Thank you to my parents for playing Beatles music early and often, for subsidizing my exorbitantly expensive education, and for surrounding me with books and musical instruments. Thank you to my Grandpa Bud for teaching me about chord inversions, the importance of structure, and persistence.
Thank you to my sister, Emily, for reading many drafts of many novels long before I ever wrote this one, to my brother, James, for being a delightful collaborator and true original, and to my sister-in-law, Katie, for always being one of my most enthusiastic readers, critics, and cheerleaders. Thank you to all the friends and family who have understood the importance of this work in my life.
Thank you to every teacher who instructed and encouraged me, especially Dan Robbins, Paula Cizmar, and whoever sat on those grant committees at USC. Massive special thanks to my thesis director, mentor, and friend, Richard Bausch, and to everyone at Chapman University who participated in awarding me that fellowship. It changed everything.
Thank you to the many writer friends who have helped me along the way, especially to Kat Yeh, who told me to write this book and then showed me how to make it better, to Jim Hime, whose specific brand of generosity is unicorn-rare, to Lori Snyder, whose Splendid Mola writing retreats have been a precious haven, and to my PACT partner and soul-sister, Amber Alvarez, who has been there every step of the way to comfort, motivate, and inspire.
Thank you to Nora’s agents, David Hale Smith and Liz Parker, who took a chance on both of us, expertly guided us to safe harbor, and continue to advocate for us. Double, triple, and quadruple thanks to Liz for the early edits, frequent pep talks, and constant emotional and professional support. Thank you to everyone at InkWell Management, especially to Stephen Barbara, who read an early draft and offered invaluable counsel. And thank you to the entire team at Verve Talent & Literary Agency, especially Sara Nestor, for welcoming both Nora and me into your ranks and charting our course into deeper waters.
Thank you to my editors, Leila Sales and Kendra Levin. To Leila, for seeing potential in my writing and in Nora, but having the wisdom to know we needed a better plot; you’ve given my family much more than a book deal. To Kendra, for generously coaching Nora across the finish line, and for welcoming her into such prestigious company.
Thank you to the whole Viking crew, especially to Ken Wright for his fearless leadership, to Marinda Valenti, Sheila Moody, and Janet Pascal for catching and correcting my many mistakes, to Kate Renner for turning my Word doc into a real book, to Kelley Brady for the beyond perfect cover art, to Aneeka Kalia for her faith and assistance, to Maggie Rosenthal for bravely taking the wheel when we needed an interim captain, and to Gerard Mancini for reading with an eye to authenticity. You are a dream team.
In telling Nora’s story, I never presumed to represent a broader adoptive experience. From what I’ve seen, each adoption story is as unique as each adoptee. But to all readers in search of their roots or questioning the origin of their identity, thank you for being exactly the person that you already are, for caring about Nora’s journey, and for reading. You are part of her family now.
Words are too poor an instrument to properly express my love and appreciation for my best friend, my husband, my partner. Brandon, this book wouldn’t exist without you for reasons both obvious and unseen. I am grateful for whichever ingredients—family or fate—contributed to your being. What can I do for you?