"More than a stunning debut. It is the announcement of a bold new literary voice"
—Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I know I tell you this pretty much every day (and since you’re a part of the All, you probably know already), but I’ll leave it here so I’ll always have somewhere I can read it: I know we never met, but I’ll always feel that in another place, another time, we were thick as thieves. I know the anger, the bitterness. I have it too. I’m not so ready to forgive though. I’m glad you were able to before the river took you away from us. We grew up in the same place, traveling like gypsies, our mammas toting us like luggage, meaning well, but making our lives like houses made of sand. I miss you so much my heart feels like it’s being squeezed by invisible hands that don’t know their own strength, like a piece of me is missing. A home I can never go back to. I wish I’d been a little older than 12-15. I wish we could sing & dance together, to talk about everything & nothing for hours. To start a conversation all silly, then get all intense out of nowhere until one of us says something silly or stupid to relieve the tension. To see the sun behind your eyes, to hear you laugh & know I’m the one that made you do it. At least I have your voice, always there when I need it: soothing the hurt a bit, giving me the strength to keep being me & doing & feeling things I never thought I would or could. I love you soul brother, & thanks for everything. Always