Darling Rose Gold(92)
Acknowledgments
Thank you—
To my dazzling agent, Maddy Milburn, who plucked this manuscript from her query pile and took a chance on me. Working with you is the best decision I have ever made for my career. I will never stop thanking you. To the rest of the MMLA team—Anna Hogarty, Georgia McVeigh, Giles Milburn, Chloe Seager, Georgina Simmonds, Liane-Louise Smith, Hayley Steed, and Alice Sutherland-Hawes—thank you for helping me keep my head on straight. You are all total stars.
To my brilliant editors, Amanda Bergeron in the US and Maxine Hitchcock in the UK. Your insights and ideas have strengthened both this book, and me as a writer, in countless ways. Thank you for making me sound smarter than I am and for sharing (or at least tolerating) my love of spreadsheets. Every single day, I am so happy my books and I have found homes with the two of you.
To the Berkley team: Loren Jaggers and Danielle Kier, the best publicists in town; Bridget O’Toole, the newsletter ninja; and Jin Yu, master of all things marketing. I wish we lived in the same city so we could get together all the time. Emily Osborne and Anthony Ramondo, your cover design is perfection. Thank you too to the rest of the Berkley team: Craig Burke, Stacy Edwards, Grace House, Jean-Marie Hudson, Claire Zion, and everyone else at Penguin Random House in the US.
To the Michael Joseph team: Emma Henderson, Rebecca Hilsdon, and Hazel Orme, the superb editorial squad; Ellie Hughes and Gaby Young, my magnificent publicists; Vicky Photiou, Jen Porter, and Elizabeth Smith, the marketing dream team; and the unbelievably talented designers Lee Motley and Lauren Wakefield. A million thanks to everyone else at MJ, including: Louise Blakemore, Anna Curvis, Christina Ellicott, James Keyte, Catherine Le Lievre, and the broader team at Penguin Random House UK.
To Mako Yoshikawa, my first reader, my thesis chair, and my mentor. You believed in this book back when only three chapters of it existed. Your feedback shaped Rose Gold’s voice, you taught me the importance of causation in fiction, and perhaps most importantly, you urged me to keep going. This book owes its existence to you.
To Rick Reiken, my thesis reader and former professor, who went above and beyond what was required for workshop, gave me brilliant craft advice, and helped me navigate the publishing industry. Were it not for you, I might still be languishing with that (awful) first draft. Thank you for gently helping me realize I had to start again.
To Steve Yarbrough, who was my first-ever workshop professor and kept encouraging me even though my stories in his class were . . . rough. Week after week, I soaked up as much of your wisdom as I possibly could. I hope at least a little bit of it comes through in these pages.
To Emerson College, who supported this novel as my MFA thesis project. Thank you to the faculty for making me a better writer; to the college for your generous program fellowship, which afforded me a single-minded focus on writing; and to my classmates, especially Beth Herlihy, who read early drafts of this story and cheered me on.
To the following people and texts for helping me understand the medical history and psychological impact of MSBP: Julie Gregory’s Sickened: The Memoir of a Munchausen by Proxy Childhood; Michelle Dean’s Buzzfeed article covering the story of Dee Dee and Gypsy Blanchard; and Marc Feldman’s Playing Sick?: Untangling the Web of Munchausen Syndrome, Munchausen by Proxy, Malingering, and Factitious Disorder. Any errors are my own.
To Dr. Jim McKee, DDS, for your time and expertise on all things teeth-related.
To Ashley Chase, Ray Ciabattoni, Sarah Coffing, Guy Conway, Maddy Cross, Lauren Hefling, Annie and Todd Hibner, Christy Holzer, Jen and Tristan Kaye, Dave and Sara McCradden, Ali O’Hara, Dave Pfeiffer, Kelsey Pytlik, Shiv Reddy, Tara Reddy, and Savs Tan, for your unwavering love and support on this book and in everything I do.
To Allison Jasinski, for all those long chats on the blue couches at our Geneva Terrace apartment. You ignited my interest in psychology and obsession with society’s outliers. Thank you for always believing in me.
To the Wichrowskis: Sheila, Taylor, and Paul, for being some of my earliest readers and the first book club to discuss my novel! These last few years, I’ve asked for your opinions so many times—on my query, the back jacket copy, the cover design, the list is endless—and you were always ready with the smartest comments. Your excitement during this process has meant the world to me. I am beyond lucky to be part of your family.
To my grandparents, Pat and Jim Soukup. Thank you for always loving me and for fostering my fondness of reading. For thirty-plus years, every time I’ve gone to your house, one or both of you has had a book in hand. I am so proud to be your granddaughter.
To the Malichs: Jackie, Matt, and Cadence, for your tireless encouragement. Jackie, thank you for being one of my first readers. Thank you for the hours we spent discussing twists—the good, the bad, and the predictable. Thank you for answering hundreds of uncomfortable questions about pregnancy, being a new mom, and every other facet of motherhood. You continue to blow me away with your strength and love. And thank you, Cadence, for gracing us with your presence—you are the sweetest baby I’ve ever known. It is one of life’s great honors to call you my niece. Please do not read this book for a very, very long time.
To Vicki Wrobel, for helping me get my Colorado geography right; for weighing in on all the things, big and small; for making me laugh and having my back, always. Thank you too for believing you saw a Toys “R” Us in Mom’s belly—you will officially never live that story down. I am so lucky to have you for a sister.