Acknowledgements

Eleanor first. Let me thank her for this book. She came to me and stayed with me, and through her strength, I persevered. Together we loved, lost, and learned. I know her. I love her. She is my daughter. To Eleanor I am thankful.

On the other side of the page, let me throw a shout out to Christopher Loke at Jolly Fish Press who embraced me and my story with its weirdness and themes, tragedy and hope. Thanks, Chris, for sharing my vision all the way through.

To my family, eternal thanks. Eleanor could not have lived without my patient wife, distracted sons, supportive mother, and proud father, all of whom fed my imaginings and filled me with the courage to write. Love you guys.

A special thanks to Abby who thought she was just a beta-reader but was in fact a model. I embellished and imagined, created and evolved, but the seed of Eleanor can be found in Abby’s smile.

And finally thanks to the great lady who shaped my life and love, but fell to the wicked disease. Lolly, I give you life again in Tabitha, I give you another daughter to love, to nurture and make good. I give you also the battle to fight again, heroically and well. Miss you.