There is an invisible daisy chain of people who took Ruby Clyde’s hand along the path from my imagination to the book you are holding.
I thank each one: Ruby Clyde Henderson for jumping onto my page; the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and my workshop leaders Richard Bausch and Jill McCorkle; my friend Rita Bourke and all the past and current members of the Nashville Writers’ Alliance; and the independent editor Rebecca Faith, who helped me prepare the manuscript for submission to agents.
A special thanks to the summer intern at MCA, Raven Diltz, who actually pulled Ruby Clyde out of the slush pile and passed her to the team: Maria Carvainis, Bryce Gold, Martha Guzman, and especially the brave and wise Elizabeth Copps, who promptly sold my book to Farrar Straus Giroux.
I have the deepest gratitude for Susan Dobinick and Margaret Ferguson, who saw the heart of the story and freed it from the mess I had given them. And the rest of the FSG team: Kristie Radwilowicz, the cover designer; Karen Ninnis, the copy editor; and Heather Job in publicity.
And the bookseller, librarian, teacher, or friend who brought this book into your life. And finally I thank you for reading it. You are the daisy that makes the entire chain worthwhile.
Thank you one and all. It was not easy, but this perfect daisy chain transformed all the detours, disasters, failures, and frustrations that are unavoidable in this life, especially the creative life.