All That She Brings

Toby Brookes' novel "All That She Brings" follows the young troubled life of Matthew Banks, happily married for three years until his wife dies in a fiery crash. Deep in grief, he finds letters chronicling an affair and is sent into a tailspin of anger and disillusionment. He flees his home in New Haven after receiving therapy from his company's psychiatrist. Landing at his family's homestead in Pasadena, he faces more trauma with an ill mother and an estranged father who appears mysteriously. His only source of hope comes from a homeless prophet on the beach who steers him toward a brighter future.

Toby Brookes' novel "All That She Brings" follows the story of Matthew Banks, a young insurance executive in Hartford who suddenly finds himself a widow after losing his wife in a fiery crash. Soon after, her infidelity is uncovered and he becomes dangerously tormented, acting out in ways alarming to both his neighbors and employer. His company arranges sessions with their internal therapist, and while engaged in deeply provocative counseling, more trouble arises at home in Pasadena. He flees west to attend to his mother's affairs and the family estate, only to find his estranged father, who has appeared after fifteen years, demanding a piece of the estate. A shocking call comes from the company therapist, threatening to push him over the edge. A homeless prophet living on the beach, where he often escapes to surf, offers him hope. This, and a renewed love for ceramics, help him rebuild a life he never asked for nor imagined; but one he might be able to roll with. For readers who enjoy realist fiction in the style of Philip Roth or John Cheever, this fast moving drama layered with multiple plot lines is reminiscent of a Wes Anderson screenplay. It's guaranteed to quickly draw you in hold your attention to the end.

Toby Brookes was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and grew up outside Cleveland. He graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Journalism and after a stint in advertising helped start two companies. The second was acquired by a Minneapolis-based electronics firm. A subsequent marketing job took him to London where he spent four years with his young family. He returned by way of Washington DC, winding up in northern California. In 2018 he stopped working in business to devote more time to writing, attending workshops and on-line courses. During a two-year novel writing program at Stanford he completed the fist draft of All That She Brings, and then took advantage of the pandemic lock-down to hunker down and finish it. He has four grown children and spends time at their homes in Palo Alto and Carmel By-the-Sea with his wife and two dogs, Bixby and Scout.