They say you should write what you know, and I couldn’t write about the importance of family without knowing the deep and sustaining love of family myself.
Thanks to my late grandparents, Warren and Lee Seyfert, for introducing us to South Wellfleet and my original “second home;” and to my amazing mom, Pat Geiger, for making sure we stayed connected to it and for knitting so many beautiful sweaters for me over the years, especially one to match the novel’s cover.
To the best sisters and friends ever, Sheila Cardenas and Karen Geiger-Niedfeldt, with whom I’ll never have to argue over the fate of a second home. Big, proud love to my amazing kids, Olivia and Tim (don’t worry Tim, Olivia says you can have the cottage). To my aunt Mel and uncle Bo Van Peenan for being early readers and cheerleaders, and for keeping our special Wellfleet house in the family. Love also to my aunt Val Piper and my cousins Wendy (Cutie) Van Peenan, Kristen (Scuz) Wild, Laura Van Peenan, and especially Bob Piper, who read the book many times and answered all my landscaping and year-round Cape Cod questions. Thanks also to all my nieces and nephews and to the extended Clancy family, who have embraced me as their own even though I’m short. And a tremendously heartfelt thanks to my husband, John Clancy. I couldn’t ask for a more loving, thoughtful, and patient friend and partner.
I wish to shower my steadfast agent Marcy Posner with eternal sunshine and warmth. Thank you for believing in this book, and for connecting me to Sarah Cantin at St. Martin’s Press. I knew from our first phone call, when we talked about the Gordon family as if they were our mutual friends, that Sarah was the perfect editor for this novel, and that the Gordons were in good hands. She even wears an original Dennis bracelet! I’m so grateful for Sarah’s enthusiasm and smarts, and for the assistance of Rachel Diebel and Sallie Lotz.
The publishing pros at St. Martin’s Press have welcomed me into the family, and I’m grateful to Jennifer Enderlin, Sally Richardson, Andrew Martin, Lisa Senz, publicist extraordinaires Katie Bassel and Dori Weintraub, and marketing dream team Erica Martirano, Brant Janeway, and Alexis Neuville. For their creative talents, I’m thankful to Kim Ludlam, Tom Thompson, and Olga Grlic, who gave me my dream cover. I loved talking to the audio experts, Mary Beth Roche, Robert Allen, and Dakota Cohen.
Thanks also to Don Laventhall, Hannah Brattesani, and Melissa White at Folio Literary Management for help with film and foreign rights.
Independent booksellers have been so supportive early in this journey, including Kayleen Rohrer at InkLink Books in East Troy, Daniel Golden at Boswell Books in Milwaukee, Joanne Berg at Mystery to Me in Madison, Pamela Klinger-Horn at Excelsior Bay Books in Excelsior, and Mary Webber O’Malley at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville. Jason Gobble and Stacie Michelle Williams have been so generous with their time and advice. I am awed by the care and effort booksellers put into finding the right books for the right readers.
For help with my research, thanks to Lynn Southey, for keeping me connected to her lovely, memory-filled Wellfleet home; Kate Paddon, for her Cape Cod real estate knowledge; and Jen Hannon at Godfrey & Kahn, for trust and estate help at far below her hourly rate. Thanks also to Molly Snyder, Monica Rausch, Marilyn Duarte, Sigrid Ohnesorge, Airin Aquarius, and Katy Weeks from Sugar Surf; Bonnie McIlvene from the Wicked Oyster; and Julie Prochnow and Margie Freeman for the yoga assists.
Special gratitude to the best writing group in the universe: Lauren Fox, Liam Callanan, Aims McGinnis, Anuradha Deshmukh, and Jon Olson. My writing friends and partners have been so generous with their time and expertise: Sarah Eisner, Janelle Lindsay, Judy Bridges, Phong Nguyen, Chris Fink, Jean Thompson, and Christine Sneed. Thanks also to the Ragdale Foundation, for offering me the time and space to write; LitCamp, for connecting me to an amazing writing community; and UW-Milwaukee’s English department for nurturing my craft.
Love to my early readers, who absolutely helped make this a better novel: Lisa Blue, Betty Porter, Joan Kappas, Karen Jarrard, Stephanie Lyons, Sheila Cardenas, Bob Piper, Olivia Clancy, Diana Goldberg, Tim Kiefer, Francine Inbinder, Joan Wickersham, and Kristen Park.
I’m humble and teary-eyed with gratitude for the many constellations of kind people who have offered me support over the years and wish I could name all my former students and colleagues at Beloit College, my book group, the spinners who have endured my spin classes, and my wonderful friends in Madison at the East Troy “chickpad,” in Milwaukee and elsewhere.
Finally, thank you to all the people I’ve yet to come into contact with, including marketing and promotion experts, booksellers and librarians, and of course you, the reader. I’m so genuinely happy that this novel has found its way to you.