Little Earthquakes (37 page)

Little Earthquakes
is a work of fiction but, like Becky, Kelly and Ayinde, I was lucky enough to join a prenatal yoga class with a group of wonderful women who’ve been my friends and lifeline throughout the nine months of my own daughter’s life, and who were generous enough to share their own stories of labor and delivery, marriage and new motherhood with me, and support me as I made the journey myself. Thanks to Gail Silver, Debbie Bilder and baby Max, Alexa Hymowitz and Zach, Carrie Coleman and James Rufus, Jeanette Andersson and Filippa, Kate Mackey and Jackson and Andrea Cipriani Mecchi and Anthony and Lucia.

I am awed and humbled by the hard work of Joanna Pulcini, whose efforts on behalf of this book included poring over the manuscript in coffee shops and hotel rooms from Los Angeles to New York. Her diligent, thoughtful, rigorous editing, and occasional babysitting were invaluable. I am lucky to have her as my agent and even luckier to have her as my friend.

My editor Greer Kessel Hendricks is worth a price above rubies for her skillful, compassionate reading, and hundred kindnesses, large and small. I’m also very thankful to her assistant Suzanne ONeill and everyone at Atria, especially Seale Ballenger, Ben Bruton, Tommy Semosh, Holly Bemiss, Shannon McKenna, Karen Mender and Judith Curr, the best publisher any writer could wish for.

Kyra Ryan gave me an insightful read and invaluable edits of an early draft, and Alison Kolani helped smooth out the final product. I owe a debt of gratitude to both of them, and to Ann Marie Mendlow, whose generosity to Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania has earned her a place in posterity (insofar as this books constitute posterity).

I’m grateful to friends near and far: Susan Abrams Krevsky and Ben Krevsky, Alan Promer and Sharon Fenick, Charlie and Abby Glassenberg, Eric and Becky Spratford, Clare Epstein and Phil DiGennaro, Kim and Paul Niehaus, Steve and Andrea Hasegawa, Ginny Durham, Lisa Maslankowski and Robert DiCicco, Craig, Elizabeth, Alice and Arthur LaBan, and most especially Melinda McKibben Pedersen, one of the best and bravest women I know.

The mothers of the Hall-Mercer playgroup shared their stories and listened to mine. I’m so glad that Lucy and I get to hang out with Linda Derbyshire, Jamie Cohen and Mia; Amy Schildt and Natalie, Shane Siegel and Carly, and Emily Birknes and Madeline.

Thanks to the lactation consultants at Pennsylvania Hospital for helping with both my in-print and real-time babies, and to the staff at the Society Hill Cosi for the free coffee, and for never begrudging me and my laptop one of the tables near the window, and the power outlet.

A special shout-out to Jamie Seibert, who came into my life like a gift from heaven and takes wonderful care of Lucy when I’m writing.

None of this would have been possible without of my family My husband Adam, my mother Fran Frumin and my Nanna Faye Frumin, Jake, April, Olivia, Molly and Joe Weiner, and Warren Bonin, Ebbie Bonin, and Todd Bonin gave me love, support and material (and, in Olivia’s case, hand-me-downs). My daughter Lucy Jane made this book possible, and made my life wonderful.

And I will always be grateful for the support and love of one of my first editors, my friend Liza Nelligan, who died last spring.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express how much Liza’s faith in me made my writing life possible, but I believe that her spirit and her love of laughter, and good stories, lives on in this story, and in every other story I’ll tell. The lullabye that Lia sings is from
The Rainbabies,
one of the books that Liza sent to Lucy a few days after she was born. I’ve used it in this book in tribute to Liza.