As a writer tunneling through midlife—as a mother, administrator, and teacher—I would have found it impossible to complete this novel without the support of the residencies that hosted me generously and repeatedly despite my not showing many external signs of creative progress. My profound gratitude goes to these organizations and the people who make them possible: the American Academy in Berlin, which generously supported this project in its later stages; the Corporation of Yaddo, especially its leader Elaina Richardson; MacDowell and the James Baldwin Library; and my Midwest residence-away-from-home, Ragdale, especially Jeff Meeuwsen, Amy Sinclair, Laura Kramer, and Chef Linda Williams. Many thanks to Write On, Door County, and director Jerod Santek. I owe much to the radical hospitality of Hedgebrook and its founder, Nancy Skinner Nordhoff, as well as Vito Zingarelli and Amy Wheeler.
The Iowa Writers’ Workshop has been a truly meaningful place to work for the last fifteen years. I am extremely lucky to have the luxury of working with Sasha Khmelnik, a literary and tactical genius who is brilliantly and diplomatically guiding the program toward modernity. I am profoundly grateful to Connie Brothers, an extraordinary person, for our daily conversations over many years. Many thanks to Deb West and Janice Zenisek for saving my skin on countless occasions; and to Kelly A. Smith and Leah Agne. Many thanks to Charles D’Ambrosio, James Galvin, and Mark Levine for serving as Acting Director. I’m also indebted to 300my superb colleagues Jamel Brinkley, Ethan Canin, Ayana Mathis, Tracie Morris, Marilynne Robinson, Elizabeth Willis, and especially Margot Livesey.
The University of Iowa made it possible for me to complete this novel. I am deeply thankful to CLAS deans for supporting my writing: Linda Maxson, Raúl Curto, Joe Kearney, Steve Goddard, Sara Sanders, and Roland Racevskis. I owe much to the provosts of the last fifteen years, especially Barry Butler and Kevin Kregel. I appreciate Carol and Gary Fethke for their support of the Workshop and its writers. I am indebted to the support of Bruce and Mary Harreld. I would also like to give profound thanks to the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, where the inspiring Lynette Marshall and Jane Van Voorhis work to provide stability for our program and its faculty. Generous friends of the Workshop have made it possible for faculty to write, especially the Meta Rosenberg Foundation, Marly and Laura Rydson, and Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green. I appreciate the support and friendship of Louise and Alan Schwartz of the Truman Capote Literary Trust.
Iowa City has been a home to me and my family for fifteen years. I would like to thank our beautiful independent bookstore, Prairie Lights, and its owner, Jan Weismiller. I’m also grateful for the Preucil School of Music, Willowwind School, and the Iowa City Community School District. Thank you, Iowa City Parks Commission, for unanimously approving the naming of James Alan McPherson Park.
I owe much to the community at the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers, where I first heard Charles Baxter’s lecture about writing a scene in which a character shouts that he wants a cup of coffee. Many thanks to Debra Allbery, Peter Turchi, and C. J. Hribal. I am grateful to Debra Spark and David Haynes, who read early versions of this novel and provided important feedback.
Warmest gratitude to the community at the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, where patient attendees have heard me read from this novel-in-progress half a dozen times. Thanks especially to Angela Pneuman, Andrea Bewick, Nan Cohen, Anne Matlack Evans, Iris Jamahl Dunkle, 301Catherine Thorpe, and Charlotte Wyatt; and to Andy Weinberger at Readers’ Books of Sonoma. I also appreciate wonderful time spent at Aspen Words, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Tin House Summer Workshop, and Kundiman.
Many thanks to the generosity of Clydette and Charles de Groot and the American Library in Paris. I would also like to thank Hugues and Claude de Rocquigny for their hospitality and friendship. I am indebted to Carolyn Kalhorn and the real Alf. I am deeply grateful to the residents of Les Cerqueux-sous-Passavant, especially Yanan Par and Pascal Métayer and his family, as well as Huguette and Gilles Couteleau of L’Eraudier, with fond memories of René Couteleau.
I am grateful for the friendship of Yiyun Li, whose love of Russian authors has sustained so many readers and who encouraged me by laughing during a reading of an early version of this manuscript many years ago in Napa. A thousand thanks to Bennett Sims for sharing his virtuosity in an inspiring letter, and for “The Brothers Karamahjong.” I am indebted to Kevin Brockmeier, extraordinary writer, friend, and reader; and to Tom Drury for his kind, expansive reading of the manuscript. I’m grateful to Jess Walter for his visionary advice guiding me toward omniscience. James Han Mattson provided significant feedback. My deep appreciation to Ada Zhang, for her generosity and insight, and for finding the church, the courthouse, and the restaurant.
To Eileen Bartos, Andrea Bewick, Nan Cohen, Craig Collins, and Dr. Elizabeth Rourke: I am truly grateful for your generosity and friendship. My deepest thanks to all of you, especially Eileen, for reading my work.
Robert Stauffer and Kathi Hansen philanthropically provided hours of pro bono consultation. They are not responsible for any of my legal errors in the book.
I’m indebted to all of my students over the last fifteen years. They have been profound, gifted, and kind. I appreciate their patience with me and their acceptance of my shyness, bluntness, and inadequacy. My thanks for understanding the necessity of getting work done.
I would like to thank Tameka Cage Conley and Derek Nnuro, for 302their friendship; Sarah Frye and Alex Madison, for my wonderful ten-year party; Garth Greenwell, for inspiring passion about reading; Jorge Guerra, for advice and support of diversity at the Workshop; Ben Hale, for his aesthetic capaciousness; Arna Bontemps Hemenway, for his correspondence; Evan James, for looking at ants with Tai; Carmen Maria Machado, for generousity years ago; T. Geronimo Johnson, for friendship and support; Ben Mauk and Carleen Coulter, for introducing me to Berlin; Belinda Tang, for her inspired work during the pandemic; Tony Tulathimutte, for “diaperfilling”; and Kevin Smith, for music and tai chi.
Many thanks to Mary Ellen Gallagher, for teaching me to love Paris. Many thanks to Pauline Ryan, for friendship and generosity to the Writers’ Workshop. My deep appreciation to Jean Kwok, especially for encouraging me to drive to Wisconsin to see my dad. For important readings of the cards, I am grateful to Rebecca Makkai and Xochitl Gonzalez.
Many, many other people inspired me and helped me complete my work over the last fifteen years. I would like to thank Jen Adrian, Alexia Arthurs, David Baculis, Jr., Charles Black, Tyler Brooks, Janet Skeslien Charles, Lauree Christman, Joy Chung, Dr. Tony Colby, Tim Conroy, Christina Cooke, Victor Diamondfinger, Iracema Drew, Steven Fletcher, Dr. Mbechi Erondu, Angela Flournoy, Claire Fox, Allan Gurganus, Paul Harding, Adam Haslett, Matthew Henerson, Sarah Heyward, Michelle Huneven, Riley Johnson, Matthew Kelley, Dimitri Keramitis, Yu-Han Kuan, Elaine Lai, You Jin Lee, Chris Leslie-Hynan, Peter Lessler, Cristóbal McKinney, Rachel McPherson, Kyoko Mori, IfeOluwa Nihinlola, David Wystan Owen, Amy Parker, Doris Preucil, Tianhao Shao, William Shih, Sara Stojkovic, Brandon Taylor, Alden Terry, Frankie Thomas, Vauhini Vara, Kris Vervaecke, Monica West, Liz Weiss, Rachel Williams, and Mako Yoshikawa.
I am exceptionally lucky that this novel has found a home at W. W. Norton. My deepest appreciation to Jill Bialosky for her wisdom and her belief in this project. Thanks also to Drew Elizabeth Weitman, Erin Lovett, Michelle Waters, Kelly Winton, and Ingsu Liu. 303
A thousand thanks to Sarah Chalfant and Jin Auh for years of patience and support.
I feel very grateful to my three sisters, Tai Chang Terry, Dr. Huan Justina Chang, and Ling Patricia Chang.
I would not have finished this novel without the humor and generosity of my brilliant and loving husband, Robert Caputo, who has been truly supportive of me and my work. I must also thank my wonderful daughter, Tai Caputo, who has been deeply kind to an imaginary book-sibling throughout her fourteen years, never once complaining while her mother devoted unreasonable time and attention to its make-believe people and their problems. Thanks also to my humane and wise mother-in-law, Katherine Caputo, and her chicken soup.
The following supporters of this novel are no longer living but are remembered frequently with love and gratitude: Scott Johnston, Joe and Genie Patrick, Eavan Boland, James Alan McPherson, James Caputo, Helen Chung-Hung Chang, and Nai Lin Chang. 304