Georgiana is a faint character at first, introduced to Elizabeth Bennet in conversations that praise her musical ability but suggest she shares her brother’s weakness, pride. Mr Darcy is his younger sister Georgiana’s guardian and has already had to see off her attempted seduction by the feckless George Wickham. I can remember reading the book aghast as a teenager, desperate for a different ending. Tom’s criticisms of Maggie estrange the pair and their reconciliation in the final pages, against the background of the flood of the Floss river, is both tragic and incredibly moving. She broods jealously over his other friendships and pushes their docile cousin Lucy into the mud, an act that earns her “two smart slaps” from her brother.

By the end of the novel the two are reconciled, and echoes of their old familiarity emerge.Īnother relationship that changes over time is Maggie Tulliver’s adoration of her brother, Tom. The relationship changes as the children grow up, typified by Jem’s adolescent moodiness and instruction to Scout that she isn’t to bother him at school but “stick to the first grade”. Four years older than Scout, Jem is the archetypal older brother, taking charge of the games focused on their reclusive neighbour Boo Radley and taunting Scout with the name “Miss Priss”. This was my O-level set text and I still love it. The novels show that habits formed in our early years can shape all subsequent relationships – and how powerful a childhood bond is when viewed from an adult perspective. They focus not only on the blood ties between the characters but also throw a spotlight on how children are regarded by their society. The following books represent the best portrayals I know of these distinctive relationships. I wanted to explore jealousy, suspicion and brutality between siblings, but also the ever-present sense of familiarity and belonging. In my latest crime novel, A Patient Fury, the interdependence between my protagonist Julia and her brother George has its roots in their traumatic past and drives the investigation into their father’s death.

The ghosts by antonia barber