Big thanks to everyone at Gallery and Scout who accomplish so much, and always with kindness, warmth, and enthusiasm. A no-doubt incomplete list includes: Molly Gregory, Meagan Harris, Jennifer Robinson, Abby Zidle, Mackenzie Hickey, Diana Velasquez, Anabel Jimenez, Wendy Sheanin, Lisa Litwack, Christine Masters, and Stacey Sakal.

I love you, Pamela Rickenbach, executive director of Blue Star Equiculture, for inspiring me with your own adventure in the Amazon. Huge gratitude to Dr. Paul Beaver and Dolly Beaver, owners and founders of Amazonia Expeditions and of the nonprofit group Angels of the Amazon, who welcomed me to the Tahuayo Lodge deep in the Peruvian Amazon on the Tahuayo River, my base camp for conducting research. Thank you to the shaman Adolfo, who gave me hours of his precious time, sharing priceless knowledge about his life and work. To my (truly) fearless and knowledgeable guide, Adrian Gomez Villacorta, thank you for making me touch that foot-long caterpillar when all I wanted to do was run screaming back to my cabin.

For guidance, advice, insight, and information, big thanks to Jonathan Quint, Ned Strong, Dr. Biorn Maybury-Lewis, Michael E. Pereira, and Dr. Theodore Macdonald. For their inspiring, brave, and beautiful books, thank you to the authors Sy Montgomery, Lily King, Ann Patchett, Peter Matthiessen, Barbara Kingsolver, Joe Kane, Douglas Preston, David Grann, Dr. Paul Beaver, Candice Millard, Paul Rosolie, Scott Wallace, Buddy Levy, Chris Feliciano Arnold, Eugene Linden, Holly Fitzgerald, Edward Docx, Ed Stafford, Andrés Ruzo, Dr. Mark J. Plotkin, Petru Popescu, Yossi Ghinsberg, and Pablo Amaringo.

For guidance on the manuscript, cheering me on, putting up with my surliness when asked, How’s the book coming?, or all three: Nan Kellett, Lira Kanaan, Stephanie Schorow, Andy Mozina, Mary E. Mitchell, Betsy Fitzgerald-Campbell, Ray Bachand, Jude Roth, Jac-Lynn Stark, Nina Huber, Anne B. McGrail, Mary McGrail, Ruth Blomquist, George Ferencik, Katrin Schumann, Holli Andrews, Charles Andrews, Valerie Spain, Portland Helmich, Sandra Miller, Bill Nelson, CeCe Hansen, Drew Pearlman, Phillippa Benson and family, Cheryl Umana, Shannon Rano, Judy Quint, Tatiane Hatchoua, Monica DeOliveira, Amy Karibian, and Leah Parker-Moldover.

Special thanks to Linda Werbner, who read so many drafts with so much loving attention we both lost count.

Gratitude to the Amazon and all its inhabitants, its miraculous plants and creatures of the land, sky, and waters, which fill me with never-ending wonder. Apologies for the many liberties I took in the interest of writing this story.

I am forever grateful to my family for your love, patience, and encouragement: Alaska Grey Ferencik, Jessica Ferencik, Michael and Rebecca Ferencik, and the bravest man of all, my husband, George, who encourages me to venture into the vast unknown, trusting I will always make it back to him in one piece.

A Gallery Books Readers Group Guide

Into the Jungle

Erica Ferencik