I’m grateful to you, my readers, for making it this far—or, if you’re like me, flipping to the acknowledgments first and still deciding to read this book. If not for you, I would just be selling books to my parents and in-laws, and I wouldn’t get to do this job I’ve harbored fantasies about since I was old enough to write my name.
Also: To my agent and friend, Samantha Haywood, the best partner, colleague, cheerleader, fierce negotiator, and visionary. I adore you. Thank you to Eva Oakes for the most astute read, and Laura Cameron, Megan Phillips, Barbara Miller, and the rest of the team at Transatlantic Agency, for everything else.
Dana Spector at Creative Artists Agency, for loving this book as much as I fully expected you to and working so hard to make the Lightning Bottles famous.
The team at Reese’s Book Club, for changing my life and for their continued support of my work. What a dream; it never gets old.
At Simon & Schuster US: Thank you to my editor, Carina Guiterman, for wanting to work with me just as much as I wanted to work with you, and for exceeding my expectations; thanks as well to Jonathan Karp, Tim O’Connell, Sophia Benz, Hannah Bishop, Danielle Prielipp, Yvette Grant, cover designer Math Monahan—and copy editor Stacey Sakal, for the life-affirming moment of finding such lovely comments (and a crying emoji!) in the margins of your edit. I recently unearthed a high school essay wherein the teacher’s remark was very well-written, but you clearly have some serious issues with punctuation, so your wholehearted approval is something I will always hold dear.
At Simon & Schuster Canada: To my editor, Brittany Lavery, for taking up the reins and doing an excellent job of it; Rita Silva, the best of the best; Rebecca Snodden; and Nicole Winstanley (!!!).
I’m also grateful to Nita Pronovost, Adria Iwasutiak, and Felicia Quon. (Peaches, baby. Always.)
Alan Cross: Years ago, when I first discussed this book with you, you sternly told me to “get it right.” The fact that, in the end, you declared I had nailed it is an honor and compliment I do not take lightly. Thank you for your time, expertise, and access to so many musical insights.
Thank you also to Tara Maclean for the soul-level discussions about songwriting; and Kate Henderson for helping with the entertainment law details. Any errors made or liberties taken in either case are mine. (Nashville made songwriting look so easy; Matlock always made courtrooms seem so fun.)
Thank you to Alternative Berlin Tours for a comprehensive and inspiring exploration of the city’s street art. (If you like street art, or are intrigued by what you’ve read about it in these pages, you should visit Berlin and take this tour!) And to my family, for tagging along on trains, cars, and planes across Europe as I mapped out Jane and Elijah’s journey.
I’m also grateful to Kalman Magyar for helping me sort out some of the details about traveling within Europe in the nineties.
The stack of books I read as I researched the various components of this novel would pile up to my office ceiling. For helping ensure I didn’t go broke/run out of storage space, I’m indebted to the Toronto Public Library system—my first stop, always, on the way to finding a story.
Thank you to Laurie Petrou for an insightful, bighearted first read. To Sophie Chouinard for planning the Iceland trip; you helped change the trajectory. Alison Gadsby, Kate Henderson, and Sherri Vanderveen—I’m so glad we’re still going strong. Asha Frost: the way you hold space for my dreams is a gift. Beatrix Nagy: you’ve made it possible for me to keep doing this job by always calling me out in Pilates class for having “important hands”—and you’ve kept me humble by questioning how I can manage to keep the stories I write straight when I can’t even remember how to do “bird dog.” Kerry Clare: I’m so glad books brought us together. Chantel Guertin, Nan Row, Amanda Watson, Nance Williams. Old friends Liz Davis and Susan Robertson, for helping me remember my teenage self. Lauren Fox, perfect princess and total weirdo. Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, for the most encouraging and kind first endorsement of all time. Suzy Krause, because it feels wrong not to mention your name here when our books have decided to be besties. Lori Dyan, for blazing into my life like a ray of sunshine. Liz Renzetti, Uzma Jalaluddin, Bianca Marais. And, this is the part where I’ve forgotten someone and hurt their feelings: please, forgive me.
My family: Bruce Stapley—best dad, best hype man, best enthusiast in general; Valerie Clubine, truly the wind beneath my wings and the person who loved me just as I was during some difficult years—I miss you desperately, and now I know I always will; James Clubine, for love, support, and faith; my younger brothers, Drew and Griffin Stapley, for almost reading at least one of my books each. Love you anyway. My older brother, Shane Stapley, for letting me be a roadie for his band even if I probably didn’t actually carry any amps, for taking me to Lollapalooza and countless other concerts, and for letting me steal your Pearl Jam tape. (But, I’m still mad at you for the Kurt Cobain T-shirt.) To Joe, Joyce, and the rest of the Ponikowski family for all their care and support.
My children, Joseph and Maia, who have grown into teenagers who occasionally like my Instagram posts but mostly think I’m the cringiest. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. I love you more, I love you most.
Last but not least, Joe. I’m glad our love isn’t star-crossed and that we managed to find each other in this lifetime. I think you’re so cool.