ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Wendy McCurdy, for her patience and insight.

Katherine Pelz, for making everything easier.

Kristin Nelson and everyone at the Nelson Literary Agency, for their unparalleled dedication and competence.

Janine Ballard, for boldly going where all great critique partners do—right to the crux of the problem.

Shellee Roberts, for her concurring opinion that kicked my ass back into gear.

Tiffany Yates Martin of FoxPrint Editorial, for always helping me out when I really need it.

Margaret Toscano, for generously sharing her knowledge of Latin and the classics.

My family, especially my husband, for shouldering nearly the entirety of our move while I was hunched over my laptop, desperately trying to figure out what to do, and my mother, for all the food, which is nothing but love.

And as always, if you are reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart.