First and foremost, I want to thank Lauren Oliver, friend, colleague, and genius-in-shining-armor, without whom you would certainly not be holding this book in your hands. Lauren, your friendship, generosity, wisdom, and support over the years has meant more to me than you will ever know. It has been both deeply meaningful and a true honor collaborating with you on this book and I will be forever grateful you picked me up, brushed me off, and guided Ana’s story—and me—back into the light. I love you.
To Lexa Hillyer, for your warmth, hilarity, generosity, friendship, decadent snacks, uke tunes, and most of all sheer editorial brilliance, and without whom this book would also not exist. Thank you for your guidance, your constant faith in me, and for holding my hand when the going got rough. I love you so much and also shark, pebble, penguin, these are just words.
To Tiffany Liao, my editor extraordinaire and Kingdom champion—thank you for your brilliance, humor, grace, and expert guidance through what has been a wonderfully and joyfully collaborative editorial process. Thank you for loving Ana and her world as much as I do.
To Kamilla Benko, Emily Berge-Thielmann, and Lynley Bird for your exuberance, dedication, hard work, and general Glasstown rockstardom. You ladies are the best ever.
To everyone at Henry Holt and Macmillan Children’s Books, but especially Christian Trimmer, Jennifer Edwards and the Macmillan sales team, and Venetia Gosling and the Macmillan UK team for your incredible championing of this book; Kristin Dulaney and Catherine Kramer for your excitement and enthusiasm, and for working so tirelessly to bring The Kingdom to readers around the world; Katie Klimowicz, Rich Deas, and our incredible illustrator, Kevin Tong, for your stunningly gorgeous cover design; Morgan Rath and Teresa Ferraiolo for being the best, most dynamic publicity and marketing duo around; Mark Podesta for your kindness and support; and again my amazingly brilliant editor and friend, Tiffany Liao. It is such an honor to be part of the Holt family.
To my agent Stephen Barbara and everyone at Inkwell Management, for your enthusiastic support through every stage of the publication process.
To my family—Stephen, Dad, Ben, Josh, Jeff and Alisa, John and Deborah, Peter and Deborah, Erica and Jonathan, Michael and Joseph, Julia, Kate, and Alex, Cathy, Joe, and especially Jeannie—for loving me, supporting me, and holding me up during the darkest, most difficult time. I love you all more than life itself and would never have made it here without you.
To my New Haven family—Lucia, Steve, Lucian, Andrew, Zio and Zia Lina, and James (and the wonderful Murphys)—thank you all for your love, hilarity, generosity, support, and being so wonderful to me, since day one. I love you guys.
To Jesse, Chesnee, Leah, and Heather—love y’all so much (even though, let’s be honest, I still can’t pull off y’all and never could).
To Shira, Talia, Leah, Sarah F, Sarah B, Gina, Emily, Kal, Anneka, and Mark for being my Vassar crew and constant stars for more years now than I care to mention for fear of aging us all in such a public setting. Can’t wait to keep laughing, sharing, and singing Ms. Jackson till we’re old and gray.
To Pamela McElroy, Rebecca Serle, Anne Heltzel, Leila Sales, Emily Heddleson, and Jocelyn Davies, for your enlightenment, love, phone calls, and community. You all mean so much to me.
To Sophie Roberts and Caroline Hagood, supermoms and superfriends—where would I be without you? (Probably in a ditch, but I digress.) Thank you two for being there for me through all the joy and all the crazy. I couldn’t do mom life without you.
To Hannah Spencer and Joyce Tang, from cats to kids, 566 forever! Those were the days. <3
To Lindsey Stoddard, roomie forever and friend for life, your love, humor, letters, and words have meant the absolute world, from the moment we met. You are beyond special to me.
To Courtney Sheinmel, the Patsy to my Emma, the Garrett to my Flap, the Carly to my Simon, the St. Elmo’s to my Fire. Gorgeous isn’t everything. I love you.
To Janna Lunetta, my BFF for all time with whom, after almost thirty years of friendship, I have been lucky enough to live out a real-life Friends fantasy. *Waves downstairs.* I love you so.
To my angels, Mama, Papa, Grandma Marjorie and Grandpa Ed. I still miss you all the time.
To Theo Miller, my sweetest, silliest guy and reason for being. I love you endlessly.
Finally, I want to thank my mom, Tricia, who sadly never got the chance to read this book—but was nevertheless infinitely proud of me—and without whom my universe will forever glow less bright. You were my true North Star in life, psychic witch, and dearest, funniest friend. You exist for me now in all our favorite music and films—and in Theo’s beautiful smile—and I can still hear your voice and feel your love all around me. I love you forever to the stars and back. (Major.)