The Savages

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I was serving tea to my children when I came up with the idea for this novel. We were tightening our belts on the budget front, and I’d worked out that it would be cheaper to cut the meat from their diets. Knowing there would be protests – not least on the morality of making this decision on their behalf – I decided to stay quiet. Instead, I bought a vegetarian cookbook, and made a big effort to serve up tasty, nutritious and flesh-free suppers. The result? Rare compliments about my cooking and second helpings all round. It only lasted for a fortnight or so before someone asked out loud when we’d last had bangers and mash, but as a culinary experiment it gave me a great deal of food for thought.

As well as the kids in their role as guinea pigs, I should like to thank my wife, Emma, for her help and support as I cooked up the story. For managing me in different ways, I’m indebted to my literary agent, Philippa Milnes-Smith, her assistant, Holly, all at LAW, as well as Franca Bernatavicius and everyone at ILA. The historian, Roger Moorhouse, graciously helped me with the finer details regarding the Siege of Leningrad, while our sausage dog, Hercules, did little to assist the peace as I worked by barking at every squirrel outside my window.

Finally, I should like to thank my publishers for this opportunity to bring you The Savages. Hot Key Books are new kids on the block, but quickly becoming the coolest. I’ve worked elsewhere with my editor, Emily Thomas, but she really wasn’t expecting this. Even so, she showed great resolve when I first pitched it, and her enthusiasm for the story has been second to none. It’s been great fun working with the whole team, and my wholehearted thanks go out to Sarah Odedina, Georgia Murray, Megan Farr, Kate Manning, Becca Langton, Naomi Colthurst, Jet Purdie, Sara O’Connor, Amy Orringer, Sarah Benton, Cait Davies, Olivia Mead, Ruth Logan, Jan Bielecki, Tristan Hanks and Dominic Saraceno.