Acknowledgements

This book exists as it is because a lot of brilliant people helped to make it happen.

I want to start by thanking Debbie Taylor and her team at Mslexia Magazine along with Will Mackie from New Writing North, whose novel competition and subsequent pitching party gave me the chance to pitch this story to the wonderful Jessica Sinyor at A. M. Heath, who passed my work on to my incredible agent Euan Thorneycroft. Without Euan’s passion, expertise and wisdom, Mother Loves Me would not be here. He is amazing – and so good at dealing with neurotic writers like me!

Special thanks to the girls I taught at Godolphin School in Salisbury, who I test-drove the first couple of chapters on; their reaction gave me a lot of confidence and ideas, and made me laugh out loud.

I owe tremendous thanks to my amazingly talented editor, Kathryn Cheshire, whose enthusiasm, skill and hard work has blown me away. She is incredible and an absolute joy to work with. Her patience really knows no bounds.

Thank you to the rest of the team at HarperCollins, especially Katy Blott, Jen Harlow, Isabel Coburn, Alice Gomer, Grace Dent and Claire Ward, who did a superb job at marketing, publicising, selling, producing and creating this book. Thanks also to fantastic copyeditor, Anne O’Brien, for smoothing out those nasty wrinkles.

Enormous thanks to Clinical Psychologists, Jane and Robin Logie, for their invaluable insight into Mother’s and Polly’s behaviour and for giving their time so kindly and generously. I dread to think what would be missing from the book if Jane and I hadn’t met at Ballet Barre that fortuitous Saturday morning.

I’m grateful to the following writers (to name a few), whose work inspired this tale and made me a better writer: Stephen King, Emma Donaghue, Ali Land, S. J. Watson, Paul Pen and Henry James. Huge thanks also to the people who reviewed this book – their reactions have made me goofy-happy!

Thank you to my friends and family for always showing an interest in my writing and for reading early drafts of this story. Special thanks must go to my cousin Mollie for reading my stuff and giving me the ego-boost I needed.

Endless thanks to Mum and Dad for their unrelenting emotional support, incisive feedback and countless read-throughs. They are unbelievably supportive and selfless. Thank you to infinity and beyond.

Special thanks to my hero of a husband, Tommy, who never stops believing in me and who I could not write without.

Finally, thank you to my magical little girl, Heidi, for screaming, ‘Eighty thousand!’ when I hit the word count.

About the Author

Abby Davies studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield, then went on to teach English. She lives in Wiltshire with her husband and daughter. Mother Loves Me is her first novel.

@Abby13Richards

About the Publisher

Australia

HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.