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To Ken Calhoun, who read more drafts than I can count, for the magical plot talks and the unwavering faith.

To Bill Clegg for being the best reader and champion I could hope for. To Simon Toop and to everyone at the Clegg Agency (Nikolas Slackman, Marion Duvert, and MC Connors) for everything you do and for the invaluable early reads and support. To Anna Webber at United Agents.

To my wonderful editors, Marysue Rucci, Nicole Winstanley, and Chris White, and to the publishing teams at Simon & Schuster, Penguin Canada, and Scribner in the UK: Andy Tang, Katie Freeman, Clare Maurer, Jessica Preeg, Ingrid Carabulea, Zach Polendo, Laura Jarrett, Erica Stahler, Georgia Brainard, Wendy Sheanin, Elizabeth Breeden, Stephen Myers, Dan French, Beth Cockeram, Kate Sinclair, and Meredith Pal. To the amazing sales and marketing teams who get books into the hands of readers.

To the brilliant Oliver Munday and Patrick Sullivan for their incredible work on the dreamy jacket design. If ever the soul of a book could be captured in a jacket, this is it.

To my amazing students and colleagues at Syracuse University for their support throughout the writing process.

To Margaret Atwood for the wise and eerily prescient advice.

To Tom Cruise, who is not in this book, despite appearances.

Music has always been important to my writing, but this book was especially helped along by certain songs and albums, many of which are mentioned or featured in the story. I’m grateful to all the musicians who made this story come alive for me, particularly Cavern of Anti-Matter and Tangerine Dream. And of course, Berlin.

Lastly, once more to my mother, Nina Milosevic, who was nothing like Noelle, but who undoubtedly informed the relationship between mother and daughter in this book, both its petals and its thorns. I still miss you dearly.