Thank you to Elizabeth Saathoff of San Antonio’s Performing Arts School of Classical Ballet, who helped me ensure that the ballet scenes were accurate. Any errors or exaggerations are my own.
Thank you to attorneys Maurine “Mo” and Barrett Shipp, who provided me with detailed explanations of police and legal procedure in domestic violence cases. Though much of that information does not appear in the book, I remain deeply grateful for their enthusiastic and gracious assistance.
Thank you to Heather Plank for making me laugh out loud every day. Thank you to Helen Sachdev, who sends wisdom from London. So much love to Chris Englehart, dearest sister of my heart.
My father, Francis Joseph Jackson, took me to the ballet in the years when I was awkward and shy and ashamed of my height, my thick glasses, and my hideous braces. When it mattered most, he filled my eyes with stars.
Thank you to my stepmother, Nancy McMahon, who never failed to tell me that my writing was glorious, even when it was a raging dumpster fire.
Thank you to my lovely stepdaughter, Lacey Triplett Thistle, and her delightful husband, Joe, for their unwavering support, kindness, and generosity of spirit.
Endless love to my magnificent sons, Alexander, Nicholas, and Joshua, who never doubted that their mom could write a book. Guys, Lucas is a love song to the three of you. When I finished the first draft, I realized that I’d given him your kindness, your bravery and intelligence, your humor, your compassionate and loving hearts, and your fierce loyalty to friends and family. I will love you forever, and I am so proud of you.
Finally, I owe so much—everything, really—to my wonderful architect husband, William. His steadfast love and support sustained me during the six years I wrote and revised Sparrow. I’m grateful to him for so many things: For listening to me read early drafts and not throwing up. For telling me—and everyone he meets—that he’s proud of me. For taking me to the nearest bookstore, no matter where in the world we were, and buying me notebooks I did not need and books that I did, when revisions were daunting and I was discouraged and disheartened. William, my hero, my dearest love, you are my North Star.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
My heart is full.
About the Author
MARY CECILIA JACKSON has worked as a middle school teacher, an adjunct instructor of college freshmen, a technical writer and editor, a speechwriter, a museum docent, and a development officer for central Virginia’s PBS and NPR stations. Her first novel, Sparrow, was an honor recipient of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Sue Alexander Award and a young-adult category finalist in the Writers’ League of Texas manuscript contest. She lives with her architect husband, William, in Western North Carolina and Hawaii.
Visit her online at www.marycjackson.com, or sign up for email updates here.
Twitter: @marycjackson
Instagram: @mceciliajackson
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Sparrow
The Valley of the Shadow
1. March
2
3
4. May
5. Fourth of July
6. Seventh of July
7. Early August, a Saturday
8. Last Saturday in August
Lucas
9. After Lunch, March
10. After Rehearsal, May
11. June, After the Funeral
12. Party, Fourth of July
13. The Fight, Three Days Later
Sparrow
14. August, After
15. In the Valley of the Shadow
16. Mama
Lucas
17. Last Sunday in August
18. Aubrey’s Cove, Ten Days Later
19. Back to School
20. One Week Later
Sparrow
21. Day Eighteen
22. Day Nineteen
Lucas
23. Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down
24. Consequences
Sparrow
25. Nightmare
Lucas
26. Exile
27. Granny Deirdre
Sparrow
28. The Sound of Silence
29. A Painting
30. A Memory
31. My First Funeral
Lucas
32. A Walk in the Woods
33. Epiphany
Sparrow
34. Field Trip
Lucas
The Sparkles
Finale
Author’s Note
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
SPARROW
Copyright © 2020 by Mary Cecilia Jackson
All rights reserved.
Cover design by Lesley Worrell
Cover photographs: dancer © Colin Anderson / Stocksy; feathers © Shutterstock.com
A Tor Teen Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates
120 Broadway
New York, NY 10271
www.tor-forge.com
Tor® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-0-7653-9885-7 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-7653-9884-0 (ebook)
eISBN 9780765398840
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First Edition: March 2020
Sparrow Page 29
