ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

When you get in this business, it’s easy to be intimidated and overwhelmed—writers are artists first, after all. Thankfully, I have Rachel Ekstrom, my fabulous and formidable agent. Part adviser, negotiator, therapist, cheerleader, and friend, I’m so proud to have her by my side.

I could write an entire book about how grateful I am for Kate Dresser, my talented and brilliant editor and friend. After four books together, it’s possible our brains have melded and I couldn’t be happier about it. I send her haphazard, incomplete drafts and, miraculously, she sees the potential through the muck, offering the exact right feedback that finds the heart in what I’m trying to accomplish. Thank you to my rock-star publicists, Theresa Dooley at Gallery and Kristin Dwyer of Leo PR.

I love being part of the Gallery family! Thank you to Jennifer Bergstrom, Molly Gregory, Gina Borgia, Monica Oluwek, Chelsea Cohen, Liz Psaltis, Diana Velasquez, Mackenzie Hickey, Sade Oyalowo, Jaime Putorti, and my fantastic copy editor, Shelly Perron.

Dziękuję to Baror International for their foreign rights work.

I borrow freely from conversations I have with my friends (sorry, not sorry); thank you to Peggy Armstrong and the rest of the Town Bank gals, Mary and Jason Ells for sharing a spectacular story with me that was the first inspiration for this book, Bob and Val Wisniewski for their Polish-Milwaukee expertise and letting me steal their last name for Roza. A huge thank-you to Caitlin Croegaert for helping me with the stroke and speech portions of the book. Any errors are my own.

To my writer friends, Sarah Cannon, Gail Werner, Carla Cullen, Nina Bocci, Colleen Oakley, and all my Tall Poppies! A special thank-you to Melissa Marino and Karma Brown, who give me invaluable feedback and share all my writer highs and lows.

To all my family, thank you for putting up with my flakiness when I’m under deadline (and when I’m not), especially Mom, Pam, and Sandy.

My little loves, Ainsley and Sam, who aren’t so little anymore. Ainsley, while you are nothing like May, you inspired her nonetheless—and thank you for making sure my teenager sounded like a teenager. I love that we share a love of writing.

To my handsome husband, John, this book explores one of my greatest fears, having to navigate life without you by my side. Twenty years in and I’m still stupid in love with you.

Lastly, a thank-you to all those who serve in the Armed Forces and the families who support and miss them. You are not forgotten.