Thank you to all my beautiful family and friends – I’m incredibly lucky to be spending my life in such good company. I could fill this book twice over with all the wonderful ways I’ve been supported, nurtured and loved by the people in my life.
Firstly, to all the people in the publishing world who have encouraged and had faith in this story. Thank you.
In particular, I would like to thank and acknowledge the inspirational Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers’ Centre for the residency that gave me the space to dream this story up.
Thank you to Sally Bird, who started off as my agent and became a friend, mentor, counsellor and everything in between. Thank you to Catherine Milne, who has had her hands full wrangling an over-enthusiastic twenty-something along her first publishing journey. Thank you also to Jane Finemore, Shona Martyn, Denise O’Dea, Julia Stiles, James Kellow and everyone else at HarperCollins Australia for making this story into a book. Thank you to Chandani Lokuge, for the most inspiring classes I’ve ever taken, and Ross Berry for much love and many stories. Thank you to Meg Mundell for championing my work and boosting me when I most needed it.
Thank you to Madeleine Ulbrick for daily support, Sharon Flitman for reading early drafts, Andrew Pitts for being my talented IT guru and Kathryn Stephens for once reading an entire novel I had written in 8-point font. Thank you Anne Parkes and Anne Tidyman for ruining all future managers/colleagues for me. You’ve both taught me so much in so many ways and I’m so lucky to have spent so many amazing years working with you. Thank you Geraldine Pitts (my other mother and pony soulmate). Thank you to Jessie Cole for being so warm, insightful and generous – I’m lucky to have found you! Thank you to my dad, who’s loved me fiercely and proudly since I was born. Thank you, too, to Bern and George.
Thank you to all the writers, editors and publishers out there who have personally encouraged me and given me incredible opportunities. Also thank you to the writers whose work has shown me, again and again, how beautifully stories can be told. Without you, I wouldn’t be writing. And a big part of me would be missing.
Thank you to my amazing husband, Ben, who reads everything I write (including this story about fifteen times) and still says he loves me. Lastly, thank you to my mum, who has encouraged me in every single way a mother can encourage her child. Your love of writing, horses and books has become mine.