Acknowledgements

To my earliest readers—my mother, father, Jen van Kaam, Annike Karlson, and Thomas Halvorsen. Your support gave me the confidence to continue on this path, and there aren’t enough words to express my thanks.

To my agent, Nicki Richesin. Thank you for loving Thieves, Beasts & Men as much as I do, and for seeing through my intense over-writing to the heart beating beneath. I look forward to working with you on every future project!

To my editor, Lilly Golden. I felt as though my opinions were highly respected throughout the entire process, and I couldn’t be more grateful! Thank you for being a champion of my art and encouraging it to be a part of this book.

A huge thank you to my cover designer, Erin Seaward-Hiatt, for turning my photography into a stunning cover worthy of praise. And to my publicist, Sophie James, for all the incredible efforts you’ve made on behalf of Adelaide and her wild family. My copyeditor, Susan Barnett, proofreader, Diane Wood, and everyone at Arcade, Skyhorse, and Wendy Sherman Associates, Inc.

To Dean Tsoupeis, whose daughters served as models for two of the illustrations in this book. I hope I honored them well.

To Gabriel Cole, and all our date-night-read-aloud sessions by candlelight. Your excitement over Adelaide, River, Little Bird, and the wild woman made me fall in love with this book all over again, as though reading it for the very first time.

To my amazing kid who was witness to every step. The struggles, the tears (breakdowns), and all the little celebrations along the way. I made sure you saw it all so you’d know that the only failure in chasing your dream is to stop chasing. I recognize and appreciate the amazing human you already are and can’t wait to see what you do next. I’m your biggest fan.

And to my readers. The act of writing a book is the act of taking a small piece of who you are and crafting an entire world around it. I was Adelaide for the year it took to write the first draft, and as I sit here now, part of me still lounges in that river under the maple tree. Still lights the fireplace. Still tends to a garden that once had a gate.

Reading a book is one of the most intimate of acts, and I thank you for taking a peek. I hope you enjoyed spending time in Adelaide’s world as much as I enjoyed creating it.