Genre: Non-Fiction (Memoir)
The mind is a terrible historian. Memory is shaped not only by events but by emotions, expectations, and, often, guilt. Research shows that each time we recall a moment, we subtly alter it. In Hey Dick, Robbie Blackburn wrestles with this truth as he recounts his brother’s life and death, knowing full well that grief makes an unreliable narrator.
Rather than presenting a neatly ordered timeline, the book unfolds in fractured recollections—snippets of childhood, poetic musings, the unshakable weight of guilt, and dreams that blur the line between reality and wishful thinking. It’s not just about loss; it’s about the way loss rewrites the past.
What We Leave Behind
Anthropologists say that what we leave behind defines us—our artifacts, our words, our impact on others. But what happens when someone’s absence feels more present than their life ever did? Hey Dick explores this paradox, where absence takes up space, where a loved one is both gone and everywhere at once.
Blackburn captures this through objects—ashes in a car, a cat figurine holding remnants of a life, a Mountain Dew bottle placed beside an urn. These details transform grief from abstract sadness into something tangible, something that sits on a shelf or dangles from a rearview mirror.
The Science of Dreams and Guilt
Psychologists have long studied how grief infiltrates dreams. Studies show that up to 85% of bereaved individuals dream of their lost loved ones, often experiencing moments of vivid interaction. Blackburn’s descriptions of recurring dreams, in which he tries and fails to save his brother, are not just personal nightmares—they reflect a broader human experience of guilt and helplessness in mourning.
The book never offers easy resolution. The question lingers: was his brother’s fate avoidable? And even if it wasn’t, does that change the burden of the one left behind?
Breaking the Silence Around Sibling Grief
Sibling loss is often overlooked in discussions of grief. The death of a parent, spouse, or child dominates public conversations, but losing a sibling is uniquely complex. A shared childhood, inside jokes, and lifelong expectations vanish in an instant.
Blackburn doesn’t just mourn his brother—he mourns who he was when his brother was alive. Who are we when someone who shaped our identity is no longer there? Hey Dick sits with this question, refusing to rush to answers.
A Book That Doesn’t Want to be Easy
Some books are written to comfort. This one is written to be real. It doesn’t sanitize grief or smooth its jagged edges for the sake of narrative ease. It asks hard questions and, perhaps most honestly, doesn’t always answer them.
Not everyone will appreciate this raw approach. Readers looking for a structured journey from pain to healing may find it too unfiltered, too unresolved. But for those who have ever faced a loss that reshaped them, this book will feel like recognition.
Hey Dick is not just a story of loss—it is proof that some people never truly leave.
Booknomad Tales Five Stars Award
This book is a winner of the Booknomad Tales Five Stars Award, an accolade that reflects the mission of Booknomad Tales: to explore literature that resonates universally, while celebrating the distinct voices that make global storytelling so vibrant. Whether it’s a contemporary novel, a poignant memoir, or an evocative collection of poetry, award-winning books embody the heart and soul of what it means to be a nomad of the literary world.
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