My thanks to:
Ryan Harbage, my literary agent, for his patience and enthusiasm, and for convincing me that I could do this.
Stephanie Hitchcock, my editor, who challenged me to think bigger and then supported me in that endeavor.
Josanne Lopez, my manager, who believed long before anyone else believed.
Lauren Leeds and Veronica Bautista, my friends and early readers, for their insights and for encouraging my bad jokes.
Rachel Simmons, whose own work deeply influenced my thinking and affirmed that this topic was, in fact, important.
Juleyka Lantigua-Williams, who constantly reminds me of what is possible when we “get out of line.”
Ileana Ferreras, who asks all the right questions.
Thank you to all of the women who trusted me with their stories, and connected me with the women in their lives who then trusted me with theirs. This book literally could not exist without them.
I wrote this book over the course of two pregnancies, multiple job transitions, and hundreds of thousands of miles of air travel. The product of that hard work is in your hands, but the love and labor that made it achievable are not mine alone. For that, my love and thanks to my parents, Jane and Bob, my brother Rob and sister-in-law Alex, my in-laws Marián and César, my stepfather Tony, and Norma and Betty, our circle of support. Thank you for making this and all things possible.
And of course Carlos, the best husband, coparent, and late-night editor I could ask for. If I write another book, I promise to learn how to use hyphens.