Contents ( 61)
- Contents
- Preface
- God Must Be a Country Music Fan
- A Little Turkey Somewhere
- Headed for Two Giant Glaciers
- A Dead End
- White-Trash Redneck
- Golden Ticket
- Another Not-So-Good Guy
- A Special Purpose
- Part of the Plan
- Generosity
- Getting Worse
- Bah Humbug
- Thin and Shredded
- Opportunities
- Chance Encounter
- A New Song
- Serenity
- Under the Speckled Stars
- Help
- Windows
- Stuck in Traffic
- Flawed and Broken
- Doug’s Bike Shop
- It’s Bad When
- A Common Bond
- A Tiny Fraction of Hope
- As Poor as I Am
- Opportunities
- The Note
- A Handshake
- Something So Cool
- Stripped and Left Barren
- Nice on a Bumper Sticker
- Family Portrait
- Better and Worse
- Like a Circus in There
- Lost Cause
- A Hero
- Silent Night
- The Storm
- The Man Inside
- Christmas Gift
- My Little One
- The Only Thing
- The Weight of the World
- Receiving
- The Sign
- All His Heart and All His Soul
- Where You’re Going
- Home
- Under the Tree
- Paper Angels
- The Shoes
- A Piece
- Epilogue
- The Following July
- Acknowledgments
- Author’s Note
- A Conversation with Jimmy Wayne
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
or visit us online to sign up at
eBookNews.SimonandSchuster.com
Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: God Must Be a Country Music Fan
Chapter 2: A Little Turkey Somewhere
Chapter 3: Headed for Two Giant Glaciers
Chapter 4: A Dead End
Chapter 5: White-Trash Redneck
Chapter 6: Golden Ticket
Chapter 7: Another Not-So-Good Guy
Chapter 8: A Special Purpose
Chapter 9: Part of the Plan
Chapter 10: Generosity
Chapter 11: Getting Worse
Chapter 12: Bah Humbug
Chapter 13: Thin and Shredded
Chapter 14: Opportunities
Chapter 15: Chance Encounter
Chapter 16: A New Song
Chapter 17: Serenity
Chapter 18: Under the Speckled Stars
Chapter 19: Help
Chapter 20: Windows
Chapter 21: Stuck in Traffic
Chapter 22: Flawed and Broken
Chapter 23: Doug’s Bike Shop
Chapter 24: It’s Bad When
Chapter 25: A Common Bond
Chapter 26: A Tiny Fraction of Hope
Chapter 27: As Poor as I Am
Chapter 28: Opportunities
Chapter 29: The Note
Chapter 30: A Handshake
Chapter 31: Something So Cool
Chapter 32: Stripped and Left Barren
Chapter 33: Nice on a Bumper Sticker
Chapter 34: Family Portrait
Chapter 35: Better and Worse
Chapter 36: Like a Circus in There
Chapter 37: Lost Cause
Chapter 38: A Hero
Chapter 39: Silent Night
Chapter 40: The Storm
Chapter 41: The Man Inside
Chapter 42: Christmas Gift
Chapter 43: My Little One
Chapter 44: The Only Thing
Chapter 45: The Weight of the World
Chapter 46: Receiving
Chapter 47: The Sign
Chapter 48: All His Heart and All His Soul
Chapter 49: Where You’re Going
Chapter 50: Home
Chapter 51: Under the Tree
Chapter 52: Paper Angels
Chapter 53: The Shoes
Chapter 54: A Piece
Epilogue: The Following July
Acknowledgments
Author’s Note
A Conversation with Jimmy Wayne
To Bea and Russell Costner
There wouldn’t be me if there hadn’t been you.
Preface
When his mom decided it was time for them to leave and leave for good, Thomas knew they better get far away or he’d come and find them. The good thing or the bad thing, depending on how one looked at it, was that it was Christmas day and food was still cooking in the kitchen. Just another Christmas, with Mom sweating in a tiny room over a tiny stove, Thomas and Sara dreaming of the iPods or gaming equipment they could be enjoying, and Dad watching college basketball on his flat-screen television and drinking with a vengeance. This was the worst time they could possibly ever leave, and that was what made it the best.
“Thomas, I need your help,” Mom called.
He didn’t go right away, watching the game with almost as much interest as Dad. It was only when his father barked out his name that Thomas went. Dad wasn’t concerned about Mom’s needing help—he didn’t want any interruptions to his game. It would sure help them all out if the UNC Tarheels would score a little more often. Thomas got up, figuring he needed to take out the garbage or Benny, his dad’s dog.