I owe deep and heartfelt gratitude to: historians, docents, and re-enactors for their patient and thorough answers; my wonderful family and fabulous friends for their support, encouragement, and curiosity; HCRW, the Rubies, my retreat friends, and the ever-generous writing community; Mike Mazzella, for showing me how to break noses; Tom and Christina, for their candor and faith; Laura Ownbey, whose gently-posed questions polished this story to a shine; the team at Spencer Hill Press, especially Jessica Porteous and Richard Storrs, who create magic with their craft; my amazing agent, Kevan Lyon, who never gave up; the best and brightest daughters a mother could adore; but most of all, thank you to my husband, who believed in my “highest aspirations” and let them be so.