ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 

I owe a debt of gratitude to all the people who have contributed to the writing of this book, providing inspiration, information, guidance, and encouragement along the way. To Kaylie Jones, my mentor and friend, who had a dream and allowed me to be part of it. None of this would have been possible without her. To Johnny Temple, publisher extraordinaire, who guided this book to completion with a steady hand and clear vision. To Ibrahim Ahmad, Johanna Ingalls, Aaron Petrovich, Susannah Lawrence, the brilliant crew at Akashic, who made this process feel easy. To Elizabeth Crane, my first reader, spell-checker, cheering section, and best friend in the world. To Barbara Taylor, one of my guinea pigs, for sharing her experiences, critiquing my drafts, and showing me what it means to have an open heart. To Theasa Touhy, for teaching me to say yes and always keeping the pink champagne flowing; “swim away” was the best advice anyone has ever given me. To Laurie Loewenstein, for reading draft after draft and being an abundant source of insight and inspiration. To Deirdre Sinnott, Liz Dalton, Suzanna Filip—three members of the best little writing group ever! To Maggie Crawford, who read an early incarnation and gave me invaluable editorial input and direction. To Albert LaFarge for giving the book a final sweep. To my agent Irene Skolnick for always having my back. To M.M. Cooper, my toughest reader and the inspiration for this book, who cooks the best saffron risotto in the world, and always insists I reach higher.

A special acknowledgment to Katherine Woodward Thomas, for helping countless people, including me, find “The One.”

And finally, to Nathaniel Reicher, my awesome son. I couldn’t have written this without you, and I wrote it for you.