The Night Country

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Hats off to the usual suspects: Faye Bender, my indispensable agent; and Sarah Barley, my tireless editor. Sarah, this book would be a blob floating in space without your patience, your faith in the story, and most of all your questions, which never failed to unlock doors I didn’t know were there. To the whole Flatiron team, my eternal gratitude for the care you’ve taken with this book and its weird sister (or maybe this book is the weird sister). The Hinterland and I couldn’t have found a better home.

Thank you also to two intimidatingly brilliant authors who helped make this book better: Emma Chastain, for your sharp, life-saving story notes; and Emily X. R. Pan, for turning your gimlet eye on the so-close draft.

Second books are hard, I’ve heard. Wouldn’t know. (Hahahahaha!) Thank you, thank you to all those who generously shared their advice, a listening ear, and most of all their own stories of surviving the trials of the second book. You will go unnamed here, but you know who you are. Thank you also to Tara Sonin, for offering emotional text support; and to Josh Perilo, for patiently listening to a whoooole lot of angsting. Stephanie Garber, thank you for being a lighthouse of kindness. Bill Tipper, thank you for your practical support and understanding.

Thank you to my parents, my first readers and the best unpaid street team I could ever ask for. Thank you to Michael, for too many things to write down here without getting hot eye. And Miles, my Miles. Thank you.