Mists of the Serengeti(104)
I could not sleep that night. The powerful images I had seen kept flashing before my eyes. I recalled a similar night, when a friend had sent me a news article on the Westgate Mall attack, also in East Africa, where I lived for many years. Somehow the two events got linked in my head. When I got out of bed the next morning, something had crystallized from all the bits and pieces that had been circling my mind. Although the circumstances around the tragic Westgate Mall incident were vastly different from the fictional Kilimani Mall attack, a story had started to form.
It was not a story I wanted to tell. It felt too big and too real, and I didn’t know if I could do it any justice, so I stored it away. But it kept knocking and knocking until I opened the door and let it in.
Aside from the conception of the story, the following pieces of truth have been woven into the fiction:
- The villages on Mo’s sticky notes are named after real victims of albino attacks.
- Amosha is a fictional place, derived from the towns of Arusha and Moshi, in the Kilimanjaro region.
- Josephine Montati’s name is inspired by a woman who started a non-profit organization to help children from crisis zones get custom prostheses for missing limbs.
- The illegal rubber duck race in the Cotswolds is not fiction.
- John Lazaro is named after two albino contract killers in Tanzania.
- Scholastica is the name of one of the children in Dr. Nasmo’s notes from the albino orphanage.
- Aristurtle is the name I gave my little brother’s tortoise when we were kids. My brother kept losing him and we would tiptoe around the apartment until he was found.
Ultimately, this book is a work of fiction. I have sought to entertain and inform through the filter of my experiences, imagination, encounters, and research. It is not my aim to depict or represent any given event or situation.
Last but not least, my thanks to the flame of mad magic that burns in us all, and that connects us in wonderful, unknown ways.
With love,
Leylah
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1 * name changed to protect privacy
DR. NASMO, THIS story would not have been possible without that chance meeting with you. Your work changes lives. What an incredible privilege it is to watch that unfold.
Hang Lee (By Hang Le), your covers are pure magic. They speak to me without saying a single word.
Lea Burn (Burn Before Reading), my fantastic editor, thank you for working through the holidays to meet the deadline. I am knitting you a scarf with all my redundant commas. It is nice and cozy and will wrap around you many, many times.
Christine Estevez, I can’t imagine this journey without you. Thank you for proofreading, and seeing me through another book. I like holding hands with you.
Christine Borgford (Type A Formatting), my phenomenal formatter—always meticulous, always on the ball. My books aren’t real until you’ve worked your wizardry on them. And that feeling when I’m holding one of your beautiful eARCs or paperbacks for the first time? That’s all you!
Soulla Georgiou. Here we are. And what a ride it’s been. Where do I even begin? Thank you for your unwavering support, your friendship, and for putting put up with me even though I refuse to use my cell. I love you mucho, mucho!
Mara White, my immense gratitude for filling in the blind spots, and sharing your vision and insight. Love always.
My agent, Amy Tannenbaum—thank you for your invaluable input on this project, and for standing in my corner.
K. Larsen, Layla Boutazout, Lisa Chamberlin, Luisa Hansen, Priscilluh Perez, Saffron Kent—with great affection and appreciation for your early feedback on these pages.
To the countless readers, dedicated bloggers, and book lovers who spend hours reading, reviewing, and sharing, thank you is not enough for all the things you do. You are the pulsing beat of the book community. You are what keeps it fresh and vibrant and alive. You inspire me to keep writing, and to write better.
To every person who has taken the time to contact me, made beautiful art out of words that have touched them, poured their hearts into creating book-related tokens, I am immensely humbled, and grateful for your gifts of kindness.
My author friends, I can’t tell you how many times I have picked up one of your brilliant books and wished I could write the same magic. You inspire me, not just as writers, but by being the brave, generous, inspiring souls that you are—everyday, in so many ways. It is impossible to list you all here, so from my heart to each of yours, thank you.
Big love for the little band of Leylaholics Book Nook—I may not be able to squeeze you all in here, but my heart is fully expandable, and sometimes it sounds like an accordion. So you get music too.
A big shout out to the BBFT crew, This is Indie/This is Romance, and all the wonderful collaborations that I am fortunate and honored to be a part of.
My friends. My life is rainbowier because of you. And smileyer. I can make up words and you still know what I’m saying. I love you more than all the dead people in Game of Thrones. I mean in number. Because they’re dead so they can’t really love you. Also, they never met you. Unless you count that one time Amanda met Jason Momoa. That she keeps reminding us of. Bish.
My son. The best, brightest corner of my life. I am so proud to be your Kuriboh.
My husband. My sweet, amazing, incredible man. I fall in love with you more every day, and we’ve been at it a while now. Thank you for making me breakfast every morning, and for not giving up on Funny Face Egg. You looooove me.