Acknowledgements

This book is dedicated to my father and my brother. I used to say that I was raised by men until I realised that it sounded as if I was explaining that I had been raised by bears. Papa Bear and Brother Bear were greatly responsible for the woman that Baby Bear ultimately became. Over the years, they provided countless bowls of porridge and mended numerous broken chairs.

I would also like to thank Marc MacDonald and Dorota Impert for their editing insight and unfaltering encouragement through various revisions.

Thanks also to my husband, without whose support I never would have been able to eek out enough time to bring Mara to life. I have a final thank-you for my daughter Lexie, who makes the world a better place.