I am very grateful to Quattro Books and the Ken Klonsky Novella Contest for giving my novella a supportive home. My sincere thanks to Luciano Iacobelli for his wonderful suggestions and insightful comments. Thanks to Allan Briesmaster for his thorough reading. Gratitude to the Humber School for Writers and the editors I have worked with over the years. Many thanks to Gillian Harding-Russell, Mark McCawley and Anar Ali, who generously read the manuscript. Thanks to my dear family and friends, near and far, for their encouragement. A special thanks to Lynne McLeod, who always believed, Darlene Miller, who said it would happen, and Michelle Doody, who encouraged when I was discouraged. Shukran ya Joe. Thanks to Nora, who snapped many photographs until we found the right one. To my mother and late father, thank you for sharing your memories of the old country. And, finally, my love and gratitude to my sisters, who taught me to never give up.