ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Camilla Wray of the Darley Anderson Agency for her honesty and enthusiasm. I would also like to thank Annie Eaton, Fiction Publisher, and the team at Random House, for their energy and vision.

Particular thanks are due to Tom Alaerts and Rebecca Benoot for their advice about various aspects of Flemish culture and language; any mistakes are mine. Thank you also to Gaby Grabsch for her support and friendship, and for providing transport and accommodation during my research in Belgium. And as always, I would like to thank my husband Gordon for his unfailing support and for all those cups of tea!