Torn Away

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, as always, I want to thank my agent, Cori Deyoe at 3 Seas Literary Agency, for the many hours spent pushing me forward, holding me up, and making me smile.

Thank you to my editors, Pam Garfinkel and Julie Scheina, for discussing and suggesting and making sure what’s inside my head matches what’s on the paper. Thank you to everyone at Little, Brown, including Barbara Bakowski, Erin McMahon, Victoria Stapleton, and the many others who work tirelessly on my behalf.

Thank you to Daffny Atwell for the name suggestion, and to her sister, Jersey, for letting me borrow. Thank you to Susan Vollenweider for the constant support.

Thank you to Paige, Weston, and Rand for letting summer break be all about the revisions, and thank you, Scott, for… just everything.

A special thank-you to Joplin Public Library, which refused to cancel my appearance scheduled for just weeks after tornado devastation destroyed much of the city. Thank you to the many community members who came to hear me speak, and especially to librarian Cari Boatright Rerat, who took me on a driving tour of the devastated area after my presentation. The spirit of Joplin inspired me.