The Monster's Daughter (67 page)

Thanks to my agent, Markus Hoffmann, and the staff at Regal Literary for your support and hard work in getting this manuscript into the right hands. Thanks to my editor, Mark Krotov, and everyone at Melville House. I owe a great deal to Audrey Niffenegger for her help and guidance, and for telling me to stick to my vision for the book. To my first readers, Mike Bogart, Gary Stephens, Rob Shouse, Jordan Bray, Kevin Kane, Melissa Spor, Nic Bernstein, Lena Kondo, and especially Chris Marnach, who indulged me in many hours of conversation about Alet and Mathebe. Thanks to my husband, Steve, for his unwavering encouragement and support. A big thank-you to Anel and Jan Burger for their hospitality, and for sharing their world with me. And to Dr. Andrew Faull, for generously sharing his work and steering me toward helpful resources. I'm sure I've missed names, and for that my sincerest apologies.

MICHELLE PRETORIUS
was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. She has written for
Bookslut, Word Riot
, and
The Copperfield Review
, among other publications. She received an MFA in Fiction Writing from Columbia College Chicago and is currently a PhD student at Ohio University.