ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

In 1986, by the light of a flickering candle, I started writing this book, although at the time, it was meant only to be my memory keeper, a way to cherish and savor what I was sure would be special moments with refugees. And, for years, it was just that—a private journal. But in 2003, a reporter in Iraq encouraged me to “write a book,” and the first of many drafts was born. I had no idea though how to create the story arc that publishers requested, so instead I wrote novels based on my own experiences. It wasn’t until recently that my two beloved agents encouraged me to dust off these pages and bring the refugees and their stories to life. For that and so much more, I am enormously grateful to Cynthia Manson and Judy Hanson for their extraordinary guidance, their cherished friendship and their unshakable faith in my ability to craft a story. Without their encouragement, these stories would remain tucked away in my heart and the far corners of my closet, the pages and memories fading with each passing year. Instead, the people and their stories seem as vivid now as they did in those early days.

To Jessica Case and the team at Pegasus Books, many, many thanks for taking a chance on this story and bringing the warmth, spirit and resilience of these unforgettable people to life.

To the brilliant medical team who re-wrote my own story shifting what might have been an ending to a safe spot somewhere in the middle, I am so grateful. To Dr. Tyler Berzin, Dr Leah Biller, Dr. Vitaly Poylin, Dr. Benjamin Schlechter and the team at the BI-Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, my gratitude is endless. You are miracle workers.

And, finally to the refugees whose stories are printed on these pages and to those whose stories are imprinted on my heart, my deepest gratitude.

Thank you will never be enough.