The Girl in the Tower

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I once said that writing a first novel is like tilting at a windmill, on the off chance that it might be a giant. Well, writing a second novel is like tilting at a giant when you know it’s a giant, and all the while you’re galloping hell-for-leather, you’re thinking, How did I do this the last time?

So thanks to everyone willing to ride along beside me on this one. It’s been an honor.

To Mom, for telling me it was great, even though it really wasn’t. To Dad, for telling me it wasn’t great at all—until you thought it was. To Beth, for lots and lots of hugs. To RJ Adler for breaking into random song all the time, for having the best house in Vermont, and for being the best best friend in the world. To Garrett Welson for making me have human conversations even when I was all crazy-eyed from writing all day. To Carl Sieber for being patient with a million website edits. To Tatiana Smorodinskaya for reading drafts—and more drafts—and fixing my Russian things, and giving me confidence, and of course teaching me everything I know. To Sasha Melnikova for checking up on the fairy tales. To Bethany Prendergast for being an amazing friend and talented filmmaker. To Bjorn and Kim, to Vicki, David, and Eliza, to Mariel and Dana, and to Joel, because you guys are the most amazing literally ever. To Johanna Nichols for opening your heart and your house (especially your couch) to a madwoman who sometimes works in her pajamas. To Maggie Rogerson and Heather Fawcett, for charging at your own giants, and encouraging me along the way. To Jennifer Johnson—because cousins stick together. To Peter and Carol Ann Johnson and Gracie for delicious meals, and kindness and constant encouragement. To Carol Dawson for knowing I could do it before I knew.

To the folks at Stone Leaf Teahouse and Carol’s Hungry Mind Cafe—I was a fixture at your tables for months at a time. Thank you for your patience.

To Evan Johnson—because everything.

To the folks at Ballantine/Del Rey in the United States—Tricia Narwani, Mike Braff, Keith Clayton, David Moench, Jess Bonet, and Anne Speyer, because you have been the most awesome. Full stop.

To Jennifer Hershey, because you worked as hard as I did on this book, and each time I was convinced I had done my very best, you showed me that I could do better.

To the folks at Ebury in the UK—Emily Yau, Tess Henderson, Stephenie Naulls, and Gillian Green. You guys have all worked so so hard on this series, from the first day on, and I appreciate all of it.

To the people at Janklow and Nesbit—Brenna English-Loeb, Suzannah Bentley, and Jarred Barron. Again with the amazing.

And to my agent, Paul Lucas, who made it happen.