Cover

Title Page

Part I:  Nine Dragons

Day 0

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Part II: American Falls

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 15

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20

Day 21

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Praise

Other Works

Credits

Copyright

About the Publisher

Thanksgiving

Richard kept his head down. Not all those cow pies were frozen, and the ones that were could turn an ankle. He’d limited his baggage to a carry-on, so the size 11s weaving their way among the green-brown mounds were meshy black cross-trainers that you could practically fold in half and stuff into a pocket. He could have gone to Walmart this morning and bought boots. The reunion, however, would have noticed, and made much of, such an extravagance.

Two dozen of his relatives were strung out in clumps along the barbed-wire fence to his right, shooting into the ravine or reloading. The tradition had started as a way for some of the younger boys to blow off steam during the torturous wait for turkey and pie.