Sophie puts her hand on his shoulder. “You aren’t a stranger. You’re my brother, and there’s no one I’d rather have join me today.”
He smiles a half smile again that reminds her so much of their mummy. “Okay.”
Sophie’s face lights up as she takes his hand and leads him out of the room toward her wedding ceremony. They step outside into the warm, humid Ahmedabad afternoon. She immediately feels beads of sweat forming underneath the heavy sari she wears and suspects Vijay must be feeling the same way as his dark suit absorbs the sun’s rays. They walk across the gravel toward her fuas and cousins, who are waiting with the wedding dolly on which she will sit for her final moments as an unmarried woman. She pauses and turns to Vijay. She sees her mummy’s familiar eyes. She squeezes his hand, and he does not pull it away. It’s not the family she expected to have on her wedding day, but it is still family. She hopes he will continue to be part of the new family she is building. The new people she will call home. With family by her side, she will never be alone. She feels a light breeze at her back and welcomes the coolness against her skin. Her body tingles, and she senses Papa’s presence in the wind and allows it to push her forward.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Having gone through the book publication process once before, I have a much greater appreciation for the village it takes to turn a story into a book. My dream had always been to publish a book, but now having the opportunity to publish multiple books has been life changing. None of this would have been possible without the sage advice of my agent, Lauren Abramo, who plucked me from her slush pile and saw something special in my writing and storytelling that she wanted to bring to readers. Thank you for encouraging me to do the restructuring that I knew was the right format for this novel but had avoided doing because of how much work it would be! I am also fortunate to have the most supportive editor in Alicia Clancy, who lets me tackle controversial topics through my stories and helps me elevate them to new levels. These two talented women have allowed me to build a career I could only have dreamed of as a young girl.
I am so grateful to the team at Lake Union, who have taught me so much over the past year with the utmost patience and support. A huge thanks to Danielle Marshall, Gabe Dumpit, Rosanna Brockley, Nicole Burns-Ascue, Elyse Lyon, and Stephanie Chou. I’ve had the fortune of having both of my covers designed by the creative genius that is Micaela Alcaino. Her dedication to understanding my stories and then crafting the right visual has been nothing short of brilliant, especially for this author, whose only input is to say what I don’t like on a cover!
My publishing journey （and my sanity） would not have been possible without my fellow APub Debut Sisters who have supported me, encouraged me, and taught me the ropes. These talented women traverse so many genres, and I’ve learned so much from each of them through their incredible storytelling and the friendships we have built. Eden Appiah-Kubi has been my rock as we navigate publishing stories that center around race, identity, belonging, representation, and equity. Jennifer Bardsley is so generous with her industry knowledge and so prolific in her writing. I could write an entire book filled only with the things I’ve learned from her, but I think she should write that book herself so every writer can benefit! Sara Goodman Confino writes some of the snarkiest, funniest rom-coms, all of which I hope are turned into films. Elissa Dickey is one of the kindest and bravest people I’ve ever met. Her writing about her autoimmune condition has helped so many people feel seen and understood, me included. Paulette Kennedy introduced me to the gothic fiction genre through her stories, allowing me to discover that there are still new genres for me to love and explore. She is also one of the most compassionate, empathetic, and strong women I have ever met. Watching her poise and strength in the face of adversity has been inspiring. Last but certainly not least, Kate Ward Myles is my fellow Hollywood-by-day, author-by-night friend. Knowing such a talented author who was going through the same balancing act was so helpful to keep me going when it felt like there weren’t enough hours in the day.
There are also so many friends who have supported me along the way, and I am a better person and writer for having each of them in my life. Bestselling author Jennifer Pastiloff has continued to improve my life by developing my writing through her retreats and workshops and being an unwavering support system. She has selflessly championed me and my books, and I am honored and grateful to call her a friend. Nicole Chambers has been a wonderful sounding board and cheerleader, and I’m a better writer and person with her in my life. Aashna Patel has forced me to do more with my self-promotion, and I’m lucky to have her as my one-woman production team! Srivitta Kengskool helped inspire and name Dao, and the book is better for it. Thanks to Paula Sloyer and Kim Mills for supporting this new career and for joining me in Paris during a pandemic to help me finish my research to flesh out the details of this book. And so many others have championed me and my writing and lifted me when I needed it, and I am immensely grateful: Penelope Preston, Cynthia Wood, Gabi Lozano, Jill Girling, Kirbee Miller, Elisha “Ishy” Seaton, Marion Karrer, Cheryl “Cece” Francis, Miriam “Mimi” Feldman, and Lina Iorgovan.
Some very busy authors have gone out of their way to help me, whether through providing blurbs or advice or helping to get my name and books out there, and I’d like to give a shout-out to Marjan Kamali, Barbara O’Neale, Saumya Dave, Suzanne Redfearn, Emily Giffin, Julie Buxbaum, Allison Winn Scotch, Lyn Liao Butler, Gian Sardar, Namrata Patel, and Yoojin Grace Wuertz. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all you have done for me.
A warm and heartfelt thanks to my readers. I am beyond grateful to those who have read my books, reviewed them, posted on social media, emailed me with your touching stories, and requested your local libraries to order my books. The publishing business is difficult, and without your support I’d just be a woman with very long Word documents saved on her laptop. Thank you for giving my stories a place in this world and in your hearts.
And none of these books would have been possible without the love and support of my family. As I get older, I realize how fortunate I am to have grown up in a stable, emotionally secure, loving family and try not to take that for granted. My parents always encouraged my love of reading as a child, and it is clear those frequent trips to the libraries made an impact. While my dad is not much of a reader, he is an unrelenting supporter of anything I want to achieve in life, and I never doubt that he is proud of me, so thank you, Dad, for always being my champion. Mom, I’m grateful that our relationship is nothing like those of the daughters and mothers I write about, and I know that my creativity and perseverance come from you. Thank you for always encouraging me to be passionate and independent while balancing my life with being practical. For Tejas, you’ve taken care of me since birth, and you are the person in this world who knows most of my life story . . . I hope we never forget who we are and where we came from.