Many thanks to my editor, Bethany Gibson, for her invaluable insight and advice; to my agent, Anne McDermid, for her kindness and enthusiasm; to members of the Burning Rock Collective for their affirmation and encouragement â particularly Claire Wilkshire, who read earlier versions of this novel and was instrumental in its progress; and to Patty Wells for her astute comments and suggestions. I am also grateful to Paul Linegar, Bruce Mactavish and Pierre Ryan for generously sharing with me their knowledge of avian life, and to the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and The Canada Council for the Arts for their support.
The story of Suse Hayes told here was inspired by events described by Gerald L. Pocius in his book
A Place to Belong
.