My Brother's Keeper [Paperback]

Walter Fredericks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 11, 2005

Dallas and Dakota Seabrook are two brothers who get a crash course in the school of life while growing up in Harlem. Dakota, the older of the two is tired of his family living in obscurity. He has a thirst for fame and money and is seduced by the streets at a young age. He turns to the drug game to help support the household. As crack sweeps through Harlem, Dakota becomes a major player in the drug underworld, all before reaching his 18th birthday. He loves his new lifestyle and has no intention on giving it up for anything or anybody, including his family. Dallas, on the other hand is a carefree young man, who enjoys school, sports and just being a kid. As he matures, Dallas becomes a stellar athlete, with great promise and a bright future. Life seems to be getting better for Nora Seabrook and her two sons. They moved from their rough Harlem neighborhood to an upper middle class residence on Long Island. Everything seemed to be going well. Dakota fulfilled a life long dream for his mother. He made her a homeowner and she is allowed to relax and enjoy life. Dakota made sure Nora and Dallas had the best of everything. In his new school, Dallas is a great student and a budding basketball star headed for the big time.The good life soon goes bad, as Dakota becomes the victim of a brutal homicide. Devastated, the Seabrooks turn to the Police for answers. After a very feeble investigation that turns up absolutely nothing, Dallas decides to take matters in to his own hands.As his high school graduation draws near, Dallas makes the ultimate sacrifice. He chooses revenge over athletics and an education. Instead of expending his energy in the classroom and on the basketball court, Dallas decides to find his brother's killer. In a feverous manhunt that leads him to Atlanta, Dallas stumbles upon a major break that will crack Dakota's murder case wide open. On the cusp of solving an enigma that spans almost seven years, Dallas will be forced to make a life altering decision,

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born Walter Thomas Fredericks Jr. in October of 1972, T.F. Walters path from boyhood to manhood on the streets of Harlem are the canvas for his art of writing. A star athlete in high school, he faced many obstacles that kept him from his dream of becoming a professional athlete. With his collegiate career behind him, Walter's direction wavered and doubt and uncertainty grow as time passed.With love and support from his family, he was able to overcome several challenges such as abandonment, unemployment and near homelessness. For most of his 20's he lived abroad in cities like Baltimore, Buffalo and Atlanta before returning home to New York City in December of 2002 after another personal setback.Here is when a embarked on the journey to compose "My Brother's Keeper. In June of 2003, just six months after starting it the book was finished. Finished but anonymous, no one knew of the work nor his writing ability. Two years had passed before the book was introduced to a couple of family members and close friends. The feedback was very positive which gave Walter the confidence to share his work with people outside of his circle. Word in the underground began to spread about "Keeper" so he decided to have the book published.As an unsolicited author with no literary agent, it became close to impossible to gain interest from major publishers. A model of persistence, Walter refused to take no for an answer and gathered all of his available resources and worked towards publishing "My Brother's Keeper" independently.T.F. Walters is now living out one of his many dreams, as an author. This single father of one currently resides in New York City working on his next novel and forming his own multimedia company, W. Enterprises Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (July 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1420853805
• ISBN-13: 978-1420853803
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,848,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars The Pull of the Streets, May 1, 2007

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Brother's Keeper (Paperback)

Dakota and Dallas are two brothers, growing up with their single mother, as different as night and day. Though only a year separates them, the boys resemble each other and are thought to be twins, however, their differences are varied. Dakota loves money and the desire to be rich drives him to do any and everything to ensure he becomes a legend in the streets. He drops out of school to pursue his goals and becomes one of the best hustlers in Harlem. Dallas loves playing ball and competes in local competitions, eventually becoming a sought after athlete. He knows what the street life entails and isn't interested in it, but accepts his brother and his lifestyle. Dakota always has his back and that's what matters most to him.

When things take a turn and his brother is murdered, Dallas hits the streets to get the word on who killed him. He gives up all his hopes and dreams, to avenge his brother, moves to Atlanta and plans to start over. He becomes a police officer and successfully embeds himself in his new lifestyle. When put on an undercover assignment, he finally has the opportunity to seek revenge. Unfortunately, he has a hard time separating his "cover" from the life and falls into the game and its overabundance of women, sex, drugs, and money. What he finds on this special assignment cause him to question the past years of his life, and everything he thought to be true.

While the plot of MY BROTHER'S KEEPER is a common one, I enjoyed the premise and overall story. It is a story of love and betrayal, as well as revenge and the familial ties most siblings have. Unfortunately, the book is riddled with typographical errors, the structure and dialogue are flawed, and the characters are one-dimensional. With extensive developmental editing, this book could be a good addition to the street fiction genre. Currently, it just needs more work.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't Over Look This One!, December 4, 2006

By 

Urban Reviews "Your Source for the Best in AA... (Online) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: My Brother's Keeper (Paperback)

Dallas and Dakota Seabrook are brothers trying to survive in the Harlem ghetto. Their mother Nora is trying to make ends meet and raise strong young men on her own. Dallas is focused in school and is a budding basketball star. Dakota is tired of his family living in poverty and answers the call of the streets instead. Dakota soon makes enough money to move his family out of the ghetto and makes his mom a homeowner. Everything seems to be going great for the Seabrook family until Dakota is the victim of a brutal homicide. The police conduct a weak investigation that leaves Nora and Dallas with more questions that answers. Dallas graduates high school becomes a police officer and vows to find his brother's killer. But when Dallas finds a break in the case, he must make a tough decision that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

My Brother's Keeper is an excellent debut novel by T.F. Walters. Walters does an excellent job of telling this coming-of-age story. I liked how this story was told through the eyes of Dallas. The scenes are so descriptive that you can actually picture everything that is taking place. I also enjoyed the murder mystery element to this novel. My Brother's Keeper is enthralling, and awe-inspiring.