Acknowledgments

My mother has always believed me, and for that I thank her. Omaun has always believed me, and for that I thank him. Hope has always believed me, and for that I thank her. Jessica has always believed me, and for that I thank her. Jerrica has always believed me, and for that I thank her.

There aren’t many of you who believed me. For those who did, I thank you.

I have never written these kinds of acknowledgments before. This book was hard to write. If you read Alicia’s story and you believe her, I thank you.

I am so incredibly lucky that this book found its way into the hands of Liesa Abrams, my cherished editor. I thank my agent, Patrice Caldwell, for finding it the perfect home, where it has been loved through its evolution by Liesa Abrams, Emily Harburg, and the other incredibly caring and sensitive hands at Labyrinth Road who saw and honored all of Alicia Rivers and her story. I remember sending two books to Patrice for consideration, this being one of them—I was so sure she’d run in the other direction. Patrice, I owe you so much. Thank you.

I reserve special thanks for Lucie Brooks, Asha French, and Ashley Woodfolk, who read this book in stages when it was lava pouring out of me. I never thought the words in these pages would see the light of day, but these women refused to let it (or me) hide. I can’t believe I did this. Thank you for holding my hand through this catharsis.

I am grateful also (deeply) to Sherronda Brown and Viveca Shearin, whose loving words helped push this book farther toward revolution. Thank you, Junauda Petrus, for writing The Stars and the Blackness Between Them, which showed me what books for young adults can and should do—it guided me on the journey toward Medusa. Thank you, Samira Ahmed, for your kind and critical eye; you revealed more of this story and its girls to me. Thank you, Gabrielle Union, for your unending fearlessness and love.

Thank you, Audre Lorde.

Thank you, Marie Howe.

Thank you, Anne Sexton.

Thank you, Laurie Halse Anderson.

Thank you, Alice Walker.

Thank you, Sharon Olds.

Thank you, Lucille Clifton.

Thank you, believers.

Thank you, listeners.

Thank you, little Olivia, for refusing to die.