In 2020, while working at the kitchen table revising the manuscript that would become my debut book, CLARA POOLE AND THE LONG WAY ROUND, my daughter drew a picture of a girl with flower stems growing from her head. The concept instantly struck me, and we began discussing what life must be like for such an unusual young person. What would it be like if flowers grew from your head? What if you hid this secret and no one knew? How might you ever live a “normal” life? What is normal?
I can’t wait for you all to meet Sprout and her friend EB, a boy with his own unseen challenges. Theirs is a tale of hope, friendship, and being okay with who you are. Set against the backdrop of a weird little Tim Burton-esque town fighting against gentrification and cultures of sameness, Sprout and EB dare to show us the beauty of being different.
SPROUT is the story I’ve always dreamed of creating. To say that I am excited to work with Elizabeth Stranahan at Random House might be the understatement of my adult life. I couldn’t be happier.
SPROUT is slated to be published in the spring of 2026.