by Nikki Grimes

• Children & Youth

• Publisher: Blink (HarperCollins Focus)
• Published: 2017

Publisher's Description

A guy whose father ripped his heart out too. You and me, Ishmael, we’re brothers, two dark sons. Destroyed, lost, and isolated, the perspectives of two teenage boys—modern-day Sam, and biblical Ishmael—unite over millennia to illustrate the power of forgiveness. “Grimes's commanding metaphors ("Look at you, mother,/ trembling,/ a bowshot away,/ your tears/ the only water/ for miles," says the exiled Ishmael), authoritative style, and complex characterizations are uniquely compelling.” — Publisher’s Weekly starred review “The simple words eloquently reveal what it's like to miss someone … but even more moving is the struggle to forgive and the affection each boy feels for the baby that displaces him. The elemental connections and the hope … will speak to a wide audience." — Booklist starred review