Thank you to my agent, Cait Hoyt, the true shepherd of this book from day one. Thank you to the rest of my team: Alex Rice, for guiding this book into the right hands. Michelle Weiner and Alexandra Trustman—thank you for the magic you bring to everything. Thank you to my brilliant editor, Madeline Houpt, for pulling out the best parts of this story and making it shine in a way that I never could on my own. Thank you to the endlessly talented team at Minotaur Books: Omar Chapa, David Roststein, Alisa Trager, Allison Ziegler, Paul Hochman, Michael Clark, Diane Dilluvio, Kayla Janas, Katie Holt, Drew Kilman, Maria Snelling, Esther de Araujo, Terry McGarry, Maddi Bruining, and Megha Jain. After working with all of you, I am certain that there is nothing you can’t figure out—and make fabulous.
Thank you to my boys at home, Casey and Winston. Thank you to my parents, Vivian and Lionel, and my sisters, Becca and Laura. Thank you to the Ellistons. Thank you to my local work wife, Emma Brodie. Thank you to my friends and community on Martha’s Vineyard, especially my spin class family.
It really does take a village: Thank you to Caroline Davey Hannah for taking such incredible care of Winston so that I could work. This book is for—and because of—you! Thank you to Ariana Binney for loving and caring for him as well. Thank you to Marcy Klapper, too, for always being there with a smile. Thank you to Whitney Januszewski for Saturday mornings. Thank you to Cassie Courtney for being my unofficial co-mother from day one.
Thank you to my local public libraries and their amazing staff, especially the Chilmark Public Library, the West Tisbury Public Library, and the Edgartown Public Library. Thank you to my magical local bookstores, Bunch of Grapes (thank you, Molly!) and Edgartown Books (thank you, Mathew!), for always supporting me.
Last but certainly not least, thank you to you: my readers, especially the parents. You are the heroes.