Shavuot—Shavuot (also known as Feast of Weeks or Pentecost) celebrates the spring harvest and the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai seven weeks after Passover. Symbols of the two-day festival include flowers and eating dairy foods. Megillat Rut (the Book of Ruth) is read in synagogue.

Note on Hebrew words that end with the “t” sound but sometimes might be pronounced with an “s” (e.g., bas mitzvah vs. bat mitzvah): This is a regionalism—the “s” sound is an Ashkenazi pronunciation for certain circumstances of the Hebrew letter tav— however modern Hebrew uses the “t” sound after the Sephardic pronunciation, and this has become the more common pronunciation. People from certain backgrounds (e.g., Mrs. Wine) might use the “s” sound; and for certain words (e.g., Shabbat/Shabbos), the “s” and “t” versions are both common and used interchangeably.

Undying thanks and gratitude to Ben Gartenberg, for painstakingly coaxing this book into shape, for steadfastly pointing out my blind spots, and for having good reason and good instinct behind every note and edit.

Tracy Mack, for loving Milla and Honey and understanding what I was trying to do with their story. For seeing the through-line, for sensitive and organic edits that truly cut the “fat from the meat,” for online shopping with me for Milla and Honey, and for making my dream of being an author come true.

Kait Feldmann, for loving Milla and Honey from the get-go and being my first publishing supporter. Leslie Owusu, for her enthusiasm and good cheer in shepherding Honey and Me through its exciting final stages.

Marijka Kostiw, for the clever and most perfect jacket design. Shamar Knight-Justice, for the most beautiful cover illustration: I had no idea what to expect, and yet when I saw the final version, it was as if Milla and Honey had flown straight from my brain and onto a book cover. I am still stunned every time I look at it.

Jackie Hornberger, Maddy Newquist, Jessica White, and Lisa Liu for expert copyediting and proofreading and for whose careful attention to detail I am so grateful.

Molly Ker Hawn, for her fierce and unwavering advocacy. For her good sense and sanity. For making me feel legitimate. And for seeing me through a very long journey with humor, empathy, and straight talking.

Hillel Drazin and Rabbi Mendy Maierovitz, for their help on the glossary—any mistakes are my own.

Yardaena Osband, for her sensitive and knowledgeable read on Modern Orthodoxy and my first proper audience. Lyn Miller-Lachmann, for her sensitive and constructive read on autism and for pointing out a missed connection that of course made perfect sense.

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt”l, for the idea of Succot being a festival of insecurity (rabbisacks.org/archive/festival-insecurity-message-succot). Rabbi Benjamin Blech, for the ideas in Milla’s speech about the significance of Jewish names (aish.com/judaism-the-power-of-names).

My husband, Hillel, a true “patron of the arts.” And who thinks that says it all. I’ll add, amongst many other things, for being my partner, making whatever I need to do work, being a reader, and being the father of our own “big family.”