Thank you, Jenni Ferrari-Adler, my incredible agent, who labored over every line of this book in all its incarnations, and to Laura Brown, editor of my dreams. I’m forever in debt to both of you, with your sharp eyes, patience, humor and steadfastness. Thank you to Sally Wofford-Girand and Taylor Curtain at Union Literary, and to the whole team at Park Row, HarperCollins and Harlequin: Shara Alexander and Laura Gianino, Stefanie Buszynski, Mary Luna for stunning book art, Chris Wolfgang for scrupulous copyediting, Kristen Salciccia for supernaturally good proofreading, Erika Imranyi, Margaret Marbury, Loriana Sacilotto, Heather Foy, Linette Kim, Randy Chan and Amy Jones.

Deepest thanks to early readers of this novel: Nicole Griffin, Clarence Lai, Tia McCarthy, Sarah Madru, Jericho Parms, Carolyn Scoppettone, Robert Solomon and especially my dear friends Laura Farmer and Eric Rosenblum. Without Jessica Hendry Nelson, Sean Prentiss and Julia Shipley and their insights, I wouldn’t have made it through the final drafts. Thanks to creative friends and colleagues who have inspired and supported me over the years. Your sweet friendship has meant the world to me: Lauren Antler, Julianna Baggott, Jedediah Berry, Matthew Dickman, Sian Foulkes, Vicki Kuskowski, Jeremy Lubman, Kerrin McCadden, An Na, Christa Parravani, Sonya Posmentier, Liz Powell, Jess Row, James Scott and Tolya Stonorov. Endless gratitude to Liz Knapp, who’s been my champion and best friend for thirty years, the kindest person I know and the most fun.

Thanks also to my wonderful Syracuse teachers, Arthur Flowers, Mary Gaitskill, George Saunders, Mary Karr, Michael Burkard, Brooks Haxton, Chris Kennedy and Bruce Smith, from whom I learned so much about craft, kindness and generosity. For encouragement and inspiration from the entire VCFA community, especially the faculty, students and staff in the MFA in Writing & Publishing program, I am deeply grateful. Thanks to Clint McCown, Ellen Lesser and the Postgraduate Writers’ Conference at VCFA. Mentors along the way, so much gratitude to you, too: Mona Simpson, Brad Morrow, Melissa Weidman, Barbara Stephens and Carl Phillips.

The Vermont Studio Center and the Vermont Arts Council provided the gifts of funding and time to write. A special thank-you to all the Vermont Book Award winners, finalists and judges these past few years. And thanks to the Hunger Mountain staff and writers, true superheroes of literature.

Endless appreciation for the Montpelier community, where my mailman, hairstylist, yoga teacher, neighbors and my children’s dear after-school teachers have been supportive of my writing career. I am so lucky to live here.