The Story of Tom Brennan

The Story of Tom Brennan is a 2005 novel for young adults by Australian author J.C. Burke. Set in a modern-day Australian town, it chronicles a year in the life of Tom Brennan, a seventeen-year-old football prodigy. After Tom’s brother, Daniel, has a drunk driving accident that results in two innocent people’s deaths, his family is forced to move to a new town. The novel shows the personal transformation that Tom undergoes as he processes a tragedy that he never dreamed would affect him, and shows how the Brennan family as a whole adapts to their new life. The novel is a staple in Australian high school literature curricula, though its status as such has been contested due to its inclusion of topics such as alcohol, mental illness, and crime. The Story of Tom Brennan has been honored as one of the best pieces of Australian young adult fiction by the Children’s Book Council of Australia.

The novel begins by introducing the character of Tom Brennan. He lives a relatively simplistic life in the small Australian town of Mumbilli, with little to worry about other than winning the next St. John’s rugby game. He is lucky to have a nurturing family and close friends. However, any potential for an idyllic coming-of-age screeches to a halt one evening after a party hosted by a classmate to celebrate their high school team’s surprise rugby victory in a sudden death run. The party degenerates into a drunken mess; Tom’s older brother, Daniel, accuses their cousin, Fin, of hitting on his girlfriend. Fin, for whom Daniel is a role model, is confused and rejects his accusation. Daniel instigates a fight with multiple others, then storms to his car and drives off with some friends, with Fin tagging along.

Daniel’s drunk, enraged getaway predictably ends in tragedy. He gets himself, Fin, and the other two people in the car into a severe car crash. The two friends die, and Fin suffers spinal injuries that permanently paralyze him. The deaths of the boys are mourned throughout Mumbilli. Daniel is arrested and jailed while he awaits his trial for drunk driving and manslaughter. Tom starts to doubt whether he ever understood his family to begin with. When Daniel is sentenced to prison, the Brennans move towns hoping for a clean slate. They move in with Tom’s grandmother, who lives in an old, rickety house in Coghill, full of old religious trinkets.



Tom and his younger sister, Kylie, face the daunting task of making an entirely new set of friends at St. Bennies. Mrs. Brennan, sinking into a deep depression, is rarely seen outside her bedroom. Mr. Brennan, at a loss as to how to repair his broken family, also withdraws out of fear he might somehow make things worse. The family continues to feel deeply guilty for Daniel’s crime, especially as Fin is now a living reminder of the suffering Daniel caused in the world.

Tom joins the rugby team, but the St. Bennies team is far weaker than his team back in Mumbilli. Playing with novice teammates forces Tom to grow as a teacher and listener. He also bonds with his uncle Brendan during morning runs. Their relationship triggers memories of the bond Tom shared with Daniel. Tom realizes that some of his perceptions of Daniel were distorted by his admiration and love for him. As they get in better and better shape, they start planning to undertake a treacherous climb up to Mount Everest Base Camp.

Meanwhile, Daniel suffers in the isolating and compassionless environment of his prison cell. Overwhelmed with guilt and depression, he is eventually moved into the prison’s crisis area due to a perceived risk of self-harm and suicide. At the hospital, Fin lies in constant frustration and anger at his cousin for destroying his life. During their respective birthdays, Fin and Daniel get a chance to reconnect, signaling hope for Daniel’s self-forgiveness and Fin’s forgiveness of Daniel. The novel culminates at a public speaking competition that Kylie had entered in order to find a creative outlet for her frustration. In an epic monologue, she opens the floodgates of the family’s complex tension and trauma, shocking but moving the audience. The novel closes as Tom starts dating a Tongan girl, Chrissy Tulake, their budding relationship signaling his return to normalcy.