This manuscript was recently revised from the original novel called Close to the Heart. While the fictional characters and their conflicts remained the same, the narrative and dialogue have been updated in order to reach a new generation of readers. I appreciate the support from the editorial team at Arte Público Press. They realized the importance of reprinting the story for the many young people who have enjoyed my other books. I want to thank my sister-in-law, Elizabeth Gonzales, for re-typing the manuscript, and her husband, my brother, Joe, who helped me write Badger’s song almost ten years ago. My writing friends, Audrey Eliot and Carla Joinson, were invaluable to my work. Thank you for your encouragement and your honesty.
I dedicated the first printing of this story to my parents, to my brother, Frank, and in memory of a dear friend, Daniel Winslow.
I want to dedicate this new printing to all of my family—Bertrand, Gonzales, MacRae, and Engelbrecht—because I hold all of you close to my heart. Por siempre.