The Ghost of the Mary Celeste

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many friends and colleagues came to my aid as I navigated the course of this novel, and it is with pleasure that I take this opportunity to thank them.

Professor Christopher Pyle, Allen Meese, and Captain Walter Rybka all answered my questions about seagoing matters with a good will. Professor Pyle was particularly helpful and generous with clear and detailed comments. Whatever errors in sailing lore and terminology persist in this text are attributable to me; all accuracy is thanks to these three seagoing advisers.

My research assistant, Diana Gurske, spent a long, hot summer locating nineteenth-century records and newspapers, scrolling through mountains of microfiche and providing me with annotated printouts. Her help was invaluable, as was her good humor and comradeship throughout the process.

I am indebted to Mt. Holyoke College and to the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation for making it possible to take leave from teaching to finish this novel.

Thanks to the Phillips Library in Salem and especially to Pete Smith of the Marion Historical Society, who provided me with a copy of Oliver Cobb’s memoir, Rose Cottage, a window into the daily lives of the Briggs family.

Joyce and Bob Abel, former Lake Pleasant residents, brought to my attention the summer camp meetings of the Spiritualists there and gave me a copy of Spirit and Spa, Louise Shattuck’s memoir of that world, for which assistance I remain truly grateful.

Thanks to Anthony Gerzina and Gretchen Gerzina, who provided on-the-ground reconnaissance in London during my search for the giant rat of Sumatra.

My fellow writers and friends, Ann Jones, Sabina Murray, Mary Morris, and Dara Wier, deserve thanks for their interest and willingness to talk about the mystery ship. Christopher Benfey, who looks under many of the same rocks I regularly lift, is a constant source of information, inspiration, and encouragement.

At the Friedrich agency, Molly Shulman gave this novel an early and thoughtful reading, and Lucy Carson, in a long phone conversation from the sickbed, patiently talked me to the right conclusion. Molly Friedrich, my agent, tireless in the pursuit of my interests, has been ever ready with sage advice, support, and wonderful humor. I am heartily indebted to this team.

Thanks also to Ronit Feldman and Dan Meyer at Random House, who read an early draft and offered thoughtful and helpful suggestions.

It is my privilege once again to express my deepest gratitude to my publisher and friend, Nan A. Talese.