Writing about Yara was a challenge and something that was extremely important to get right. I’m profoundly grateful to Clare Parker for, so generously, sharing her tragic loss with me. I’ve read and listened to other people’s stories, and I hope I’ve adequately conveyed the enormity of such a devastating loss. If you’ve been affected by this part of the book, there are resources to follow that offer help.

Writing a book is a great privilege and a pleasure, but also a challenge—it’s very hard to know when I’m doing it right. And especially so with Again, Rachel because so many readers (thank you!) cared about Rachel from the first time round and I really didn’t want to let you down. There were a million times I doubted myself and without the support and hard work of all the people listed below, this book wouldn’t exist.

My heartfelt thanks to the entire team at Michael Joseph, for working so hard and so generously on this book and all of my books over the past twenty-five years.

My career and life would have been so different if I hadn’t been lucky enough, twenty-six years ago, to meet Louise Moore, my visionary publisher. From the word go, she has trusted me to write what I need to write, and I trust her to edit me as she sees fit. (Admittedly, I usually spend three days raging around the house when the notes first arrive, but then I calm down and acknowledge that she’s right.) As well as publishing me with such sensitivity and verve, she’s given me the courage and the space to take risks with my writing, something I appreciate deeply. I’m incredibly lucky to have her.

May I offer boundless gratitude also to Liz ‘Lizzie McSmith’ Smith for bringing so much enthusiasm, imagination and fun to every publication. Working with her and her fabulously creative team, including Lucy Upton, Jen Breslin and Colin Brush, is lovely!

Heartfelt thanks to the formidable Grace Long for her skilled editorial input; Christina Ellicott, Deirdre O’Connell and the entire sales team; Lee Motley for designing such a great jacket; Nick Lowndes for his heroic proofing and copy-setting; and Roy McMillan for his painstaking coaching and devotion to the audiobook—and for making it such fun.

At home, in Ireland, it’s lovely being published by Penguin Ireland. It’s a great team and especial thanks goes to my beloved Cliona Lewis, and Brian Walker and Carrie Anderson in sales. GRMMA!

I love Gemma Correll’s cover illustration of Rachel and Crunchie—thank you.

Jonathan Lloyd has been my agent for twenty-seven years and, as with Louise, the day my path crossed with his was one of the great ones. Always supportive, always on top of the fine print and always, always great fun. I owe him so much.