Many stories have a “What if…?” at their origin, and this is such a story. When I was in my late teens, camped with my family at a remote place in the Grand Canyon, a scary person came by—a person who didn’t seem to belong there. In real life the scary person walked on, but this book came from imagining “What if he’d stuck around?”
In years past I went backpacking in the Grand Canyon four times. I’ve been down and/or up the two maintained trails—South Kaibab and Bright Angel—and one wilderness trail, Hermit. And I’ve camped at numerous places within the Canyon, including Sumner Wash, Clear Creek, Monument, Hermit, Salt, Horn, and Bright Angel—and even spent a night at a deserted Indian Gardens one cold December with my dad. But I have never been out to Boucher or Slate, which play such pivotal roles in this story. I’m indebted to my dad, John Stage, for all the knowledge he shared—the gazillion questions he happily answered—that allowed me to write this with as much accuracy as possible.
I wouldn’t get to keep being an author without my unflappable agents, Stephen Barbara and Claire Friedman. And this book wouldn’t be in readers’ hands without my astute editor, Helen O’Hare. I’m grateful for the entire team at Mulholland Books: Josh Kendall, Sareena Kamath, Pamela Brown, Alyssa Persons, Lindsey Heil, Massey Barner, Laura Mamelok, Nancy Wiese, Pamela Marshall, and Ben Allen. Thank you to Little, Brown for all your support: Bruce Nichols, Judy Clain, Craig Young, and Sabrina Callahan. Thank you to my copyeditor, Barbara Perris, for being the “final eyes” on this manuscript. And thank you to Gregg Kulick for another stunning cover.
I keep being surprised that each novel evolves so differently from first draft to publication, even though my basic writing process is the same. Thank you to Jenny Belardi and Brooke Dorsch for feedback on an early draft. Much of the rewriting of this book happened during quarantine and, as hard a time as it was, I’m grateful for so many Saturdays spent with my “quarantine bubble”—my sister and my mum. As always, sending love to my friends: I miss you!
#PittsburghStrong #NoPlaceForHate