Chapters (28)
Thank you to the Simon & Schuster publishing team – Dan Ruffino, Cass Di Bello, Michelle Swainson, Anna O’Grady and the wonderful sales reps – for getting this book to print and into my reader’s hands. Thanks also to Roberta Ivers, Vanessa Lanaway and Jo Lyons for their sound editing advice.
Alec Ewing, Head Conservator at the Kaap Skil museum in Texel, provided an incredible amount of knowledge about Dutch history and I’m indebted to him, as well as to Corina Hordijk, Kaap Skil’s Director, for answering endless questions about the Palmwood Wreck and for trading theories about the dress’s mysterious provenance. Thank you to the Texel Diving Club for sharing their incredible diving experiences with me and for introducing me to a world of sunken shipwrecks, beachcombing and forgotten treasures.
I’m grateful to dress historian Hilary Davidson for allowing me to interview her about the history of textiles and clothing (and patiently answering my follow-up questions).
A generous grant from the Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund in 2019 enabled me to travel to the Netherlands to conduct research and interviews.
Rosie Scott was a talented Australian writer who sadly passed away in 2017 – thank you to her husband Danny Vendramini for allowing me to write part of this novel in her beautiful Blue Mountains studio in early 2020. Thanks to my wonderful writing friends, particularly Sandra Leigh Price and James Bradley, for providing companionship and much-needed laughter as well as editorial advice.
Thank you to my agent Tara Wynne for her guidance.
My greatest thanks is reserved for my family – my parents for always believing in me, my husband Michael for his love and support and my children for always keeping me grounded. You are more valuable to me than any treasure.