I would like to thank my editor, Christy Ottaviano—genie in a bottle, who not only has been a constant cheerleader and a thoughtful editor, but also a wish granter, allowing me to illustrate the novel from cover to cover!
I would like to thank my team at Macmillan, including Katie Klimowicz, who helped with the design and layout of this book.
Additionally, I would like to thank my teachers at Vermont College of Fine Arts, where I earned my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. A very big thank-you goes to Mary Quattlebaum, who advised and guided me through the novel-writing process for this book, along with my other advisors: Betsy Partridge, Jane Kurtz, and Amanda Jenkins.
I owe a big thank-you to my agent, Carrie Hannigan, who believed in this manuscript and helped me put the finishing touches on it. Thank you for meeting with Christy for that fateful coffee before handing her the manuscript!
I’d like to thank Shannon Taggart, photographer, whose invitation to attend a séance was the initial spark for this novel. Thank you, Ralph Smith, Ginger Albertson, Caron Levis, Julia Hall, Jason Neufeld, Maria Falgoust, Tae Won Yu, and Jessica Grable for sharing dinner and drinks between working hours.
I’d like to thank my writer friends Caron Levis, Monica Rowe, Katie Bartlett, Bonnie Pipkin, and Monica Baker for all of their support and writing advice.
I’d like to thank Tracy Mantrone, librarian at the Clinton Hill branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, who has been my go-to for just about every question I can conjure.
Thank you, Hank Flacks and Jeff Corbin, for all of your advice and guidance. And last, a big thank-you to my parents and siblings for all of their support, lending an ear as I lamented every obstacle thrown my way on the path to publication.