Sing to Me

"In the aftermath of human disaster, where do we find solace? Sing to Me is an extremely powerful novel that suggests we might find hope in the place where storytelling and humanity rhyme."

"Sing to Me succeeds brilliantly as an adventure story, an epic of war and survival, and a moving portrayal of friendship and familial loyalty. But, for me, the novel’s most remarkable achievement is its inspired unfolding of its young protagonist’s blossoming psyche. Each stage in his hero’s journey leaves Hani a deeper, wiser thinker and a more courageous, compassionate, and ethical human being."

“This tough, tender tale about a young boy and his donkey who set out together to find a loved one in the catastrophic aftermath of ancient conflict feels both like a portrait of times long past and something that might have happened a week ago. Browner's gorgeously drawn novel is rife with horror but also infused with hope, and Hani, his protagonist, is a marvelous creation. You root for him from page one.”

"Browner brilliantly conveys the impact of war through its collateral consequences, such as the farms in Hani's village left barren without able-bodied men to tend them. The novel also playfully subverts Homer's heroic tropes. . . a worthy counterpoint to the classic myths."

"Remarkable. . . An absorbing and powerful story showing the pointlessness of war."

"A deeply meditative and soulful examination of life told through the eyes of an eleven-year-old boy exploring a world he is not made for… gorgeously written from start to finish. Browner’s sense of place is impeccable, and he has a particular talent in lingering over his descriptions without burdening the reader, sumptuously drawing them into Hani’s experience… Browner is a master of capturing the reader’s attention, slowing it down and holding it there. There is truly nowhere else for you to go, but that’s not a problem — there is not anywhere else you will want to be."

"Ever since their exploits were recorded in Homeric Greek, the warriors of the “Iliad” have been fixtures of our cultural heritage. But in his latest novel, Browner prefers to focus on the unknown lives that were lost on the fringes of the Trojan War, on the damage years of fighting left behind."