Harriet Allan and Anna Rogers have been editing my work for more than thirty years. Without them there would have been no books. I can never thank them enough for their skills, patience and friendship. It has been a wonderful, life-affirming collaboration. I thank Louisa Kasza too for invaluable editorial advice and Carla Sy for her design work.
Thanks to Vannessa Kidman for technical support, dinners, and keeping me grounded during the writing of this book, and for listening to many of the stories. Other family members have contributed to the essays.
Many people have given freely of their time, advice and information over the past year. In particular, I am grateful to those women who have talked about our shared experiences of widowhood: Harriet Allan (again), Brigitte Blakemore, Lois Daish, Beth Darroch, Anne Else and Jennifer Shennan (Thomas), with added advice from Leaphy Moeung and Eirini Tudor (neither of whom are widows).
And then there are those who have provided hospitality, journeys made in their company, and answered my questions. For these kindnesses and more, I thank Jennifer Beck, Lynn Belt, Justice Brendan Brown, the Caselburg Trust, Robert Cross, (the late) Richard Douglas, Alexandra Dumitrescu, Frances Edmond, Faran Foley, Pierre Furlan, Nelly Gillet, Michael Harlow, the Hawera Library, Heather Hourigan, Alison and James Kember, Justice Stephen Kos, Emer Lyons, Mary McCallum, Professor Liam McIlvanney, Niamh McMahon, Bernie and Kath Monk, Jill Nicholas, Tom Petterson, Maggie Rainey-Smith, H.E. Peter Ryan and Mrs Theresa Ryan and the Embassy of Ireland, Sarah Shieff, Bess Sutherland, Melody Sutherland, Professor Sonja Tiernan and CISS (Irish and Scottish Studies Department, Otago University), Dimitrios Vassiliadis, The Waipū 150 Trust, Sabine Wespieser and Redmer Yska.
Thank you also to Natalie Karaitiana for advice on Otago place names.
Thanks to the organisers of all the festivals they have invited me to, over the years.