My deep appreciation goes to Judith Miller who read the manuscript of this translation in its early stages and, as always, contributed greatly with her invaluable comments and suggestions, most of which I gratefully accepted. I always learn from her! My warm thanks to Michelle Mielly for her fine and thoughtful Afterword, once again carefully read and edited by the inexhaustible Judith Miller. I am deeply indebted to Jean Casella for her meticulous editing and her finely tuned ear, which certainly improved the final version of the text. I am equally grateful to Anjoli Roy, Assistant Editor of The Feminist Press, whose generous help and constant vigilance go beyond the call of duty. To the multitalented Werewere Liking go my boundless admiration and gratitude for yet another beautiful work, for her devotion to helping the flowering embodied in all children, and for reminding me that she began writing this book at the kitchen table in our home in Astoria, Queens, some ten years ago. As always, my work—and life—would be diminished without the concrete and emotional support of my husband, David Vita. And last but certainly not least, profound gratitude to Florence Howe herself, without whose lifelong dedication to publishing the wisdom and talents of writing women, works such as these would not make their entrance in this country.
Marjolijn de Jager
Stamford, Connecticut
June 2007