Acknowledgements

To my agent, Michael Cybulski, whose expertise and coolheadedness when I had none was crucial in steering this work down that long, bumpy path from desk drawer to bookshelf.

To the amazing assortment of women – Susan Cutsforth, Sue Andersen, Jessica Friedmann and Diana Hill – who not only edited and improved my little story, but were also able to deal with me while they did so. Your insights, suggestions and challenges proved invaluable, and I’m a better writer for having worked with each of you.

To Debra Adelaide, my teacher and mentor, who saw potential in this project and in me perhaps long before I did.

To the Echo Publishing team. Thank you for letting me run free like a daft farm animal when I felt I needed to, and reeling me in when you felt you needed to.

To everyone who made it to this page, I hope you got as much out of reading this as I did from writing it.

Thank you.