By Lauren Bell
The Removed by Brandon Hobson follows the Echota family as they are preserved by the speakers of the dead; those known as drifters, illusions, or dreams. Those who reveal themselves to only those who look.
With that, the foundation of The Removed by Brandon Hobson is laid. The novel follows the Echota family as they reconnect with their spirituality during the week prior to the anniversary of the death of Ray-Ray Echota, their beloved brother and son who was shot and killed fifteen years earlier. The plot is told through multiple perspectives of the family, as each character must process their own healing. The parents, Maria and Ernest, are struggling to manage Ernest’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis which mysteriously begins to subside after they take in a foster child. Nearby, their adult daughter Sonja struggles with her personal relationships. Edgar, their astray adult son, is battling addiction as he tries to find his way back home. The fourth voice is of family ancestor Tsala, who connects the plot to traditional Cherokee stories.
The themes of healing and storytelling are apparent through the novel’s progression, yet Hobson addresses contemporary issues such as racism and police violence in more subtle ways, using animal and nature symbolism to convey the messages together.
I found that although each character’s individual perspective was shared, the novel had a collective voice—the voice of people who never quite moved on, all unremarkable in their own way. Ray-Ray, although deceased, is the most captivating character, and pieces of him are apparent in each of the characters the family interacts with, demonstrating how significant his loss was. While I can appreciate how Hobson wanted to tie spirituality in with vulnerability and healing, I struggled to enjoy aspects of the novel because of this. Some of the changes to the characters, such as the sudden pause in progression in Ernest’s Alzheimer’s and Edgar’s lack of withdrawal symptoms, seemed too unrealistic me. That being said, I enjoyed the conclusion, as Hobson was able tie each character’s storyline together without being explicit and left room for the reader to ruminate about what will happen next in the Echota family.