The Diary of Melanie Martin (16 page)

Writing is a solitary task, but it is incredible—or
incredibile
(In Cray Dee Bee Lay)—how many people helped me with Melanie's journey. I want to thank my nine fellow travelers to Italy: Emme, Elizabeth, Robert, David, Cynthia, Eric, Mark, Marybeth, and Leighton.
IsAille grazie
to my agent, Laura Peterson, and everyone at Knopf, especially Tracy Gates, Sarah Hokanson, and Simon Boughton. And heartfelt thanks to all the kids and grown-ups who kept me going—including David Nickoll, Vanessa and John Wilcox, Mary Lemons, Ed Abrahams, Elise Howard, Bonnie Beer, Katie Goldstein, Cathy Roos, James McMenamin, Warrie Price, Mimmola Girosi, Richard Firestone, Karen Lausa, Patty Dann, Evie Gurney, Matty Reategui, Helen Clougherty, Amber Gross, Ann Zeidner, Mike Wolmetz, Erin Arruda, David Roos, Marc and Charlie Aidinoff, and the Squam Lake Cousins. Thanks too to the helpful students at Trinity School, including Tara Rodman, Stephanie Jenkins, Leni Kirschenbaum, Sujata Gidumal, Anna Sakellariadis, Amanda Manocherian, and Ms. Jarecki's class of 2009.

This is
Carol Weston's
first novel. She has a B.A. in French and Spanish comparative literature from Yale and an M.A. in Spanish from Middlebury.

Carol Weston is the advice columnist for
Girls’ Life
magazine. Her other books include
Girltalk: All the Stuff Your Sister Never Told You; For Girls Only: Wise Words, Good Advice;
and
Private and Personal: Questions and Answers for Girls Only
.

As a girl, Ms. Weston kept diaries. As a teenager, she made a small fortune by baby-sitting. Once she had enough money to buy plane tickets, she began to travel. Now she and her husband and their two daughters take trips together. But they always love to come back home to New York City.

You can visit the author at her Web site:
www.carolweston.com
.

Copyright © 2000 by Carol Weston

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,
or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission
of the publisher, except where permitted by law. For information address
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

eISBN: 978-0-307-48380-5

June 2001

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