Community Corner

Former Loudoun Resident Pens Novel About Sibling Loss

The author bases the book and characters on the death of his twin brother.

Jonathan Kuiper still talks to his twin brother. The conversations aren’t usually very long, but they are comforting.

“Whenever he pops in—usually in a dream—that’s good enough. It’s better than nothing,” said Kuiper, a former Crofton resident whose family still lives in the area. 

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Jonathan Kuiper’s brother, Stephen, died in a car accident in April of 2005. Eight years later, Kuiper has published a novel, Running With Vince that explores the relationship between the two brothers, and his own reaction to the death. More broadly, it’s an examination of the often-complex relationship between siblings, and the way in which we grieve.

“You can like your sibling, but you don’t necessarily have to like what they are doing,” he said. “For Stephen and myself, we were fine at times, but there were these other times where it’s like we’re family, but two guys you wouldn’t necessarily expect to be friends.”

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Read the full story on Crofton Patch.

[Editor’s Note: Jonathan Kuiper lived in Ashburn from 2001-2002.]


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