ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Without the following people, this book would not have come to be.

There was a time when the writing of this book was quixotic. Completely unpracticed as a writer of fiction, I worked obsessively, becoming progressively more jobless, broke, and isolated. What amazes me is that there were friends and family who learned of what I was trying to do and did not become skeptical. Instead, they offered their financial and emotional help. Their belief in this project, during the years when there was nothing at all to suggest anything worthy would ever come of it, still makes my eyes swim. In particular, I would like to thank my great friend Elizabeth Adams, who never wavered in her faith and love. I’d like to thank that woman of letters Colleen Hattemer Holwerk for her staunch encouragement. I would like to thank Charlie and Ellen Hattemer for early help and my mother for her love and patience. And I would like to thank my first readers both for their insightful notes and also for their enthusiastic admonitions to continue: Mozhan Marnò, Claudia Herr, and James Kennaway.

Once it was a finished draft, this book was saved by Bill Clegg. He not only recognized its potential but also stayed by me through an arduous year of revisions before it sold. I am unsure what to say about Bill except that he is a leuchtender Stern—a shining star. He is agile, brilliant, and true: a blinding talent. No one could wish for a better advisor, reader, friend, or agent than Bill Clegg. I wish to thank you with all my heart, Bill.

Once the book sold, I fell into the hands of a wonderful group of people: the great Jordan Pavlin at Knopf, along with her marvelous assistant, Leslie Levine, who has been a guide and a friend as few know how to be; the razor-sharp Lee Brackstone and perceptive Helen Francis at Faber; and my dear Olivia de Dieuleveult at Flammarion. These people with their warm and varied intelligences brought the book to full maturity. I wish to thank them profusely as well.

Finally, I would like to thank Nick and Serena Gay at Original Berlin Walks for tolerating a sometimes very absentminded employee, for keeping me at that job which proved so interesting to me.