Alice Maguire, for reading this book all night while you rocked Charlie to sleep. (And for loving it the best of the three.) I admire you more than you know.
Asnake Dabala, for driving across the country, getting lost in Quebec, making maji maji, and helping renovate the house. I would never have gotten this book written without you, my brother.
The women who raised me: Shirley Cesar, Emily Cesar, Mary Dejonge, Nancy McLauchlin, and Sylvia Cesar. If my fierce girls ring true, it’s because I was raised by the fiercest of women. You were (and are) the greatest role models a girl could ever hope for.
Mum, Dad, Jolene, and my entire family—for loving me, supporting me, and always being there for me.
Joe, for being the one I long to come home to every day, always. Thank you for fighting so hard for me this year.
Last of all: my readers, for your love and support. Seeing your smiling faces in my signing lines and reading your heartfelt messages is one of the best parts of this whole adventure. In so many ways these books are about finding your strength, and I wrote them because I believe this with my whole heart: that you, dear reader, are so much stronger than you think. I hope you find that strength within you. I hope you hone it, wield it, and use it for good.