Let no one tell you that you are not worthy. Let no one belittle or undervalue the enormity of your spirit. Let this be a reminder of the magnitude of what you have already overcome. May you decide to join the ranks of the Jedi and shine your light into the world. I hope you answer the call of your soul. I hope you do what you came here to do. I pray you never forget who you are, on the inside, and if you do, I pray you remember the way home.

May the Force be with you, always.

Love,

Echo

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There is no greater supporter of my work than my editor, Jessica Anderson. From the beginning, she knew my voice and experiences were uniquely suited for young readers. While I never imagined this path for myself, I can’t think of a more noble and profound calling. Thank you, Jessica, for helping me realize such an important mission in my life. May the words continue to flow like water until the purpose is fully realized.

Macmillan was the home of my first book, Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard. I am deeply appreciative of the advocacy, commitment, and efforts their team put into launching Black Girl Unlimited. I could not have asked for a better introduction to the book community.

I am so grateful to have the constant support of Christy Ottaviano Books in publishing my work. Thank you to my publisher, Christy Ottaviano; my jacket artist, Noa Denmon; and the many gracious, passionate advocates I am lucky to have at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers: Megan Tingley, Jackie Engel, Emilie Polster, Stefanie Hoffman, Shanese Mullins, Jéla Lewter, Savannah Kennelly, Marisa Russell, Sasha Illingworth, Victoria Stapleton, and Annie McDonnell.

Janine Kamouh, Sanjana Seelam, and Olivia Burgher at WME: Thank you for championing my work and preserving the creative soul of my words in our journey toward converting my books to the screen. I’m confident we will strike gold eventually.

Like so many others, I will remember 2020 as a year of loss. I lost my baby brother to a fentanyl overdose. He was thirty years old. The pulse of his spirit will forever beat inside of me and the stories I tell. I hope you are at peace, Demetrius Dante Brown. I hope you know now how much we love and adore you. I hope I see you at the crossroads so you won’t be lonely.

My kidneys also failed that year due to lupus. At the time I was living in Paris, and a team of French doctors and nurses, few of whom spoke English, saved my life. My gratitude cannot be captured in words. May karma find you and weave an abundance of blessings into the fabric of your lives.