This book would not be in your hands if it were not for a serendipitous meeting with Barry Cunningham, so first and foremost, thank you, Barry. A huge thank you to Rachel H, Tina, Laura, Elinor, and all at Chicken House for all their hard work and good humor, and a Japanese-style bow of gratitude and respect to Rachel Leyshon, (probably) the most insightful, good-natured, and diplomatic editor the world has ever known. Thank you too to Allison Hellegers at The Rights People, and to Aubrey Poole and the outstanding team at Sourcebooks for taking Amber across the pond and giving her a great look and a happy home in the U.S. and Canada.

Thank you to Ariko(-san) Nishimura for help with the Japanese numbers, and to Amber, Luna, Marina, Marco, and Susie who helped with the Italian. Thanks to Helen Crawford-White, and to Sean Gaston and David Fulton at Brunel University for their encouragement and support

Toda raba to Asi and the Shevach family, and love to Aunty Eileen, may her memory be blessed, for being amazing when I needed it. T’anks a million to my extended clans (Irish, Italian, Thai, Israeli, American) and to my most excellent colleagues and friends for supporting me, enriching my life, and keeping me smiling.

I’m honoured to have Tamar, Maor, Maayan and Natan in my life. You guys are the greatest gift of all, better than anything, and I’m blessed to spend every single day with you, watching you grow into the most amazing people on the planet.

And lastly, I know there are uncountable excellent fathers, and many who want to see their children but can’t, and I have only respect and admiration for you. But this last word of thanks goes to mothers everywhere who, despite the hurdles and the tiredness, despite being undercompensated and undervalued, do their best every single day for their children, especially my own remarkable mother. I thank you for your love and your strength, and for bringing us up alone with no one to help you. No one to share the bills with you or fix the taps when they broke. No one to help you decide whether we were really too ill to go to school that day or if we were just pretending. You had to make every decision on your own. You worked hard every day and you had to be everything to us. And you still are.