She went to the heron’s grave and lay down beside him. This is what grief was, she understood that now. It was never-ending and you carried it with you. You could not stop it or regret it, you could only keep it close to your heart. She could no longer speak the langauge of birds, or hear the fish in the streams, or speak to the angels, but she could heal the sick and she could find her way even though she was alone. The world was no longer a map, it was the place she walked through. She had no idea whether or not she would still see the angel when she tended to the sick and the broken. Perhaps he would look through the window or walk through the door, or perhaps she would not see him again until she took comfort in his arms. Either way, it was morning and she knew where she was going.

She arose from the grass in the first light of day, alive.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are many people to whom I owe a deep debt of gratitude, most especially Amanda Urban, for her wise counsel, and Marysue Rucci, for her generosity and faith.

Thank you to Ron Bernstein for so many years of friendship and loving support.

Thank you to everyone at Simon & Schuster who championed my work, especially Carolyn Reidy and Jonathan Karp.

Much gratitude to Zack Knoll, Anne Tate Pearce, Elizabeth Breeden, Richard Rhorer, Cary Goldstein, Wendy Sheanin, Mia Crowley-Hald, Carly Loman, Lauren Peters Collaer, and Jackie Seow.

Thank you to Suzanne Baboneau at Simon & Schuster UK for support for many books over many years.

I am indebted to Madison Wolters for historical research and literary insights, including an astounding ability to see this world with fresh eyes at every reading, with patience, enthusiasm, and a deep understanding of the story.

A most special thank-you to my beloved friend Jill Karp and my wonderful and invaluable assistant, Katherine Painter, for traveling to France with me on an unforgettable journey. And gratitude to Jill for introducing me to Facing History and Ourselves, and to Judi Bohn for introducing me to survivors in Boston.

Gratitude to Deborah Thompson for her continuing assistance with historical and religious research and her ability to get to the truth. I am indebted to the Visiting Scholars Program at the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis University for bringing us together many years ago.

Thank you to Deborah Revzin for jumping into this book wholeheartedly.

Thank you to my brother, Dr. Ross Hoffman, for his mathematical expertise. And many thanks to the Hoffman-Nichols family from Paris and Vienna for German and French translations. Thank you Mindy Givon for visiting Yad Vashem in Jerusalem with me.