The Edge of Strange Hollow by Gabrielle Byrne (great book club books txt) 📗

Gita Trelease, who gave this story (and this author) love at every opportunity. I so look forward to sharing cocktails and “vats” in person—and to laughing over velcros past and present, among endless other things. Thank you to my longtime friends and writing partners, Julie Artz and Jessica Vitalis, who read and gave input on EoSH, and to Sara Faring, Rebecca Petruck, and Mark Holtzen for their kind words and support. Speaking of kind words … thank you to Fran Wilde and Quinn Sosna-Spear for their lovely quotes on the cover of EoSH.

Thank you to my amazing group of Pitch Wars writer-friends—the PNW Mentors on the Sound, and especially to Joy McCullough for her ongoing friendship. It is so lovely to have such a wonderful group of people with whom to write, build friendships, and make change. I’m looking forward to the time when we can meet up in person again!

All books are built with an author’s blood, sweat, and tears. We need a lot of support, and I’ve had the advantage of caring friends and family who have believed in me from the beginning. I’m thankful to my lifelong friends for their constancy and shine: Meryl McQueen, Katrina Alcorn, Erin Mooney, Hannah Field, and Heather Ostle.

I want to thank my parents, Sally W. Kirouac and George J. Kirouac for their endless and unequivocal support. Mom, I love you—and am so grateful you get to hold my stories in your hands and see what your unpredictable child has wrought. Dad—I miss you. I’m sending you a campfire song, a coffee (black) and some cackling, wherever you are. Thank you to my sister, Martha, and my brother, Ian. You two are my bookends—you keep me upright. I love you. Thank you to my aunt, Mary Lou Hurley, and to Bernie Pilichowski for a lifetime of support and love, and to author Barbara Hazen for being an early inspiration. Last, but never least, thanks to the enormous (in numbers and in heart) Torras/Byrne clan, and to the Wilson/Reeder, and Wolter clans for all of their love and support.

Thank you to my daughters for putting up with me, and for their ongoing inspiration. I am so proud of who you are both becoming. And finally I want to say thank you to my husband and best friend, Daeg. For twenty years, through thick and thin, I’ve counted on your love and support, your thoughtful input, your soothsaying, your amazing coffee, and most of all your true presence. You are my north star, and I love you.

Thank you, readers. Thank you, universe. Keep going. I love you.

ALSO BY GABRIELLE K. BYRNE

Rise of the Dragon Moon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gabrielle K. Byrne is the author of Rise of the Dragon Moon and The Edge of Strange Hollow. She lives in the rainy wilds of the Pacific Northwest, where she writes fantasy for kids of all ages. Gabby studied opera in Philadelphia, medieval studies in New York, literature in Scotland, and marine biology in the Pacific Northwest, but writing stories is the common thread that ties all her interests together. When she’s not writing, she can be found fishing spineless beasties out of the Salish Sea with her husband and two daughters. Gabby is a mentor for the Pitch Wars writing contest, and a contributor at The Winged Pen blog. You can sign up for email updates here.

    

Thank you for reading this

Imprint ebook.

To receive special offers, bonus content,

and info on new releases and other great reads,

sign up for our newsletters.

Or visit us online at

us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup

For email updates on the author, click here.

CONTENTS

Title Page

Copyright Notice

Dedication

Once Upon a Time

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

Also by Gabrielle K. Byrne

About the Author

Copyright

A part of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271

THE EDGE OF STRANGE HOLLOW. Copyright © 2021 by Gabrielle K. Byrne. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-1-250-62466-6 (hardcover) / ISBN 978-1-250-62467-3 (ebook)

Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact your local bookseller or the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945 ext. 5442 or by email at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.

Imprint logo designed by Amanda Spielman

First edition, 2021

mackids.com

There are all manner of witches in the Grimwood. One thing they all have in common is a dislike for law-breakers, oath-snappers, and, for reasons that are not entirely clear … pharmacists. In any case, consider yourself warned. If you steal this book, you may end up holding a witch’s windsock for the rest of your days.

eISBN 9781250624673