This book wouldn’t have happened without my editor Erika Imranyi, whose enthusiasm and insight made all the difference. Thank you to everyone on the team at Park Row, including Nicole Luongo in Editorial, Cathy Joyce for her thoughtful copyediting, and to all those in Editorial, Publicity, Marketing, Sales, Art and Production who had a hand in creating the finished product.
Special thanks to my agent, Nelle Andrew, who encouraged me to write the story that I truly wanted to tell. Nelle’s a guiding light and one in a million.
Thank you to the online community of authors who make writing a less lonely business. I’d especially like to thank Neema Shah. A comment about representation that she made onstage at the Bath Literary Festival UK, when I was just beginning to write this story, really stuck with me and was the seed that created Priyanka.
Last, thank you to my friends and family for their love and support, especially Bec Vaughan, Johnnie Carey, Anita Rowden and Lisa Parker. They never see me without asking about my writing, and it’s hugely appreciated. And of course to Mum, Dad, Nick, Wilfie and Alex, who have to hear about my writing whether they like it or not. x.