Samuel "Sammy" Tillerman Timeline and Summary

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• Before Sammy is born around 1975, his father leaves their family.
• He's often picked on in school for having a "crazy" mother.
• In June of 1981, Sammy goes on a car trip to Bridgeport with his mother and siblings.
• When his mother abandons the kids in a mall parking lot in Peewauket, his oldest sister, Dicey, decides that the children should walk to Bridgeport.
• Sammy doesn't want to leave the car, though, and believes that his mother will come back for him. He finally goes along, though Dicey has a tough time managing him during the trip.
• In Rockland State Park, Sammy steals some food and a wallet, which Dicey makes him return.
• In New Haven, Sammy and his siblings meet Windy and Stewart who feed the kids and give them a ride to Bridgeport.
• Sammy is pretty disappointed to find out that Momma is not at Aunt Cilla's house in Bridgeport. Bummer.
• He also doesn't fit in there very well—he fights with the kids in his summer school and he's rude to Cousin Eunice, who might not adopt him because of his bad behavior.
• When James tells Sammy that Dicey is planning to head to Crisfield without them, Sammy doesn't believe him, but skips school to see anyway.
• James is right and the kids hop on the bus to Crisfield. Sammy admits that he's afraid that his siblings might leave him behind like Momma did.
• Later, the Tillermans are almost kidnapped by a nasty character named Mr. Rudyard, but two circus folks, Will and Claire, rescue them. Sammy gets to perform in Claire's act during the circus.
• Once the kids get to Crisfield, Sammy starts causing more trouble. He wanders off without telling Dicey on multiple occasions, which makes their grandmother really mad.
• Dicey sticks up for Sammy, though their grandmother tells them they can't stay.
• Later, Abigail enrolls Sammy in the second grade and decides that the kids can stay after all. Yay.