William Morrow has been my publishing home for seven books now, and I will never take for granted the enthusiasm and dedication of the entire team as they turn each manuscript into a real book and send it out into the marketplace. Huge thanks to my tiger editor, Rachel Kahan; to her assistant, Alivia Lopez, who keeps us both on track; to Tavia Kowalchuk and Brittani Hilles, for all their magical works in marketing and publicity; to my branding guru, Kathy Gordon; to the fabulously talented Mumtaz Mustafa, who designs those gorgeous covers; to the copy editor (my savior!), who catches all my errors and omissions and keeps my moon phases straight; and to all my heroes in production and sales.

To booksellers and librarians everywhere, thank you so much for your enthusiastic support of my books, and for fighting the good fight to keep us all reading, reading, reading, amid all the distractions of modern life. You are truly the guardians of civilization.

I’m so fortunate to be part of such a supportive community of women writers and bloggers, whose generosity and commitment to one another sometimes staggers me. To name each wonderful soul would require another page or two, but special thanks this year go to the ever-energetic, ever-talented, ever-thoughtful Kate Quinn, whose heart is as genuine as her terrific books. Of course, my love goes out always to my dear chums and “Team W” writing partners, Karen White and Lauren Willig, without whose friendship and fellowship I couldn’t last another day in this crazy business. (And if you liked this book, you should really read the ones I write with the other two-thirds of the legendary Unibrain.)

As always, I’m grateful to my family—husband and four adorable kids—who put up with this writerly life, year after year, and still manage to grow into the kind of decent, honorable human beings who will put away the abandoned shopping carts in the parking lot without expecting thanks.

Last and most heartfelt. Thank you, thank you to my loyal readers, one and all, whether you picked me up at the library, the bookstore, the internet (legally, for goodness’ sake!), a book club, or from a friend. Your support, your thoughtful reviews, your lovely messages, all sustain and inspire me to pick up my laptop and write the next novel.

About the Author

BEATRIZ WILLIAMS is the bestselling author of eleven novels, including The Summer Wives, A Hundred Summers, The Secret Life of Violet Grant, and The Golden Hour. A native of Seattle, she graduated from Stanford University and earned an MBA in finance from Columbia University, then spent several years in New York and London as a corporate strategy consultant before pursuing her passion for historical fiction. She lives with her husband and four children near the Connecticut shore, where she divides her time between writing and laundry.

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