Writing is a solitary activity; revision takes a village, lots of coffee, and a neverending supply of chocolate.
Val Moses read an early draft of Mabel Opal Pear with a fine-toothed comb and gave invaluable suggestions. Corina Linden (my fancy artist friend) and Tatiana Linden read the manuscript and gave constant encouragement. Kelly Delaney offered great revision notes. Many thanks to Jolie Stekly and her marvelous University of Washington’s Writing for Children class (2013-14), Wendy Terrien, Jude Bloom, Kevin Wolf, Wendy Heipt, and the generous and wise members of SCWBI, especially the Western Washington region.
The people who make up my writers’ village are Allison Conner, Jessica Petersen, Amy Nibert, and Arlene Bolton. Thank you all for making Tuesday evenings the best.
Every book needs its champion, and agent extraordinaire Steven Chudney found MOP a perfect home. Eliza Leahy, your editorial guidance has made MOP a better, kinder, and richer story. Thank you both.
Thank you to Ira Sluyterman van Langeweyde for bringing Mabel and Silverton to life. And a giant thank you to Capstone’s editorial, marketing, and design teams for their enthusiasm and support.
My family — Andrew, Anne, and Susu — I could not have done this without all of you. Thank you for reading and listening, for understanding why I write, for sharing in the struggles and the joys. I love you all more than…
This book is for the ancestors: my mother Jane, grandmother Dorothy, the great-aunts: Eleanor and Anne Faulkner, godmother Annie, and grandma Amelie, who let me play with her amazing collection of collectible spoons. Aunt Sue and Aunt Blizzie, thank you for taking over grandmother duty for my girls.
Last, but not least, in loving memory of Beetle J. Cat, who spent the last months of her 22 years curled on my lap while I wrote Moppet.