Juxtaposed with Peter von Ziegasar's childhood memories of summers with his family at Long Island's Peacock Point, The Looking Glass Brother tells the gritty, dirty, drug-infused story of his schizophrenic stepbrother, known as Little Peter. A vagabond, Little Peter roams America, searching for something--but he's never quite sure what that something might be. A musical prodigy, he's unable to maintain a job and, after a horrific accident, his life turns ever downward. They were out of touch for years, von Ziegasar writes, and then "Little Peter's sudden reappearance in my life threw a monkey wrench into what had been for me a prolonged and unaccustomed state of equilibrium."
From outward appearances, the two brothers are complete opposites. Von Ziegasar is no stranger to illicit drugs, though, and he carefully films and videotapes his stepbrother's chaotic lifestyle of living on the streets and in homeless shelters, fueled by an odd sense of curiosity and freedom. When von Ziegasar becomes a father, memories of the difficult relationship he had with his own father resurface, adding a layer of despondency to this love/hate saga. Detailed descriptions of luxurious days at Peacock Point and the almost crazy way Big Peter strives to understand Little Peter and help him get into rehab, find work and build a life will leave readers wondering when they popped down the rabbit hole in this gratifying look at two brothers thrown together by circumstances beyond their control. --Lee E. Cart, freelance writer and book reviewer