Like all my books, this one was a true team effort and collaboration. Many thanks to everyone at Sourcebooks Landmark, including Dominique Raccah, Kirsten Wenum, Heather Hall, Gretchen Stelter, and Sabrina Baskey, for their enthusiasm, support, and commitment to all the details that made The Night We Burned what it is. Much gratitude to my editor, MJ Johnston, for believing in this book and pushing me to make it better and especially for recognizing the power of the relationship between Eszter and Parvaneh from the beginning. Huge thanks also go to James Iacobelli for designing a cover that made me gasp the first time I saw it—and that made me keep going back to look again.
Thank you to the team at Irene Goodman Literary Agency and, in particular, to my fierce agent, Victoria Marini, for all your coaching, strategy, and honesty. I’m grateful for our partnership. Thanks also to Olivia Fanaro at United Talent Agency for your advocacy and enthusiasm. And to Jena Gregoire at Pure Textuality PR for your organization, creativity, reliability, and patience.
To my wonderful friends, including Lydia Kang, Jayne Tan, Natasha Goldman, and Paul Block, thank you for tolerating me no matter what emotional state I happen to be in and for feasts and merriment and conversation, even when virtual. And to Claudine Fitzgerald—I hope you realize how much I profoundly appreciate your cheerleading and belief in me, lady. Thank you.
I would not be able to dwell in the darkest places of the human psyche without the counterbalance of joy and light that comes from my family, particularly my children. Thank you to Taylor for mutual accountability and the sprints that carried me through the end of the first draft, and to Erin, Asher, Alma, and Evelyn for providing delight and comic relief when I emerged from the writing cave. Thank you to my parents and sisters, nieces and nephews, who love me unconditionally and generously. And of course, I could not have done any of this without the rock-steady support of my partner in crime. Peter, thank you for believing in me and my books, even in the moments when I can’t quite manage it. And thank you for letting me spoil all the twists before you have a chance to read them.