21/04/2023
An absolute pleasure to have and Reuben recording with us this week! They both did an amazing job 👏
From their producer ;
In my job I sometimes get the opportunity to work with some truly amazing people, and this week has been one of those.
Producing Brother. Do. You. Love. Me with and Reuben has been an absolute honour and also an emotional rollercoaster!
Their story is one that is often so easy to hide and ignore, but with this book Manni has given a voice to others in similar situations and, of course, to his brother.
Reuben is the most wonderful man, and it was an absolute pleasure to spend the day working and chatting with him.
This will definitely be one of those books and experiences that stays with me forever.
Brother. Do. You. Love. Me is currently out in hardback and the paperback (along with the audiobook) is coming soon.
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Reuben, aged 38, was living in a home for adults with learning disabilities. He hadn't established an independent life in the care system and was still struggling to accept that he had Down's syndrome. Depressed and in a fog of anti-depressants, he hadn't spoken for over a year. The only way he expressed himself was by writing poems or drawing felt-tip scenes from his favourite West End musicals and Hollywood films. Increasingly isolated, cut off from everyone and everything he loved, Reuben sent a text message: 'brother. do. you. love. me.' When Manni received this desperate message from his youngest brother, he knew everything had to change. He immediately left his life in Spain and returned to England, moving Reuben out of the care home and into an old farm cottage in the countryside. In the stillness of winter, they began an extraordinary journey of repair, rediscovering the depths of their brotherhood, one gradual step at a time. Combining Manni's tender words with Reuben's powerful illustrations, their story of hope and resilience questions how we care for those we love, and demands that, through troubled times, we learn how to take better care of each other.
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