turner with thought-provoking social issues, a fascinating peek into a little-known time and place, and a thoroughly real protagonist. The relationship between the brothers is nicely complex. Readers will be intrigued by the mystery, root for Carl's coming of age--and be reminded that prejudice shifts to target all different groups. Highly recommended.