With gratitude to Lee Boudreaux, my editor at Random House, for her wisdom, skill, and unfailing good humor. Thanks as well to the knowledgeable, dynamic Douglas Stewart, agent and friend at Curtis Brown, Ltd.
And, finally, a continuing thank-you to my husband, Dan, and our three children—Maggie, Ben, and Kate—all writers themselves. Their patience, support, and example have availed and inspired me.