Will North - Water, Stone, Heart

One of the joys of writing and publishing books is that you get to thank the people who helped make them possible. This is important, because even a work of fiction like this one depends upon the wisdom and assistance of many, many people. A novel is not so much the work of solitary imagination as it is a collaboration of generous folks.

Because this story is set in a real village on the Atlantic coast of Cornwalla village that was severely damaged by a catastrophic flood a few years ago and which has resurrected itself sincethere are many residents to whom I owe a deep debt of gratitude for sharing with me not just their time and hospitality, but also their harrowing personal experiences. I want to especially thank Graham King at the Boscastle Museum of Witchcraft; Rebecca David at the Boscastle Visitor Centre; and the Reverend Christine Musser, for their support, their fact-checking, and their patience as I turned them into fictional characters. I am also in debt to David Rowe, Cornish journalist and author of a moment-by-moment account of the flood who gave me permission to use his time line of events. A nod of special respect is due John Maughan, the Boscastle Busker, who has been singing at the Welly (and elsewhere) for years and who has, thanks to his splendid voice and huge repertoire, raised thousands of dollars to support a local hospice. I also want to thank Nicola Collings (no relation to the Nicola in the story) at Hillsborough Farm for her hospitality and for the pleasure of living at Hayloft Cottage, and Jackie and Robin Haddy, at Home Farm, for the inspiration for Bottreaux Farm.

I am also grateful to Richard Boden-Cummins of the Stone Academy, and Robin Menneer of the Guild of Cornish Hedgers, for instruction and advice on the construction of traditional Cornish hedges. In the same spirit, thanks are due to Steve Jebson at the United Kingdom's National Meteorological Library and Archive for the scientific accuracy of my description of the meteorological events leading up to the flood.

For sharing with me both the technical and emotional wellsprings of their art, I extend my appreciation and affection to two formidable Cornish painters, Kathy Todd and Edwinna Broadbent. Their work, while utterly different, has captivated me.

There is a deeply serious subject at the heart of this story, which is the lifelong psychological effects of childhood sexual abusea horror that is far more widespread than I ever could have imagined. For insight into this subject, I thank Lorie Dwinell, teacher and friend, and Dr. Lucy Berliner at Seattle's Harborview Center for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress. To Dr. Berliner I am deeply grateful for the simple but powerful observation that, Just because there isn't a clinical psychological condition doesn't mean there has been no long-term effect from abuse.

I am thankful, as well, to a few trusted and sharp-eyed readers of earlier versions of this story: Ann Vaughan, Cindy Buck, Kate Pflaumer, Lawrence Rosenfeld, Yvonne Price, and my delightful Portuguese translator and favorite witch, Marta Mendoncas. I am also deeply grateful for the friendship and hospitality of my many British friends, including Claire Booth, Valerie and Hugh Edwards, Ann and Malcolm Vaughan, Phil Budden and Melissa Hardie, and Malcolm and Anne Sutton. Thank you all.

And then there is the splendid team of professionals who turn these words into books, beginning with my publisher within Crown/Random House, Shaye Areheart Books: a more enthusiastic and supportive publisher, editor, and friend than Shaye one could not even begin to imagine. Working with her, and on my behalf, I extend my appreciation to Kira Walton, Sarah Breivogel, Christine Aronson, Karin Shulze, Anne Berry, and Christine Kopprasch. At Three Rivers Press, my paperback publisher, thank you to Philip Patrick, Julie Kraut, and Annsley Rosner. And for his wonderfully inviting cover designs, thanks to the talented Whitney Cook-man. Thank you all.

As always, a toast of gratitude to my agent, friend, and candid adviser, Richard Abate at the Endeavor Agency. It was Richard who nudged me into fiction from nonfiction, and Richard who believed in me for years. There is nothing I can do, no sentiment of thanks I can express, that can possibly equal the meaning of his support. Richard, you are a prince.

Finally, and closer to home, I must honor the patience, love, and encouragement of my familyHazel, Nancy, Tom, Eric, Ardith, and Baker. But more than anyone, I thank Susan for the joy she brings to my life and the love she extends without reserve.

a cognizant original v5 release october 10 2010

ALSO BY WILL NORTH

The Long Walk Home