Amelia wondered what would happen to Mrs. O’Brien if Hannah stayed in her father’s life. She hated to consider certain possibilities. But, no matter what, Mrs. O’Brien would be right across the street.

Did she hear Mrs. O’Brien?

Amelia left her room and wandered down the hall, listening. As if she somehow knew she was being thought of, Mrs. O’Brien called out in a cheerful voice. “Amelia? I’m in the kitchen. I need you.”

No, thought Amelia. I need you.

She needed her to sweep her up, to hold her close, to understand her, to love her. She needed her to tell her when she didn’t need her anymore.

“Coming,” Amelia called back.

When she grabbed the banister, she took a deep breath. Let it out. She was ready. She didn’t want to keep Mrs. O’Brien waiting. She brightened as she quickly and quietly descended the stairs—into the kitchen, into the world, into whatever was still to come.

About the Author

KEVIN HENKES is the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of award-winning picture books for younger children, beginning readers for newly independent readers, and novels for middle grade readers. He has received two Newbery Honors, one for The Year of Billy Miller and the other for Olive’s Ocean. He has also received the Caldecott Medal and two Caldecott Honors. He lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.

www.kevinhenkes.com

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Books by Kevin Henkes

The Year of Billy Miller

Junonia

Bird Lake Moon

Olive’s Ocean

The Birthday Room

Sun & Spoon

Protecting Marie

Words of Stone

The Zebra Wall

Two Under Par

Return to Sender

Copyright

This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used to advance the fictional narrative. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.

SWEEPING UP THE HEART. Copyright © 2019 by Kevin Henkes. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

www.harpercollinschildrens.com

The Emily Dickinson poems here and here are taken from THE POEMS OF EMILY DICKINSON, edited by Thomas H. Johnson, Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Copyright © 1951, 1955 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. Copyright © renewed 1979, 1983 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. Copyright © 1914, 1918, 1919, 1924, 1929, 1930, 1932, 1935, 1937, 1942, by Martha Dickinson Bianchi. Copyright © 1952, 1957, 1958, 1963, 1965, by Mary L. Hampson. This was the standard edition of Dickinson’s poems in 1999, when this novel takes place.