Her sister appeared moments later, forehead crinkled in confusion. “I thought I was doing that on my own.”
“Nope. You’re stuck with me.”
Caroline smiled. “I guess I am. Let’s get started.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing this book has been a joy, and I absolutely could not have done it without the support of many, many people.
Thank you to my editor, Dana Chidiac. Working with you has made me a better writer. Lara and Caroline’s story could not have come to life without your always keen insights. Another big thank-you to my agent, Jennifer Udden, who has helped me to handle the business side of publishing with deftness and humor.
I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a wonderful team at Dial Books for Young Readers and Penguin Random House. Thanks to the entire team: Lauri Hornik, Nancy Mercado, Regina Castillo, Tabitha Dulla, Mina Chung, Emily Romero, Christina Colangelo, Carmela Iaria, Debra Polansky, and their teams. A big thank-you to Kaitlin Kneafsey for everything you do to help my books find readers. A special thanks to Alexandra Bye for the beautiful cover art, and to Theresa Evangelista for your amazing design.
Thanks also to Joanna Volpe and the entire team at New Leaf Literary.
endever* corbin, thank you for providing invaluable feedback about Caroline and her experiences. This story is much better for your contributions.
Adrianna Cuevas, you are an A+ critique partner. Thanks for providing feedback and motivation on this book and so many others.
Much thanks to Cathleen Barnhart, Taylor Gardner, Remy Lai, Jen Malia, and Meera Trehan for providing valuable feedback at varying stages of this project.
A big thank-you to the PJ Our Way program for your support of my books and the critical work that you do.
Thanks to Daniel Alhadeff for graciously providing help with Ladino.
I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to portray Sephardic Jewish culture, which is so rarely represented in fiction. Ima and her family were written to honor my maternal grandmother, Ray Farhi Ross. Grandma, I love you and I miss you. I hope I was able to do you proud.
As always, my family has been a source of much-needed support. Thanks to Mom, Dad, Grandpa Charlie, and Aunt Edy. You have done a wonderful job cheering me on and doing what you can to promote my books. Another big thanks to Wynn and Laurie, the world’s best in-laws.
This is a story about sisters, and so I have to extend a special thanks to my own sister, Elisheva Pripas. Thank you for reading an early draft and serving as a Judaism consultant. You also helped me to understand #LittleSisterProblems, which was critical in sorting out Caroline’s character motivations. You are a true Caroline: my partner-in-crime who is critical to the entire operation.
Thank you to Ari Ne’eman and Ruti Reagan for your friendship and support.
All of my gratitude to the teachers and librarians who have helped my books find readers, even as the world fell apart. Your work is invaluable and deserves more acknowledgment than it receives.
I would like to express my appreciation for the We Need Diverse Books movement. Your advocacy has made it possible for me to make the books that I do.
Finally, thank you to my husband, Neil. Thank you for always being my first and most supportive reader. You have helped me through all of the ups and downs of being a writer, and everything else in this wild world of ours. I’m so glad you’re my lockdown partner, co-cat-parent, and everything else.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Kapit lives in Bellevue, Washington, with her husband and their goofy orange cat. She earned a PhD in history from the University of California, Los Angeles, and she's always happy to talk about the history of women, medicine, and any other history geek topic. She has a longstanding involvement in the disability rights and neurodiversity movements, and serves as chairperson of the Association for Autistic Community.
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