It’s December 31 and I’m finally sitting down to write the acknowledgments for this fourth (how is that even possible?!) book of mine. I wanted to save this moment for the last day of 2020, a year that all of us will vividly remember. A year that brought immense challenges and heartache and a new way of life. It would be remiss of me if I did not mention working on this book all through the chaos of 2020, and to illuminate the people who made this book its best version, even as they were called to stay home and suddenly had to balance work and family and feelings of isolation and worry and fatigue and illness. I had moments when it felt difficult to open my manuscript and focus on what I had created, but I also think so many of us found peace and joy and wonder in books this year—writing them, revising them, and reading them—and my words now will never be enough to express my gratitude to the people who joined me on this journey and carried me through 2020.

To Suzie Townsend, agent extraordinaire. Thank you for making one of my greatest dreams a reality, for loving my stories and finding them the best homes, and for always being there for me. You are the best. To Dani Segelbaum, who helps me with vital behind-the-scenes things . . . I truly couldn’t do this without your assistance and insight, and I’m so thankful for you. To Mia Roman, Veronica Grijalva, and Victoria Hendersen, who all have been instrumental in my foreign rights and sales—thank you for working so endlessly and finding a home for my stories overseas. To the New Leaf Dream Team—I’m so honored to be one of your authors. Thank you for investing in me and my books.