Thank you to Jim Head, for taking the time to connect me with Rawley King who designed a fabulous book cover.
And a special thanks goes to the Poynter Institute’s Donald Fry, who generously and painstakingly edited my manuscript. He is a gentleman who cares about writing and writers, and this book is better because of it.
Most importantly, I acknowledge Steve Buttry, who told me once that no one would ever care about my writing more than he, and then went on to prove it every single day. Even when I gave up, he never did.
If this book never sells a single copy, I have been given a treasure because of it.
About the Author
Mimi Johnson grew up on an Iowa farm and in the nearby town of Essex. She is a former columnist for the Journal Herald in Shawnee, Kan., and the Minot (N.D.) Daily News. Her freelance writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Omaha World-Herald and other newspapers. She was an English major at Creighton University, where she won the Creative Writing Award in 1996. This is her first novel.
Table of Contents
Prologue 9
The Announcement 4
Chapter 1 5
Chapter 2 14
Chapter 3 22
Sam and Tess 45
Chapter 4 46
Chapter 5 64
Chapter 6 80
Chapter 7 100
Tess and Jack 114
Chapter 8 115
Chapter 9 130
Chapter 10 147
Chapter 11 177
The Campaign 199
Chapter 12 200
Chapter 13 217
Chapter 14 227
Chapter 15 242
Chapter 16 255
Chapter 17 16
Chapter 18 31
Chapter 19 49
Chapter 21 83
Chapter 22 100
Chapter 23 112
Chapter 24 125
Chapter 25 134
Chapter 26 149
Chapter 27 158
Chapter 28 178
Chapter 29 188
Chapter 30 204
Chapter 31 220
Chapter 32 229
Chapter 33 243
Chapter 34 8
Chapter 35 13
Chapter 36 23
Chapter 37 39
Jack and Sam 55
Chapter 38 56
Chapter 39 73
Chapter 40 91
Chapter 41 112
Chapter 42 141
Acknowledgements 149
About the Author 150