My brief words of gratitude can never do justice to the appreciation I feel for all those who have made it possible for me to send yet another book out into the world. I count it a great gift to work with such wonderful people, and I am so thankful for each and every one of you.
Laura Langlie, I am beyond fortunate to call you my agent, and I am grateful for your partnership, insight, and the expertise you offer in every stage of the publishing process.
Erica Sussman and Stephanie Stein, it is such a privilege to have you invest in my books. Your editorial insights never fail to prove valuable, and I have learned a great deal from both of you in the revision process.
Jakob Eirich, once again you have created breathtaking artwork for the cover. I love it!
David Coulson and Michelle Taormina, your talents with lettering and jacket design are matchless! I so appreciate the contributions each of you has made to this project.
I imagine there are many others unknown to me whose hard work at HarperCollins Children’s has helped transform my manuscript into this lovely edition. Thank you!
I also want to thank my readers! I’m so glad to be able to share story-worlds with you, and am thrilled that you joined me for another adventure. Thank you for reading!
Finally, this small space seems impossibly inadequate to express how grateful I am for the dear ones who are God’s loveliest gifts to me. Griffin, Elijah, Ransom, and Beatrix, you are aflame with God’s grace, and each of you makes the world that much brighter. I take great delight in you and can hardly believe that I get to be your mom. Thank you for loving me, your dad, and each other so well. Aaron, you speak life to the core of who I am and live out your love in a thousand small moments. I am heartfelt glad we get to spend our lives together—thank you for choosing life with me.
And to the Lord, who knows all things, I am undone when I think of putting words to the depth of my gratitude. Ever and always, I happily belong to you.