Chapters (44)
- Cover
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Books by Julie Murphy
- Back Ad
- About the Publisher
I owe a great deal of gratitude to my Dumplin’ movie team. You all have brought me so much happiness and I’m so proud of all that we’ve created. Thank you especially to Kristin Hahn, Jennifer Aniston, Mohamed AlRafi, Trish Hoffman, Kelly Todd, Danny Nozell, Danielle Macdonald, Maddie Baillio, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Odeya Rush, Luke Benward, Hillary Begley, and Georgie Flores.
Thank you especially to Ginger Minj, who spurred me on to write Waylon’s story.
And of course, the one and only Dolly Parton. Dolly, you shine light on everything you touch. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that my little books would bring us together, but they have and it’s turned out to be one of the most incredible things that’s ever happened to me. Thank you for your friendship and support.
Mom and Dad, thank you for always allowing me to be too weird and too loud and too much. You never said no. (Actually, sometimes you might have, but it was probably for good reason, and I ignored you anyway.)
Dexter, Rufus, and Opie . . . yes, I am thanking my dog and two cats. Thank you for the cuddles and for all the joy you bring me.
Ian, our love is my favorite inspiration. Thank you for believing in me even when you have absolutely no reason to and for always letting me sleep in.
Lastly, to my readers . . . there is not enough gratitude in the world to properly express how much your support and enthusiasm means to me. When Dumplin’, the first book in this series, released in 2015, we lived in a different world. I didn’t know how a book about a fat person who just wanted to take up space and find love might be received. I didn’t know if there was an audience for the kind of stories I wanted to tell. But it turned out that I wasn’t alone. Since then, and thanks to the work of so many artists and activists, the conversations around bodies have changed astronomically. We still have such a long way to go, but I’m eagerly looking forward to every step of that journey. Thank you for being part of this moment with me and for proving that good stories come in all shapes and sizes.
Creating and living in the world of Clover City has been an honor and I’ve been able to do so for three books because of you, my dear readers. Thank you for finding a place in your heart for Willowdean, Millie, Waylon, and the whole gang. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I love you. Go big or go home.
About the Author
Photo by Christy Archibald