The Codger and the Sparrow

Praise for The Codger and the Sparrow

“Concise and well-written, The Codger and the Sparrow by Scott Semegran is an excellent example of a contemporary novel that may one day be considered a classic... The character development, including that of the protagonists and secondary individuals like Luis' father, is exceptionally well-crafted. The story progresses at a sublime pace, making The Codger and the Sparrow a superb tale that will captivate young and older readers alike, and I highly recommend it.” – Readers' Favorite Book Reviews (⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐)

“Semegran deftly blends humor with heart in a road trip romp that crosses generational divides. A coming-of-age for one, a coming-to-terms for the other, Semegran’s characters are deeply drawn in a way that envelops readers from the start of their journey to its unexpected end. The Codger and the Sparrow is a fun, fresh meditation on friendship, loss, and new beginnings.” – James Wade, Spur Award-winning author of All Things Left Wild and River, Sing Out

“A fun tale of an endearing May-December friendship.” – Kirkus Reviews. Verdict: GET IT!

“Scott Semegran’s characters capture the essential human contradiction: that deep flaws and bad decisions exist right alongside our beautiful capacity for kindness and compassion. With equal parts heart and humor, The Codger and the Sparrow is an ode to the strange, messy, and transformative power of friendship.” – Stacey Swann, author of Olympus, Texas

“Heartening and thought-provoking... an entertaining tale well worth telling.” – Lone Star Literary Life (⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐)

“The Codger and the Sparrow captures many of the joys themselves of the stories it tells—road trips and friendships, chasing curiosities and relationships. The surprises of ourselves and the wonders of the larger world only discovered on the other side of awkward silences and things gone wrong, the beauty of life when fully embraced. It made me want to go on a road trip, to call up an old friend or make one anew, to take a sketchbook with me out into the world and draw the places that have made me who I am.” – Aaron Burch, author of Year of the Buffalo

“The Codger and the Sparrow marks a leap forward in Scott Semegran’s already impressive narrative artistry. Semegran brings to mind Hemingway’s dictum that we are stronger in our broken places, as he brings us inside two very different characters—an aging, irascible widower and an artistically gifted orphan—and shows them coming together in a compelling story of grief and renewal.” – Thomas H. McNeely, award-winning author of Pictures of the Shark and Ghost Horse

“The Codger and the Sparrow is a wide-open heart of a novel, filled with empathy and populated by flawed but loveable characters. A tender, funny ode to families—the ones we’ve lost, the ones we imagine, and the ones that come along when we least expect it.” – C. Matthew Smith, author of Twentymile

“Author Scott Semegran delivers a moving and humorous story of two strangers who bond while doing community service for the Austin judicial system. Hank, a lonely old man haunted by the past, and Luis, a Puerto Rican teen broken by his parents’ separation, begin a journey of self-discovery and friendship in a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda as they travel the highways of Texas in search of forgiveness and family. The Codger and the Sparrow, like many of Semegran’s novels, shines in its loveable characters and authentic sense of place.” – Johnnie Bernhard, award-winning author of Sisters of the Undertow and Hannah and Ariela

“Scott Semegran’s “odd couple” story is both endearing and heartfelt. It’s about the struggles of two men who must lean on each other to find a place for themselves in a seemingly neglectful world. This beautiful tale is Semegran’s most powerful novel yet!” – Ran Walker, award-winning author of A Burst of Gray and Keep It 100

“In this wonderful gem of a novel Scott Semegran expertly crafts a most unlikely friendship between grumpy white widower Hank and Puerto Rican teenager Luis, who meet while serving community service. With beautifully concise language Semegran masterfully deepens his portraits of these odd companions until they rival some of the greatest characters in American literature. Connected by the rage that simmers within and the losses life has forced them to live through, Hank and Luis come to find in each other not only friendship but hope for a future without the brutal weight of negativity. The result is a sincere and touching journey across racial, generational and cultural lines, from darkness into light, told with Semegran’s trademark belief in the capacity of the human spirit to overcome our darkest instincts and lift one another up instead. This conviction provides the foundation for all of Semegran’s fiction, but never has he written so beautifully nor with such breathtaking authenticity as he does in The Codger and the Sparrow.” – Philip Elliott, award-winning author of Nobody Move and Porno Valley

“The Codger and the Sparrow is Semegran at his feel-good best, bumping up the artistry while rolling heartache and laughs into yet another of his poignant, masterful gems.” – Brian Kindall, author of Delivering Virtue

“In The Codger and the Sparrow, author Scott Semegran has deftly woven together humor and heart in this tale about an odd couple navigating life and the road. Semegran has breathed life into a pair of wonderful characters in Hank and Luis. At once a fun romp and tender tale of life, love, and friendship, The Codger and the Sparrow is a thoroughly satisfying story from first page to last.” – Rick Treon, PenCraft Award-winning author of Deep Background and Let the Guilty Pay