ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am grateful to many for ongoing support.

Thanks to Kate Gale for welcoming Tea by the Sea into the Red Hen Press family, and to Tobi Harper, Monica Fernandez and Natasha McClellan for marketing and production support. Thanks also to Sha-Shana Crichton, who found this book a home, and Rachel Gul, who has done a tremendous amount to help this book thrive in the world.

My thanks also go to Stephanie Allen, Doreen Baingana and Karen Outen, who provided feedback on early versions of the book, and for the many brunches and literary outings that have sustained me over the years; and the Maryland State Arts Council for grants that helped me write and edit the book. A special thanks to the Jamaican Writers Society (JaWS) and the Jamaican Copyright Licensing Agency (JAMCOPY) for reviving the Lignum Vitae Writing Awards for Jamaican writers, and recognizing the manuscript with the 2015 Una Marson Award for Adult Literature.

As always thanks to my family and friends whose love, support, and stories sustain me.