Thank you to Cynthia Burkett, who is the kind of rock-solid friend you hope for but so seldom find, and Charlie Masson, who is always there no matter what, and Gerry Waggett, who manages to say the right thing every time. Thank you to Margaret and Barbara Long, whose generosity hits a surreal level, to amazing Betsy Gilbert, and to Ellie Quester, and Emma Jayne Kretlow, whose enduring friendship makes life worthwhile. Thank you to a special new friend, Rachel Pollak, who won my recipe contest and then went on to become a kind and caring email buddy and a one-woman band for my books. Thank you to Kathy Patrick, who is a one woman band for writers everywhere. Thank you to Jane Ryan, who listens endlessly to the stories and to the staff of the East Fishkill Library, especially Cindy Dubinsky and Kathy Swierat. And thank you to Ellen Tanenbaum of the Dover Plains Library, who provides chocolates and sunflowers as well as great talk.

Thank you to the women who continue to inspire me and make me proud to be one of them: Mary Minnella, Phyllis Piccolo, Virginia Piccolo, and Jessie O'Neil. And thank you to Albert Piccolo for reminding me always of the power of faith. You are all my heroes and have been throughout my life. Thank you to Carolyn Rogers, who is a new hero—someday someone needs to tell the story of your smarts and strength. Thank you to my stepsons Colin and Christopher, who are the incredible perk I never expected and couldn't live without, and to Annalisa—if I ever grow up I want to be you—and Bee and Iris, who are safety nets in more ways than I can count. And, as always, thank you to my sisters, Lucy and Marie, and my brother, Brad.

And I'd like to end by remembering my cousin Claudia Glass-man, who left such glorious footprints in the sand.

Reading Group Guide

RANDOM HOUSE READER'S CIRCLE: Your background is unusual in comparison to most authors’—you were a soap opera actress and then a TV writer. What made you want to start writing novels?

LOUISE SHAFFER: The smart-aleck answer is, I was over forty and I wasn't about to have knee surgery. That's what we call it in show biz when an actress's PR person announces that she's taking off for six weeks to fix an old dance injury, and when she comes back those lines on her face have disappeared. Sometimes her knee works better too. Anyway, I wasn't about to do that, and landing jobs was getting harder and harder—okay, it was impossible—and I still had to make the mortgage.