The Sisters Brothers

By Patrick DeWitt,

Book cover of The Sisters Brothers

Book description

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize

Hermann Kermit Warm is going to die. Across 1000 miles of Oregon desert his assassins, the notorious Eli and Charlies Sisters, ride - fighting, shooting, and drinking their way to Sacramento. But their prey isn't an easy mark, the road is long and bloody, and…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked The Sisters Brothers as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Dewitt’s book is a rethinking of the classic Western. It is ugly, violent, romantic, and hilarious almost at the same time. I loved the interplay between Charlie and Eli Sisters, hired killers heading off on what may be “one last job.” 

I love books where you start on the surface of characters, but their true selves are revealed through dialogue and their actions. Like a good writer should, Dewitt flips things on their head—who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? 

I strive for this in writing novels—flipping genre cliches on their heads and letting characters—flaws and all—come…

In The Sisters Brothers, Patrick deWitt pulls off the difficult task of making hired killers captivating. The sibling antiheroes go on a journey across the western landscape while contemplating their inner selves. In many ways weird, The Sisters Brothers ties a sometimes sad story together in a neat package. The book is a fascinating take on the traditional western.  

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