Acknowledgments

It’s such a pleasure to be back in Old Town with Sophie and the gang in this book. Huge thanks to my agent, Jessica Faust, and my editor, Wendy McCurdy, for keeping the divas alive. And special thanks to all the readers who love the divas and asked when the next book would be out. I hope you’ll enjoy it.

As always, a lot of research went into this book. If I have anything wrong, it’s my own fault entirely. The Revolutionary War spy John Dixon really did exist and is said to haunt a house in Old Town. They say he was so upset about the revolution that he was exceptionally unfriendly to a visitor from England who toured the house he haunts. I have, however, taken great liberties with his family tree. That part is pure fiction, as is the young widow who hosted dinner parties for spies. While there are records of women passing communications, her character is entirely fictional.

While there are several libraries in Alexandria, Virginia, and at least one in Old Town, the library in this book is entirely fictional and a figment of my imagination. It has no connection whatsoever to an actual library anywhere.

My friend Amy Norwood Wheeler was a huge help to me in the writing of this book, and I will be eternally grateful. Those of you who notice the connection to Nina Reid Norwood’s name will understand that I cannot omit thanks to Elizabeth Nina Strickland and Susan Reid Smith Erba as well.

And I thank my writing friends Ginger Bolton, Allison Brook, Peg Cochran, Kaye George, Daryl Wood Gerber, and Janet Koch, who are always there with support and encouragement, just a quick e-mail away.