Somebody Else's Daughter (48 page)

Teddy walked over and gave her a hug. “Now, are you sure you don't have any questions about the wedding night?” He wiggled his eyebrows meaningfully.

“Yes, I'm sure.”

“Because I'm happy to explain things to you.”

“I don't think that will be necessary.”

He looked at her with pride. “You look beautiful, Mom.”

“Thank you, Teddy.”

“Are you ready to be given away?”

She thought a moment and looked across the field at Nate Gallagher. She looped her arm through her son's. “Yes,” she said with certainty. “I'm ready.”

"Then let's go.”

I want to thank my brilliant editor, Carole DeSanti, for being the single person on this earth who drives me to write; my agent, Linda Chester, for her integrity and certainty and intelligent guidance; Clare Ferraro, Carolyn Coleburn, Ann M. Day, Courtney Greenwald, Karen Anderson, Kristin Spang, Sharon L. Gonzalez, Marlene Tungseth, and Paul Buckley, and everybody else at Viking for their incredibly hard work on my behalf.

My profound thanks to my husband, Scott Morris, for staying the course, for being the
one,
and to our children, Hannah, Sophie, and Sam, for their patience, honesty, and creativity in all matters that encompass the novel-writing process.

Sincere thanks to Peter Stine for publishing Nate Gallagher's letter in
Witness: Exile in America,
Volume XX, 2006, which inspired me to write this novel, and to Michelle Gillette, who included a short excerpt in the Summer Fiction supplement of
The Women's Times,
2006.

I want to acknowledge the article “A Cruel Edge,” by Robert Jensen, Ph.D., that appeared in the Spring 2004 issue of
Ms. Magazine,
which gave me extraordinary insight into the experience some women endure in the production of pornography. I owe my deepest gratitude to Anthony Simone and Kelly Erikson for sharing their stories, as well as to Grace Dugan for connecting us. Thanks also to Leah Tyrrell for sharing her experiences with her beautiful baby, Emily.

Many thanks to the following individuals for their continued interest and support of my work: Kyra Ryan for her editorial expertise; Gary Jaffe of Linda Chester and Associates; Susie Landau Finch; Lee K. Abbott and the members of his writing workshop at New York State Summer Writer's Institute 2006, where I first workshopped the poker scene; Chuck Goodermote; Rabbi Don Cashman for his inspiring sermons; Becky Marvin; Sue Baum; Officer Miles J. Barber of the Pittsfield Police Department; Sue Turconi for her artistic creativity and advice; and Paula Lippman, Beth Appelman, and Beth Pine.

My heartfelt appreciation to the following people who held or inspired special events on my behalf: Joan and Lyle Brundage, Dorothy Silverherz, Birdie and Stanley Brundage, Lisa Brundage Shapiro, Beverly and Ed Robbins, Alison Gould, Millie and Marty Shapiro, Pat Van Gorp, Judy Pincus, Janet Zuckerman, Lisa Fishman, Barbara Palmer, Barbara Falkin, Rhoda Derman, Natalie Derman, Lynn Leonard, Fran Manne, Linda Radowitz, Gloria Colacino, and Barbara Vink.

Deep personal thanks to Robin Porter, and the members of JHA Riding Academy for their horse advice, including Wendy Halsdorf, Leah Halsdorf, Julie Halsdorf, Kim Luftiber, Chris Cameron, and Jeremy Mitchell.

IN MEMORY

Nina Payne
Barry Lippman
Stephen Barr
Sanford Rosenberg