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Acknowledgments
Let me just issue a blanket statement: Thank you.
Did we share oxygen at any point during the writing of this book—or any of the books in this series? Cool. Thanks for that. Baristas who kept the coffee coming? You are doing the Lord’s work. That patient Apple support person who assured me that I hadn’t sent my Scrivener file into some sort of technological purgatory, never to return? Glitter. Unicorn. To everyone who took a phone call from me that started with an innocuous, “Heyyy, do you have a minute…?” and ended two hours later with you chewing off your own arm to get away? I’m sorry. And thank you. And you probably don’t have to worry about that one missing glove now.
The truth is, it takes a village to make a book happen and get that book out into the world, and often the good people doing that hard work are unsung. I am enormously grateful to and for everyone who has “contributed their verse” to The King of Crows and to the Diviners series.
I’d like to offer my heartfelt gratitude to the following:
—Rock star editor Alvina Ling, whose keen eye, deep insights, and exacting pen have shaped these sprawling books into… less sprawling books. Truly, she is the Spanx of editors, holding it all together. It’s been a great ride, Alvina. See you at karaoke.
—The tireless and talented Bethany Strout, Nikki Garcia, Kacen Callender, and Ruqayyah Daud, who have all been an invaluable part of this nearly decade-long process.
—Copyeditors/proofreaders JoAnna Kremer and Christine Ma, whose skills border on superpowers. I am forever in their debt.
—All of the fine, creative, hardworking folks, both past and present, in LBYR’s marketing, publicity, promotion, social media, school & library, sales, art, managing editorial, and production departments. And a special shout-out to Karina Granda for yet another knockout cover design.
—Totally boss literary agent Jo Volpe at New Leaf Literary, who is fierce, passionate, brilliant, and heroic. Yes, I am making the heart shape with my hands, Jo. But not while typing.
—Abigail Donoghue, Jordan Hill, and Devin Ross at New Leaf for keeping me on track, a task akin to trying to corral feral cats.
—Wizard-level research guru Lisa Gold, finder of obscure primary sources for and resources on topics as wide-ranging as the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 to circus-train packing inventories to atomic theory and everything in between. If she can’t find it, it can’t be found.
—The fantastic team at Listening Library and the absolute best audiobook narrator one could ever be lucky enough to have: the incredible January LaVoy.
—Barry Goldblatt, who believed in this series from the start and who encouraged me every step of the way.
—My son, Josh Goldblatt, who inspires me daily.
—Musician extraordinaire Bill Zeffiro, for the line, “But I’m very sentimental about the money.”
—The coolest girl in school, Natalie Standiford, and new friend Maude Meisel for help with the Russian translation.
—My dear friends/readers of disjointed pages/correctors of plots-gone-off-the-rails/takers of weird phone calls at odd hours/suppliers of chocolate and bonhomie/coworkers in the trenches and cheerleaders during the daily slog: Pam Carden, Brenda Cowan, Emily Jenkins, Tricia Ready, Susanna Schrobsdorff, Nova Ren Suma, and Justin Weinberger. And special thanks for the great creative energy generated by the ladies of the Fantastical Writing Retreat: Organizer Goddess Maria Dahvana Headley, Holly Black, Bo Bolander, Amal El-Mohtar, Annalee Flower Horne, Kat Howard, Kelly Link, Sarah McCarry, Caitlyn Paxson, Cat Valente, and Ysabeau Wilce. And huge thanks, Holly and Kelly, for helping me shape the ending that was right.
—Special “I would bury a body for you” love/gratitude/awe and honor go out to my “sisters” Gayle Forman and Kim Liggett. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you beautiful humans, and I don’t intend to ever find out.
—All of the wonderful librarians, teachers, booksellers, and book advocates. Thank you for what you do.
—Last but not least, my deepest gratitude to the readers who have stuck with this series for the long haul. I know the books took a lot longer to write than any of us wanted. I hope it has been a good ride and worth the wait.
And, as always, if I’ve forgotten anyone, my apologies and my thanks, and I owe you dinner.
