To all of the authors, dead and alive, who have been part of my literary upbringing, I offer my gratitude. Whether your books made me smile or cry, whether they woke me up or put me to sleep, whether they promoted lively discussion or caused fractious arguments, they have worked their way into who I am as a person. They live on, even when their creators do not. And I am so grateful to be part of the conversation.
To my high school English teachers, especially John VanLooy, Ilse Irving, and Kevin Discher, and my college English professors, especially David Alvarez, Rob Franciosi, and David Ihrman—thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for sharing your passion for literature with me. Your words helped determine the course of my life.
To my mother, who took me to the library any time I asked, and the librarians who helped me find stories to fall in love with—thank you for feeding my insatiable desire for books.
To those who read early drafts of this story and offered their critique—Valerie Marvin, Andrew Spector, Heather Brewer, Twila Bennett, and Orly Konig—I extend my heartfelt thanks for your encouragement and your input.
To Alma Staub and Joel Spector, thank you for sharing your legal expertise so that I could make the experiences of Norman and Lindy Windsor true to life (and for lending your names to the lawyer in the story . . . By the way, is it okay if I name the lawyer after the two of you?).
To my agent, Nephele Tempest, for pushing me to make this manuscript better. To my editor, Kelsey Bowen, for her unbridled enthusiasm for this story. To eagle-eyed Jessica English, who is the most aptly named copyeditor in the business. To Michele Misiak and Karen Steele for their ongoing work to introduce readers to my writing. To everyone else at Revell Books for the integral parts they have played in getting The Words between Us into the hands of readers.
And to Zachary, who has shared my story since I was fifteen. May each new chapter bring us something else to celebrate.