American Sparrow

NOWHERE LEFT TO TURN? GRAB YOUR BAG, HIT THE ROAD, AND DON'T LOOK BACK.

Rupert grew up in Fort Collins, having left his hometown only a handful of times. Aside from his best friend Ben, and Ben's kid sister Sarah, he doesn't have many friends. He's considered by most at his high school to be an outsider, where he's routinely bullied because of his mother's job.

In the summer between his junior and senior years, he goes to a backyard party that will forever change his life. Forced to confront both the boy who torments him and his innermost demons, he embarks on an adventure in which he begins to questions his very self.

Part American road trip story, part love letter to Colorado, American Sparrow is about one teen's remarkable journey of self-discovery, and a drive to uncover a truth he may not be ready to face.

FROM THE AUTHOR

After being born and raised in New York City and attending university briefly in Washington, DC, I decided to tag along with my older brother when, in the spring of 2001, he drove cross-country to a house he had purchased in Fort Collins, Colorado. For the first three months I lived in his garage and waited tables to save money for an apartment. A year later I became a state resident and enrolled in Colorado State University, where I finished my bachelor's degree in literature and history. Much of the backdrop I aim to capture in American Sparrow comes from my time there-a period and place that I've always kept in my heart, even after living overseas for many years, traveling extensively, and returning to live in my hometown of New York. For me, Colorado has always been my secret strength.

American Sparrow is intended to help teens and the young at heart keep perspective. In part it is a love letter to Colorado presented through the lens of the great American road trip; I sought for it to capture my memories of that great state before it fades or changes forever. But perhaps more importantly, American Sparrow is an exploration of one singular character's journey. It is about a boy who must decide whether to stand up and account for his actions, or fade away-even if that decision isn't entirely in his hands.

There's nothing worse than being falsely accused-especially when people don't believe you, no matter how hard you try to convince them otherwise. What happens when you are in this situation but with no social standing and no power? When you're in the position, say, of a teenager, one who is already considered by most to be the class outsider? The bigger the accusation, the worse the weighty feeling of hopelessness. What are your options? Fight back against the whole world? End it all and disappear into the ether? For my main character, Rupert, it was to run.

- Dennis Petrone