Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Hot Key Books, the Guardian, and the judges of the Young Writers Prize for believing in this book. Particular thanks to Margaret Raymo and Emily Thomas for their sharp eyes and guidance, and Ruth Logan for finding Vivian a home in the United States. Thank you, Sarah Burnes, for being so good at kibbutzing.
Thanks to the friends who read early drafts and responded with smart feedback and sometimes hysterical enthusiasm—Salvatore Pane, Kimberly Townsend, and Alice Yorke; and to the teachers who taught me how to put writing at the center of my life—Jack Shea, Cathy Day, and especially Jerry Williams.
Thank you to my wonderful, funny, loving, supportive family, especially my parents, who taught me to appreciate stories, and who from the beginning have never treated Professional Make-Believe as anything but a logical career choice.
Most of all, I am beholden to Kevin Tassini for a newspaper article, a cross-country road trip, and six years of his singular, unwavering belief in me. I don’t know that I can ever repay this debt, but I’m happy to spend the rest of my life making the attempt.