Acknowledgements

I am very humbled by writing this list as I realize how many people have been generous throughout my journey as a debut author. Huge thank you to my publisher, The Wild Rose Press, whose team has been incredibly supportive at every step. My editor, Nan Swanson, has been kind and generous with her time, wisdom, and words. My fantastic colleagues in writing, the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, have held my hand through this entire process of struggling through learning the craft of writing and putting all my ideas together into a novel.

I am forever indebted to my cheerleaders at the Outlander Nook who never once questioned my ability to write a book and answered random questions at all times of day. Thanks to Lori Christian Renfro for the hours she spent making suggestions on how to make the novel better. My wonderful helper from Scotland, Irene Paulton, was kind enough to assist with the dialect. Thank you, Ginger Wiseman, for checking on the German grammar. Thank you, Carroll Chapman for looking up historical facts. Big thanks to New Yorkers, Sandra Petrucco Sena and Wendy Gold Rossi, for finding some perfect New York locations for the novel. Gayla Cole Feachen—thank you for the research on family photos. Thanks to E.V. Svetova and Lori McConnell for their invaluable feedback that made this novel shine. Rachel Lipetz MacAulay, I am forever grateful for your careful edits.

Thank you to my family, for allowing me to write for hours at a time and never making me feel guilty.

And, finally, thank you to all the readers who buy this novel. This story is for you!