My parents, Vernon and Martha Tyson, have been my bright and morning stars, as have sisters Boo, Julie, and Lori. The Morgans of Corapeake have inspired, comforted, and endured me for decades. Special thanks to Susan Evans for the author photograph. My brother, Vern Tyson, sets a fine example of how to embrace life even when it cuts you, and to him this book is dedicated with love.
I am grateful to the folks at Simon & Schuster, including my fine editor, Priscilla Painter, and also Sophia Jimenez, Megan Hogan, and Amanda Lang as well as copyeditors Navorn Johnson and Judith Hoover. Thomas LeBien gave matchless guidance and friendship at every stage. I wish I could write a hundred more books for my brilliant agent, Charlotte Sheedy, who has been a steadfast warrior and a stalwart friend.
My family is the heart of whatever I accomplish. My daughter, Hope, shines in my heart and in the world, becoming more compelling and clear-eyed with every passing year. And I can only admire my son, Sam, for the way he carries himself and others, building friendships, furniture, songs, and communities with equal facility. I love them both dearly. Their mother, Perri Morgan, is the pearl beyond price. Her love is not just something she feels but something she does, and I am beyond lucky to enjoy it. I am grateful to her for helping to give me this wonderful life, precious and all too short, which I hope to enjoy at her side for many more years.