I am thrilled to share Island on the Edge of the World with you, my readers. This is my sixth book, and I have loved the process of writing and researching every one of them because each time I learned something more about cultures and people. I also love writing the acknowledgments, because, while writing a book may appear to be a solo act, it is not. This leads me to thank the most amazing, most gifted writer in the universe, Ellen Kaye. Let me tell you a bit about our relationship. She is the backbone to my books, my friend, my travel buddy and research partner. She is the hardest-working and most dedicated and most talented person I know, and I love working with her. Wonder what our work relationship is like? Think the odd couple. (I’ll let you guess who’s who.) She makes sense of my chaos. She helps me get the story out of my head. I admit it takes an enormous amount of time and energy to sort through some of the clutter in my brain.
Thank God she has a wonderful, patient husband in Andy Besch, who says, “Go for it, Ellen. I’ll walk the dog and cook dinner while you go off again to the ends of the earth with Deb.” Ellen, can you believe this is the fourth book we have worked on together? I also have to thank Tillie (the dog) for loaning her to me.
Beverley Cousins, you are an amazing editor. You dig in first and push hard. I am forever thankful for your notes, even when I grumble. I know now to trust your clarity of vision and the gift you bring to my stories. I am so grateful to you and your entire team at Penguin Random House. And I have such gratitude to Maddie West, my editor at Little, Brown UK and Sphere Fiction, for her constant faith in me. I love how you take time to conspire with us about all the whirling stories in my head. Thank you both so much for believing in me.
The ringmaster in all of this is Marly Rusoff, my agent and friend. I often think back to our first conversation, fifteen years ago, when I called you from Afghanistan. Imagine! We’ve already managed six books together. I adore you and your partner Mihai (Michael) Radulescu. Marly, thank you for helping see my stories reach a global platform, but most of all thank you for believing in that crazy hairdresser from Michigan who thought she had a book in her.
Lizzy Kremer, thank you for being my agent for the UK and Australia. You have always been a champion for my books. Being on your team is the best, and I am very grateful.
Noah and Zachary Lentz, thank you for being the loving sons you are. I draw inspiration from both of you. The fun—and periodically unpredictable—life that we lived was sometimes a blessing, and, a few times, not so much. For this book I drew from some of our complicated times as a family to help bring the story to life. I am so proud of the men you have become, despite having a mother who often lacked a good husband radar. Just like in the book, boys, we made it through and came out on top. You will both recognize the truth in the stories. I love you so much.
My daughters-in-law are amazing. Martha Villasana Lentz and Aretha Lentz, thank you for giving me the best gifts in the world—loving my sons, and giving me such beautiful grandbabies. I could never have dreamed that I could love so much.
Denis Asahara, what can I say? I am pretty sure I said, in the acknowledgments for the last book, that you make me crazy, and that still holds true today. I love you and thank you for always being supportive of my adventuresome spirit and creative side. I love that you enjoy the grandbabies as much as I do. I never knew that finding a low-maintenance man was possible until I met you. You make me so happy. I want to grow old with you.
Serena Evans Beeks, I am not sure I have ever met anyone so genuinely kind as you are. You showed me the beauty in all things Haitian, from the people to the art to the countryside. You taught me the mistakes we often make when trying to help poor nations. You took me from seeing, “Oh, those poor people” to “Oh, those beautiful, amazing, resourceful people.” Thank you for showing me the real Haiti, and for teaching me how to listen to what Haitians are actually saying. You make such a difference in the lives of Haitian people. They are so fortunate to have you in their lives, as I know you feel you are to have them in yours.
I love missionaries. I grew up in the church, played church as a kid with my stuffed animals as my congregation, and really thought I would be a missionary when I grew up. Missionaries have always been a part of my life. My world became a better place when Tom and Teresa Elkins stepped into Tippy Toes for haircuts. I don’t think they had any idea that I was adopting them as my family when we met, but I did. I love your wisdom and kindness and how you shared your incredible and complicated stories about mission life. You opened up the world of third-culture kids to me, both the good and the difficult side. Tom, your jungle stories always made me laugh, and Teresa, my family appreciates you for teaching me how to bake pies. You indeed have become family to me.
Katie Moore and Rachel Chapman, when I listened again to the recording of our conversation about living in the jungles of Venezuela, I was amazed, entertained, and shocked, all at the same time. Katie, you are a natural storyteller, and I hope that someday you’ll turn your stories into a book. Rachel, the accounts of your life growing up moved and touched me deeply. You both are an inspiration for all things good.
Lynne Olmstead, I came to you as a stranger, asking you to share with me your life growing up, and then raising a family, in the middle of the Amazon. I could not have brought life to this story without your help. Your dedication to and love for the Yanomami people is beautiful and pure. Thank you for being raw and real with me about tribal life.
Thank you, Debbie Anderson, for giving me insight to the psychic stuff. You were so kind to offer your assistance. In speaking with those who have passed to the other side, you made it sound so easy. Like talking about the weather! You are a natural teacher and speaker, and helped me see things from a different point of view.
Karen Kinne, forever my best friend. I love how I can always send you something to read or hash out a character over the phone. Thank you for being such a beautiful part of my life.
Ingrid Ostick, how many times did you read the manuscript? It is so lovely to have someone to chat with about the characters as if they were real people. They feel real to me, and I can tell they felt real to you. Thank you for always being a good reader, and thank you for letting me explain intricate plots when I am having a hard time sorting things out. But the biggest perk is the friendship that we’ve developed.
Linda Bine, thank you for once again lending your exacting eyes to this endeavor. Your logical editor’s brain has been invaluable when it comes to smoothing out a story that can, at times, become as messy as a tangled head of hair.
My family is from the southern part of the United States, but I was born a Yankee who never developed a true ear for their accent; mine would have gone a bit too “Hew-Haw” without guidance from Wendy Buford Clark and Kathy Murphy, who contributed so much to Lizbeth’s Texan “Southern with a twist” accent. Thank you both.
Thanks to the many people who hosted and took care of us in Haiti—from the rental car agents at the airport to the hotel owners and staff to the outstanding cooks whose meals we ate, and so many more people who welcomed us so hospitably. A special shout-out to Herns Celestin, Charlotte Charles, Fabienne Jean, and Sonson and Fanicia Vitorin. Please note that for the good in the people and places depicted in this book, I was able to draw directly from our friends and experiences. For the bad, I had to use my imagination.
Thank you Haiti for being the most remarkable, complicated place that I have experienced in a long time. You are beautiful, and so misunderstood. My hope with this book is that people can experience Haiti the same way I did.
I would be a terrible grandma if I didn’t thank all my grandbabies. Luna, Kai, Silas, Italya, Derek, Didier. You inspired this story for me. I would travel to the ends of the earth to make sure each and every one of you remain in my life, close enough for me to wrap my arms around you. The love of a grandmother will always move mountains.
I am always grateful to my clients at Tippy Toes salon for listening to my endless stories while I am trying to work out a plot. You all—or as we would say in the South, y’all—are really important to me, and I honestly could not do any of this without the support from all the beautiful people who walk in and out of the door at Tippy Toes every day.
I would love to thank my always faithful and loyal writing partner, Polly—my cat. We have written five books together. Thanks for being so faithfully furry and sweet, and always loving.
Lastly, thank you to my beautiful city of Mazatlán, Mexico. You opened your arms and let me in. I love this city. It fills my life with joy, happiness, and inspiration. Gracias.