I love writing acknowledgements. Creating a book is a long and potentially treacherous journey into creative oceans, but I am always buoyed by so many beautiful souls along the way.
This book wouldn’t even be here had I not attended Vanessa Carnevale’s writing retreat in Tuscany in 2016, where I made the bold decision to throw away fifty thousand words of a different novel, to instead embrace the story that wanted to be told here, born in the garden of the villa in the Tuscan hillsides. Thanks to the writing sisters on that retreat, Vanessa, Amanda, Tracey and Pascale, for giving me the push I so needed in order to let go. And to Fabio, Gilberta, Mario and Jen for the feast of a lifetime. Gilberta Sangiorgi Nuccitelli, again, for your pasta-making tutorial and your permission to use your recipe, as well as a fictional character named after you (I hope you like her!), and to Mario for the same.
And very importantly, to my husband, Alwyn Blayse, who encouraged me to take the trip in the first place and who is always my number one fan (and even threatens to be the founding member of ‘The Moonies’ fan club, bless him).
Christian Nobel from Fromart here on the Sunshine Coast for inviting me to come and visit your lush green hills to ask a hundred questions on what it is like to be a cheesemaker.
Alison Brien and her YouTube videos on Channel Cheese TV for so many mouth-watering episodes, particularly those in Northern Italy.
My sister, Amanda, for being my travel assistant, making sure I turn up to the airport on the right day (!), and making me laugh till I cry, all in the name of research and cheese-eating extravaganzas. (But I will never be able to eat Stilton. Ever. Though I will accept the cider that goes with it.)
My publisher, Annette Barlow, for being flawless in your confidence in me to write a book at all, let alone one you’ll love; your faith is both gracious and nerve racking. All at Allen & Unwin who work so very hard to bring out the best in my book and promote its socks off to find new readers. My agents, Fiona Inglis at Curtis Brown (Australia and UK) and Haylee Nash for doing what you do best.
To my early readers (I’m sorry you had to endure such a poor quality draft, but I promise your feedback really did help it grow up into a real book): Vanessa Carnevale for checking all my Italian words (and of course any errors are totally mine); Dr Tracey Hay (aka ‘Big Sis’) for medical matters (again, any errors are mine); Haylee Nash for great structural advice and much-welcomed enthusiasm; Clara Finlay, my favourite ninja of the editing world, who endured not just one but two completely different (and much poorer) versions of this novel (including the abandoned fifty thousand words)…I hope for both our sakes that next time I crack the story on the first draft; Marie-Louise Willis for picking me up when I was lost out at sea, and your helpful feedback on characters and plot; and the multi-talented Kate Smibert, who always sees to the heart of my stories.
Hilary Reynolds for your keen eye for detail and helping make my words shine. This is a much better book for your efforts. Thanks also to Genevieve Buzo for overseeing the book’s progress through to publication.
Sharyn Wagner, from Briese Lawyers, for advice on family law matters. (Again, all errors are totally mine.)
Rosie Batty for your courageous testimonial at the parliamentary inquiry into family law and family violence. I don’t have enough words to express my gratitude for the work you do for the women and children of this country.
My goats, Meg and Wilbur, for lending me your personalities for these fictional goats.
I read through countless recipe books while writing this novel, too many to name here, but I do want to mention Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italy, a book that is as brutal as it is beautiful and made me think deeply about our relationship to food.
To Jill, Nicky, Sam, Misty and team at the Goodness Gracious cafe in Yandina, for taking care of my caffeine and cake needs and for the love notes of encouragement that came with the coffees. I am superstitiously glued to ‘my seat’ now, so please don’t ever renovate!
And my final but largest thanks go to Flynn, just for being you, the most precious gift of all.