The upcomingHungerGamesbook,Sunrise on the Reaping, may finally provide the definitive connection between Lucy Gray Baird and Katniss Everdeen. This will be the fifth of Suzanne Collins' novels in the series, though, likeThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the newest installment will serve as a prequel.Sunrise on the Reapingis set during the 50th Hunger Games, for which Haymitch Abernathy was elevated a victor. Hopefully, this next book will provide further context to Katniss' story, perhaps even connecting her to Lucy Gray, victor of the 10th Hunger Games.
Katniss Everdeen (along with Peeta Mellark) was the victor of the 74th Hunger Games. Prior to this, there had only been two victors from District 12. The first had been forgotten by Katniss' day, butThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakeshas revealed that her name wasLucy Gray Baird, a member of a nomad group of musicians called the Covey. The second District 12 victor was Haymitch Abernathy,winner of the 50th Hunger Gamesand the protagonist of Collins’Sunrise on the Reaping. Thanks to an excerpt from the upcoming book (viaPeople), it seems Haymitch’s story may serve as the connective tissue the series' needed.
Haymitch’s Girlfriend’s Name Is Lenore Dove, Which Is Surprisingly Similar To Lucy Gray
These Sorts Of Names Have Meaning In District 12
The excerpt Collins' teased in the monthsleading up toSunrise on the Reaping’s July 25, 2025, release contains several paragraphs from the book’s first chapter. LikeThe Hunger GamesandThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, this new book is written in the first person. This time around, a newly 16-year-old Haymitch is the point-of-view narrator. The excerpt sees Haymitch wake up on the day he is doomed to be reaped for the Second Quarter Quell. His primary concern on this day is to make it through without having his name drawn, buthe also thinks a lot about his sweetheart, Lenore Dove.
Lionsgate has already confirmed aSunrise on the Reapingmovie, which is expected to hit theaters in 2026.
Haymitch mentioned Lenore Dove’s name twice in theSunrise on the Reapingexcerpt, and each time, he says both “Lenore” and “Dove” together. This implies that this isn’t the girl’s first and last name. Rather,it seems that Haymitch’s girlfriend has a two-part name—similar to Lucy Gray Baird fromThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. While this would typically be considered a coincidence, Lucy Gray’s two first names were significant in her story. Such names are a tradition among Covey, so Lanore Dove’s name inSunrise on the Reapingseems to imply a connection.
Lenore Dove Is Most Likely Covey Or One Of Their Descendants
Haymitch’s Girlfriend May Be Related To Lucy Gray’s Clan
Before the Hunger Games and the war between theCapitol and Districts, the Covey were a group of traveling musicians. They went from District to District and called no single place home. When the war broke out, they became trapped in District 12 and were no longer permitted to leave once it concluded. So, the Covey became District 12 citizens. Still, they weren’t like the others who lived there. They preferred colorful dresses and maintained strange traditions surrounding the names they gave their children.
Covey always gives their kids two first names, and the second word must be a color.
Covey always gives their kids two first names, and the second word must be a color. This explains names like Lucy Gray, Maude Ivory, and Billy Taupe.Lanore Dove fits right into this trend. “Dove” may refer to the bird, but it is also, technically, a color name as well. It seems likely, given the thought Collins' gave to the Covey’s names inThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,that she wouldn’t have called Haymitch’s girlfriend this on accident. Lanore Dove is sure to be confirmed as a Covey, or else, the descendant of the Covey inSunrise on the Reaping.
What Lenore Dove’s Namesake Could Mean For Sunrise On The Reaping’s Story
These Characters Connect To Classic Poems
Lanore Dove’s name stands out inSunrise on the Reapingfor a reason beyond the Covey as well—though it also connects the girl to Lucy Gray, in a sense. InThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,Lucy Gray recites the poem “Lucy Gray” by William Wordsworthto Coriolanus Snow. This is an actual poem from 1799, which tells of a girl named Lucy Gray who disappeared without a trace. She was presumed dead, but her footprints in the snow ended mysteriously, leaving her true fate uncertain. This is meaningful since Lucy Gray’s fate inTBOSASis never definitively revealed.
While there is no poem called “Lenore Dove,” Edgar Allan Poe published a tragic poem called “Lenore.” It’s about the wake following the death of a young girl, Lenore, with particular focus on those left to mourn her. This doesn’t bode well for Lanore Dove inSunrise on the Reaping. Of course,The Hunger Gamesalready confirmed thatPresident Snow murdered Haymitch’s entire familyand sweetheartbefore the victor even returned to his village. The poem “Lenore” more meaningfully foreshadows the impact Lanore Dove’s death will have on Haymitch.
The Hunger Games Prequel Can Confirm Katniss & Lucy Gray’s Connection Through Lenore Dove
Sunrise On The Reaping Can Finally Confirm That Katniss Is Covey
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Lanore Dove potentially being Covey is how this detail could connect Lucy Gray to Katniss Everdeen. During the events ofThe Hunger Games, the Covey had been entirely forgotten, and Katniss never once mentioned the term. This makes sense since their musical performances were outlawed in District 12 following the events ofThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Still, it’s heavily implied that Lucy Gray’s family was connected to Katniss. The Girl on Fire knew many of Lucy Gray’s songs, and the pair possessed similar knowledge of foraging and edible plants.
Lanore Dove and Katniss' father could even be siblings…
Katniss learnedsongs like “The Hanging Tree"from her father, who remained unnamed inThe Hunger Games. As a hunter, forager, and singer (Katniss' father was said to have such a beautiful voice the birds would stop to listen),it has long been theorized that Mr. Everdeen was a descendent of the Covey. If the same is true for Lanore Dove,Sunrise on the Reapingwill surely confirm. Lanore Dove and Katniss' father could even be siblings—a detail that would add another layer of complication to Haymitch and Katniss' relationship inThe Hunger Games.
If Lanore Dove is Covey and Katniss' aunt or relative, then this would be definitive proof that Lucy Gray and Katniss share a deeper connection.Sunrise on the Reapingwould, therefore, seamlessly connect the stories and characters ofThe Hunger GamesandThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesonce and for all. Of course, there is no such confirmation just yet. Still, if this is the case, Suzanne Collins' newHunger Gamesbook will truly be the final piece to the much larger, heartbreaking puzzle.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Cast
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping explores the dystopian world of Panem 24 years prior to Katniss Everdeen’s story. This prequel focuses on the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell, unveiling the origins of crucial events and traditions in the series.
