Growing up, we typically spend more time with our brothers and sisters than we do with our parents. In an age of divorce, mobility, and alienation, the sibling bond is often the only one that really lasts. Given that brothers and sisters are such a fundamental aspect of human existence, it is remarkable that they have received so little in-depth attention in the field of psychology. Henry Abramovitch’s Brothers and Sisters explores the tension between the myth and reality of brothers and sisters in a variety of cultures and through the poignant brother-sister stories in the Bible. Abramovitch looks at the developmental sequence in the sibling relationship as brothers or sisters struggle to find their place with each other, concluding with a very personal account of his own relationship with his brother and sister.

ABOUT THE BOOK This book is about relationships, and about an African American family struggles to survive in the mist of adversities. It is also a testimony of how the author was able to begin identifying the spirit which propelled the writer to persevere into the victorious life she now lives. Evangeline wants her readers to understand what it was like to be caught up in all the events of each particular season of her life. How the mind boggling places that she resided in made her fill powerless. How the Eternal Gods Love somehow reached out and kept her to save her from herself and all of the other evil forces that tried to destroy her destiny. This is her story.

A warm, empathetic guide to understanding, coping with, and healing from the unique pain of sibling estrangement "Whenever I tell people that I am working on a book about sibling estrangement, they sit up a little straighter and lean in, as if I've tapped into a dark secret." Fern Schumer Chapman understands the pain of sibling estrangement firsthand. For the better part of forty years, she had nearly no relationship with her only brother, despite many attempts at reconnection. Her grief and shame were devastating and isolating. But when she tried to turn to others for help, she found that a profound stigma still surrounded estrangement, and that very little statistical and psychological research existed to help her better understand the rift that had broken up her family. So she decided to conduct her own research, interviewing psychologists and estranged siblings as well as recording the extraordinary story of her own rift with her brother--and subsequent reconciliation. Brothers, Sisters, Strangers is the result--a thoughtfully researched memoir that illuminates both the author's own story and the greater phenomenon of estrangement. Chapman helps readers work through the challenges of rebuilding a sibling relationship that seems damaged beyond repair, as well as understand when estrangement is the best option. It is at once a detailed framework for understanding sibling estrangement, a beacon of solidarity and comfort for the estranged, and a moving memoir about family trauma, addiction, grief, and recovery.

There is no other family relationship quite like it! Rivalry, competition, camaraderie, love, and support—all are found in the bond between brothers and sisters. Reflecting on the nuances of this special connection, Chicken Soup for the Soul Celebrating Brothers and Sisters is filled with heartfelt stories that honor this unique relationship. Chuckle as you recollect childhood squabbles and occasional teamwork between you and your sibling. Relive the struggles and frustrations you went through while growing up with someone you found difficult to understand. Reflect on the poignant details of the sometimes painful path toward reconciliation in adulthood. This remarkable collection illustrates the ups and downs of life with that special family member, your brother or your sister. Chicken Soup for the Soul Celebrating Brothers and Sisters honors the strength of this family bond. These heartwarming tales of brothers and sisters illustrate the constant redefinition of their relationships and friendships throughout the years. Filled with humorous, thoughtful, and heartfelt memories and experiences, this extraordinary book celebrates the power and strength of having a friend in the family who will be there for you throughout your life.

A wideranging and groundbreaking investigation of the sibling relationship as shown in European literature, from 500 to 1500.

Based on a wealth of family papers, period images, and popular literature, this is the first book devoted to the broad history of sibling relations in America. Illuminating the evolution of the modern family system, Siblings shows how brothers and sisters have helped each other in the face of the dramatic political, economic, and cultural changes of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As Hemphill demonstrates, siblings function across all races as humanity's shock-absorbers as well as valued kin and keepers of memory.

This book argues that brother-sister relationships, idealized by the Romantics, intensified in nineteenth-century English domestic culture, and is a neglected key to understanding Victorian gender relations. Attracted by the apparent purity of the sibling bond, novelists and poets also acknowledged its innate ambivalence and instability, through conflicting patterns of sublimated devotion, revenge fantasy, and corrosive obsession. The final chapter shows how the brother-sister bond was permanently changed by the experience of the First World War.

Ruth Perry describes the eighteenth-century transformation of the English family as a function of major social changes. She uses social history, literary analysis and anthropological kinship theory to examine texts by Austen, Richardson, Burney, and many others. This important study will be of interest to social and literary historians.