To Suzie Townsend, agent extraordinaire. Remember when I sent this manuscript to you and I said, “I have no idea what this is?” You didn’t bat an eye, and even as we strove to discover where this story needed to be, you believed in it and helped it find the perfect home. To Dani Segelbaum and Miranda Stinson, for helping behind the scenes and making my publishing journey run smooth and seamlessly. To Kate Sullivan, who read this manuscript at its first draft. Your incredible insight and notes were instrumental in bringing out the best of this story and gave me the confidence I needed to take this book from YA to adult. To the dream team at New Leaf—thank you for all the support you’ve given to me and my books. I’m so honored to be one of your authors.

To Vedika Khanna, my inimitable editor. Words can’t even describe how honored and happy I am that this book found you, and that you saw all the ways in which it could grow into something fierce and beautiful. Thank you for believing in Jack, Adaira, Torin, Sidra, and Frae, and for helping me find the heart of their individual stories.

A huge thank-you to my amazing teams at William Morrow and Harper Voyager: Liate Stehlik, Jennifer Hart, Jennifer Brehl, David Pomerico, DJ DeSmyter, Emily Fisher, Pamela Barricklow, Elizabeth Blaise, Stephanie Vallejo, Paula Szafranski, and Chris Andrus. I am so honored to have your expertise and support in bringing A River Enchanted to life. Thank you to Cynthia Buck for copy editing and helping me polish this manuscript. To Yeon Kim, who designed the stunning cover. It’s truly everything I could have ever dreamt of for this book. To Nick Springer, for creating the gorgeous map. To Natasha Bardon and my incredible Voyager U.K. team—I’m so thrilled to partner with you all and see this story take flight across the pond. Thank you for giving my novel the perfect home in the U.K.

When it comes to worldbuilding, there were many books I read for research and inspiration, and I am deeply grateful for the following authors and their works: The Scots Kitchen by F. Marian McNeill, Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore by Ellen Evert Hopman, The Complete Poems and Songs of Robert Burns, The Crofter and the Laird by John McPhee, and Tree of Strings: A History of the Harp in Scotland by Keith Sanger and Alison Kinnaird.

To the lovely authors who read early copies and provided words of encouragement and support—you have filled my creative well on the days when I have felt empty. Thank you for your kindness and time, and for sustaining me with your stories.