A R T S & C U LT U R E
The First Taste An exclusive sneak peek from the forthcoming young-adult novel Backyard Beasts By
Jeremy Jordan King with watercolor illustrations by the author
It was a big old house on an even bigger and older piece of land. The original structure had been built by colonists before this country was a country. Since then, several generations of Brooks men put their stamp on the property with additions, updates, and renovations. Grampa Willy improved the kitchen, his father added the garage, and his father’s father tacked on the porch. Most people would suspect all the family’s energy was devoted to the constantly changing house, but it was the grounds that required the most attention, the most love. In the middle of the always-emerald lawn was the prop62 | Boston Pride 2015
erty’s heart, the garden. It lay at the bottom of a small hill, just before the yard’s grass turned into the forest’s brush. A circular white picket fence protected the more delicious plants from wandering animals, and a majestic Japanese maple protected the more delicate ones from harsh sunlight. Grampa Willy shielded his eyes from the late summer glare to look for autumn’s first turned leaf. “I think I’ve found one,” he said. “Up there on the left.” Jake scrunched his face and squinted. “I don’t see it, Grampa.”
