Children of Blood and Bone - Tomi Adeyemi Page 0,172
the officer who killed him, was acquitted of all charges.3
These are just a few tragic names in a long list of black lives taken too soon. Mothers ripped from daughters, fathers ripped from sons, and parents who will live the rest of their lives with a grief no parent should have to know.
This is just one of the many problems plaguing our world and there are so many days when these problems still feel bigger than us, but let this book be proof to you that we can always do something to fight back.
As Zélie says in the ritual, “Abogbo wa ni ọmọ r1ẹ nínú 1j1 àti egungun.”
We are all children of blood and bone.
And just like Zélie and Amari, we have the power to change the evils in the world.
We’ve been knocked down for far too long.
Now let’s rise.
1 VELEZ, ASHLEY. “I Made It to 21. Mike Brown Didn’t.” The Root, 2017.
2 PARK, MADISON. “After Cop Shot Castile, 4-Year-Old Worried Her Mom Would Be Next.” CNN, 2017.
3 S MITH, MITCH. “Minnesota Officer Acquitted in Killing of Philando Castile.” The New York Times, 2017.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’VE BEEN BLESSED to know and work with some of the best human beings the world has to offer and I believe that’s only possible because God put them in my life. Thank you, God, for everything You’ve done and all that You’ve blessed me with.
Mom and Dad, thank you for sacrificing everything you knew and loved to give us all the opportunities in the world. I’m forever grateful for your support when I embarked on this dream. Dad, you taught me to never settle and always pushed me to do my best. I love you and I know Grandma’s watching over us every day. Mom, I think my characters lose their moms young because you did and that’s always been my worst fear. Thank you for loving and supporting me in so many ways I can’t even list them all. Also thank you to the aunties and uncles who helped with the Yoruba translations!
Tobi Lou, if you hadn’t been so incredible when we were growing up, my spiteful childhood self wouldn’t have been motivated to be the best I could be. Thank you for pursuing your dreams so relentlessly that I knew it was possible for me to do the same. Toni, you were my mortal enemy for the first fifteen years of your existence and you were so mean to me on 11/25/17. (I told you you’d be sorry!) Nevertheless, I love you dearly, I’m proud of you, and I know you’ll be the most famous Adeyemi.
Jackson, my bae and my beta reader. You’ve believed in me and my book from before the beginning. Thank you for being my number one fan and supporter, and for pushing me when I was too scared to believe in myself. Marc, Deb, and Clay, thank you for accepting me into your family with open arms and grilled cheeses. I love you all, and Clay, I’m proud to call you my little bro.
DJ Michelle “Meesh” Estrella, you are an incredible person and an incredible artist. Thank you for the beautiful symbols in this book!
Brenda Drake, thank you for making such a selfless sacrifice to help so many writers achieve our dreams. Ashley Hearn, you poured your heart and your brilliant mind into this manuscript and you helped me tell the story I wanted to tell the entire time. I love you and I’m so lucky to have been mentored by you!
Hillary Jacobson and Alexandra Machinist, you both defy the term “dream agents” because you’re above and beyond anything I could’ve ever dreamed. You’re brilliant and fierce and I’m so blessed to work with you. Thank you for making the impossible possible.
To Josie Freedman, the most epic film agent ever, thank you for taking me from dreaming of working on a movie to talking with some of the coolest people in Hollywood about my movie. Hana Murrell, Alice Dill, Mairi Friesen-Escandell, and Roxane Edouard, thank you for making my story global. It literally means the world.
Jon Yaged and Jean Feiwel, thank you for believing in me and this series in a way that’s never been done before. You’ve made Macmillan such a wonderful home, and I’m blessed to publish this book with you guys.
DEAREST CHRISTIAN TRIMMER! You’re my Mama Agba: the badass, magical, impeccably dressed elder who gives me tea, a metal staff, and sage wisdom when I need it the most. Thank you for being an incredible champion for me and this book!