Acknowledgements

I am grateful as ever to all at Honno, especially Caroline Oakley and Helena Earnshaw, for their belief in my writing and hard work on my behalf.

I am indebted to the Hawthornden Foundation, and the late Drue Heinz, for the month I spent writing the second half of this novel at the beautiful and inspiring Hawthornden castle.

Special thanks to my friends Martine Bailey and Elaine Walker for invaluable feedback, insight and support at all stages of writing this novel and beyond. I would also like to thank my early readers, John Maskall, Clare Smith, Ann Stonehouse, John Stonestreet, Karen Johnson, Ed Layland, Trina Layland, Natalie Lloyd and James Layland, for their insights, comments and encouragement. Thanks to the Prime Writers and the family of Honno authors for long-standing friendship and support.

Ali Rashidbaigi provided helpful advice on the medical treatment of fractures and concussion. Any errors are, of course, all mine.

My gratitude to Richard Bentley for in-depth information and fascinating conversations about floods, water mills and all things riparian. Again, any errors are mine; I should note here that this is a work of fiction, and the last time this part of Shropshire was subject to the kind of spring rain and summer floods described in the novel was in 2007, although climate change means similar freak conditions are ever more likely. I have also moved the zone threatened by fracking a number of miles south towards the Severn and the fictional location of Foxover.

Last but not least, I give my heartfelt thanks to my family, especially my husband David, for everything.