Heartfelt thanks to my marvelous agent, Rebecca Stead, who is nothing less than a blessing. I am grateful for her guidance, intelligence, wit, and warmth. Also, right up to the eleventh hour, she put her writerly talent to excellent use for my benefit. (Thank you, dear Rebecca.)

A huge thanks to everyone at Feiwel and Friends, including Morgan Rath, Melinda Ackell, Liz Dresner, Katie Klimowicz, Anna Poon, and Kim Waymer. What a terrific team.

Thanks to Amber Christopher-Buscemi, my wonderful writing partner, who read an early draft of the manuscript and provided sage advice. Thanks to my smart friend Anna Symons, who puts up with my brainstorming, listens closely, and counsels well. And thanks to the psychology professor (and my longtime friend) Amy Gaesser, who answered my questions about PTSD and recommended some superb books in the course of my research.

Speaking of books, I consulted many. A few nonfiction works proved particularly helpful, including Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score, a thorough examination of trauma and its lasting effects on survivors. Alice Sebold’s Lucky is a brave memoir about a sexual assault and its harrowing aftermath. I found it deeply moving, as I did Jon Krakauer’s Missoula, an illuminating investigation into campus rape. Krakauer deepened my understanding of how sexual assault cases may play out in the criminal justice system, how a university’s adjudication process will handle such cases differently, and the controversies and challenges that arise in both arenas. These works confront the difficult subjects of rape, trauma, and abuse with compassion and honesty, and they taught me a great deal.

For their generous spirits and countless kindnesses, I am grateful to Jennifer L. Johnson, Jennifer R. Johnson, Allie Johnson, Gwen Oosterhouse, Diane Palmer, Adrienne Kirby, Maarit Vaga, Marsha Rivers, Sharon Stewart, Shannon Stewart, Sharon Root, Nicole Slick, Rita Walton, Erin Lyon, James Tate Hill, my pottery pal Sylvia Johnson, my terrific siblings Robbie Ostrom and Noelle Swanson, the rest of my family, and my students, who keep me on my toes and teach me at least as much as I teach them.

Most of all, warmest thanks to Michael, Lily, and Quinn—my sweethearts.

Thank you for reading this Feiwel and Friends book.

The friends who made UNLEAVING possible are:

JEAN FEIWEL

PUBLISHER

LIZ SZABLA

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

RICH DEAS

SENIOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR

HOLLY WEST

EDITOR

ANNA ROBERTO

EDITOR

KAT BRZOZOWSKI

EDITOR

VAL OTAROD

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

ALEXEI ESIKOFF

SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR

KIM WAYMER

SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER

ANNA POON

ASSISTANT EDITOR

EMILY SETTLE

ASSISTANT EDITOR

KATIE KLIMOWICZ

SENIOR DESIGNER

MELINDA ACKELL

COPY CHIEF

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melissa Ostrom teaches English literature at Genesee Community College in Batavia, New York. She is the author of The Beloved Wild. She lives in Holley, New York, with her family.

Visit her online at melissaostrom.com or sign up for email updates here.

Twitter: @melostrom