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