Many people have supported my effort to write this book, and I am sorry that I can thank but a few of them here.
First, I’d like to thank my family, who provided encouragement and love every step of the way. Thanks also to the Society of Children’s Book Writers for their financial and professional support. I’d like to warmly thank writers Judy Blume, bookseller, writer trailblazer; and Nancy Willard, the world’s greatest writing teacher, for all the help they’ve given me. Dear friends Carol De Matteo, the late Anne Fitzpatrick, and Tom French cannot go unmentioned here, nor can I forget the invaluable help from my agent, Wendy Schmalz, and my editor, Laura Hornik. Sook Nyul Choi, fellow Houghton Mifflin author was an endless source of inspiration.
Also, my unni Professor Elaine Kim, Florence Hongo for being early adopters. Eliza Romero for her support and advocacy for #OwnVoices literature, Gabrielle Moss for including Finding My Voice in her wonderful article in BuzzFeed. Dear friends and cofounders of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop: Curtis Chin, Christina Chiu, Bino Realuyo, who were also there from the beginning (with so much excitement and support!) and are still here, always.
Charlotte Sheedy and Ginee Seo were my fab agent/editor team at HarperTeen.
For this third turn, Kimberly Witherspoon and Jessica Mileo, agents extraordinaire, connected me with my Soho Press family, Mark Doten, Bronwen Hruska, Steven Tran, Juliet Grames, Amara Hoshijo, Janine Agro, Rachel Kowal, Rudy Martinez, Paul Oliver, Alexa Wejko.
And especially Daniel Ehrenhaft for his abiding love for this book.
Lastly, all my thanks to Karl Jacoby, who not only read chapter one at least a bazillion times, but also has been there for me all these years with his intelligence, expert editorial advice, and dry wit.