The Fragments that Remain

Andy and Ally are honorary twins; once born to reflect each other, now only one remains to pick up the fragments of a shared life.

A year after her brother Ally’s death was ruled suicide by overdose, Andy starts university without her “honorary twin,” writing him letters as she strives to embrace her bisexuality and her Indigenous identity. When Andy discovers Ally’s hidden poems, she tries to piece together these remaining fragments of her brother.

Dearest Departed, I do not know when I decided I was going to write. I am not a writer. You are. You were.

Honorary twins Ally and Andy, born at the start and end of the same year, have always shared everything — until Ally dies, his passing ruled a suicide by overdose. A year later, Andy starts her first year at college without her other half, writing letters to Ally as she makes new friends who know nothing about him, falls in love for the first time, and strives to embrace her bisexuality and her Indigenous identity. When Andy discovers the poems Ally hid in their room, she pieces together these remaining fragments to make sense of her brother’s life — and his death.

A story told through letters and poems, The Fragments that Remain is a heart-wrenching and hopeful debut novel from Mackenzie Angeconeb.