The Grace Year(106)
“The things we do to young girls,” I whisper under my breath.
In a daze, I walk to my train, and when I sit down in my seat, I start to weep. I cry for that girl. I cry for my daughter, my mother, my sister, my grandmothers.
I open my computer and by the time I get to D.C. the book is completely plotted. The beginning and ending has been written, and I know I don’t have a choice. I have to write this book.
It felt like magic.
I whispered the idea to a few friends, I worked in isolation, in silence. I experienced the despair of the demise of my marriage, the joy of a new one, and through it all, I had The Grace Year.
But no one does this alone. My editor, Sara Goodman, took a big chance on me. She recognized what I was trying to accomplish and guided me through each draft with tough love and passion. She pushed me in all the best ways possible. I couldn’t be more grateful and proud of the work we’ve done together. That goes for everyone at Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press—from the stunning cover to the thoughtful planning of how to get this book into people’s hands, I hit the publisher jackpot. Many thanks to Jennifer Enderlin, Kerri Resnick, DJ DeSmyter, Jessica Preeg, Brant Janeway, Anne Marie Tallberg, Natalie Tsay, Dana Aprigliano, Jennie Conway, Anna Gorovoy, Lena Shekhter, and Elizabeth Catalano.
My powerhouse of an agent, Joannna Volpe, was by my side the entire way, always available to talk through story, brainstorm, and strategize. She gave me a lot of encouragement when I felt like I was failing. She’s also the first person I would call in a zombie apocalypse. Thank you for taking me on. Thank you for changing my life.
On that note, I have a slew of people to thank at New Leaf Literary: Mia Roman for her blind faith in me, Veronica Grijalva, Abbie Donoghue, Jordan Hill, Meredith Barnes, Kelsey Lewis, Devin Ross, and special mention to Jaida Temperly, who restored my faith in the business. I am forever thankful that you came into my life.
To Pouya Shahbazian, Elizabeth Banks, Alison Small, Max Handelman, Karl Austin, Marissa Linden, and everyone at Brownstone Productions and Universal for believing in Tierney and her story.
So much gratitude to Kelly Link, Jasmine Warga, Sabaa Tahir, Libba Bray, Melissa Albert, Samira Ahmed, Sara Grochowski, Sami Thomason, and Allison Senecal for offering their early support. It was far more than a seed of kindness; it meant the world to me.
My writing confidants—Libba Bray, Erin Morgenstern, and Jasmine Warga.
These are the people I lean on the most. Whether it’s long-distance writing sprints or endless hours talking about story and books and life, you were a vital part of this journey. You have all of my love and respect.
To Kara Thomas, Alexis Bass, and Virginia Boecker. Thank you for making me laugh every single day.
Many thanks to Nova Ren Suma, Lorin Oberweger, Holly Black, Maggie Hall, Jodi Kendal, Veronica Rossi, Gina Carey, Bess Cozby, and Rebecca Behrens.
Art inspires art, so I must tip my hat to Laura Marling and Karilise Alexander.
To my parents, John and Joyce; my sister, Cristie; Ed, Regan, and Evan, thank you for always supporting me.
For my partner, Larry. You’ve shown me unconditional love. You believed in me when I had a hard time believing in myself. You are such a warm ray of light in my life. For Kim, Haley, and Matt, thank you for welcoming me into the family with open arms. I love you all.
To my daughter, Madeline, and my son, Rahm, nothing in this world has given me greater pride than being your mother. You inspire me to be a better person, to keep fighting, to keep reaching. You make this world a better place, simply by being in it.
And for the girl at the train station. I see you. Not as prey or competition. I see hope.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kim Liggett, originally from the rural Midwest, moved to New York City to pursue a career in the arts. She’s also the author of Blood and Salt, Heart of Ash, The Last Harvest (Bram Stoker Award Winner), and The Unfortunates. Kim spends her free time studying tarot and scouring Manhattan for rare vials of perfume and the perfect egg-white cocktail. You can sign up for email updates here.