In trying to capture the feel and detail of the period and places that this story is set in, I am indebted to many people who invariably have answered my calls with such willingness and patience. I would like to thank, in particular, Lena Simic and her Aunt, Branka Franicevic, for sharing with me their knowledge of the people and history of Dubrovnik.
As ever, the team at Austin Macauley, and particularly Walter Stephenson and Vinh Tran, have helped enormously in turning my script into a finished product.
Finally and most importantly, thanks to Gaynor for her continued support and flow of ideas.