THE IDEA FOR this book first came to me ten years ago; thank goodness I didn’t know how many drafts it would take to see it through to its best self. Over that decade, I’ve had help from a wide range of people. Late to the party but absolutely key to the process is my agent, April Eberhardt, whose enthusiasm and energy for “quiet” books was a fresh inspiration. Editor Kate Racculia identified the “beam” of the story; she also suggested little tweaks to several scenes that led to big revelations. Brooke Warner and Lauren Wise at She Writes Press guided me through a new approach to publishing, and Sharon Bially and Emily Adams from BookSavvy helped me spread the word.
Early readers gave feedback on drafts that I now wish I hadn’t shown to anyone else—but their comments helped me see what was most important or didn’t make sense. Thanks especially to Kim Couranz (who read two separate versions), Roberta Gately, Laurie Cronin, J.B. Chicoine, and “the other” Carol Cronin (who also generously offered one of her incredible paintings as cover art). Nick and Kathy Newman and Doug Logan read what I thought was the “final” version; I can only hope you enjoyed all those unnecessary goose chases and distracting extra characters. Alice C. Early also read the manuscript twice, and each time her valuable comments helped me see what was really necessary to the story.
The Tomaquag Museum in Exeter, Rhode Island was a great place to learn about the indigenous peoples of this area, both past and present. Like the rest of the book, any mistakes are all mine.
The most important thank you of all goes to my husband Paul. He read three different drafts over five years, and both his knowledge of diesels and all those idle telling remarks about specific characters were crucial to carving out the story. He also sailed me out to the exact spot in Rhode Island Sound where Brenton Island belongs, which led to an important realization about how many bridges you could actually see from the Inn’s widow’s walk. He’s both my biggest fan and my best critic, and this story would not be nearly as good without his support and feedback.
Brenton Islanders are already plotting their next appearance, so stay tuned (and sign up for updates on my blog). The place is so real to me now, I keep expecting to spot the ferry on its daily runs to Newport.
—Carol Newman Cronin