This book started on a dare. I never thought I could write a novel but my husband thought I could. One day he dared me to try. Dared me. Told me I’d be a coward if I didn’t try. I never back down from a reasonable dare and he knew that.
Thank you my darling, for daring me.
The dare started it but everything else that happened was serendipity and kindness and generosity. And while you can only thank the gods for serendipity, kindness and generosity deserve to be recognised.
Without the enthusiasm and energy of Madeleine Buston and everyone at the amazing Darley Anderson Agency (especially Clare Wallace and Mary Darby), there’s no way this book would have made it onto shelves. Your phone call changed my life, Maddy. There aren’t enough words in the world to thank you for that.
To the fabulous Samantha Smith, editor extraordinaire at Atom Books, a million thanks. Not only is she a brilliant editor but she’s funny too. Working with her is a dream come true. Frankly, the whole crew at Atom/Little, Brown is incredible: Gina Luck, Kate Agar, and Darren Turpin – you all helped to make Night School happen. Thank you all so much! I owe you so many cupcakes …
This book was shaped and honed with the help of friends who read it while I was writing it, and told me the truth about it. Their honesty and brilliance made it so much better. Hélène Rudyk, Kate Bell and Sally Davies – you are all goddesses.
To the staff at the Starbucks on Memorial Drive at Dairy Ashford in Houston, Texas, thank you for letting me sit and write in your icy air-conditioning for hours on end – sometimes until you were stacking the chairs around me and sweeping the floor under my feet – without ever asking me to buy more coffee or get out of your way. Basically, thank you for ignoring me. Night School was fuelled by your iced mochas.
While this book was being written my mother passed away, so she never got to see that everything worked out. That this wasn’t just another of my crazy dreams. They say sometimes people watch over you after they die so … Look Mom! I did it.