When You Were Here (25 page)

One of the most frequent questions a writer hears is “Where did you get your inspiration from?” Often, inspiration comes from many places and many people.

First and foremost, the heart behind
When You Were Here
was inspired by one of the most amazing and resilient people I have ever known—Sharon Schneider. I spent time with Sharon, but I also came to know her more through stories of her—the stories of her life that my mother-in-law, Barbara Major, shared with me. Sharon was Barbara’s best friend and fought a long and valiant battle with cancer for many years. But even in spite of Sharon’s illness, she remained so focused on life, on enjoying it, on sharing love and laughter with her children, and on showing them the world. Sharon, if you were here today, you’d be thrilled and not at all surprised to know that Jenny and Andy are wonderful, warm, funny, thoughtful, fabulous twentysomethings, and I am so grateful to count them as part of my big extended family. While the character of Elizabeth is entirely fictional, she was absolutely inspired by Sharon’s life, spirit, and heart.

Thank you then, Jenny and Andy, for not balking when I said I was writing a novel inspired by your mom. You guys are truly awesome.

On the subject of inspiration, I have to thank my fantastic husband, Jeff, for the initial spark. I still remember that afternoon at the dog beach when we brainstormed the potential for this novel as Violet chased tennis balls in the waves.

This story was also inspired by Gayle Forman, one of the most talented writers I know. As soon as I finished her novel
Where She Went
(the first of what would become three reads so far of that fabulous book), I knew I had to write a book with a teenage boy as the narrator.

Of course, my own parents are part of the inspiration for any story in which family, and the importance of the connections between generations, plays so central a role. You guys have always encouraged me to pursue my dreams, you have always believed in me, and for that I am so grateful because here I am, living the dream.

My agent, Michelle Wolfson, deserves an entire acknowledgments section alone for her amazingness. She read this novel in twenty-four hours and fell in mad love with it, has read every draft, and has never ceased to be this book’s biggest champion. Michelle, you were my dream agent, and you became my actual agent, and you have remained a dream agent. I’ve said it to you many times, but it bears repeating—having you guiding my writing career has freed me to just write, and that is the greatest thing I could ask for as a writer. To many years of mind melds.

My editor, Kate Sullivan, continues to astound me with her razor-sharp insight and brilliance. She has known what this book needed every step of the way, and she has gently guided me into finding the heart of the story, and to taking off at least one accessory. Kate, your edits are challenging, mind-bending, and daring, and working with you to shape this story into what it has become is
why
I wanted to keep working with you. What a lucky writer I am to have you in my court. Let’s do it again!

A big thanks as well to the team at Little, Brown that has shepherded this novel from its earliest stages, including Leslie Shumate, Victoria Stapleton, Lisa Moraleda, and Alvina Ling.

Many writer friends chimed in with valuable feedback along the way. Kody Keplinger looked at the first chapter way back when and gave me helpful input. Cynthia Omololu read many, many drafts and gamely participated in many more brainstorming and
what-if
scenarios. Cynthia—your smart and thoughtful feedback but, most important, your willingness to always be there as my go-to gal is so greatly appreciated. Courtney Summers cheered me on during the epic writing binge of this book—first draft in twenty-one days, thank you very much. More important, though, she read a draft during the final stages of editing and offered great insight on tweaking the characters and certain elements of the story to make it sharper and better. My local writer friends cheered me on as well—Cheryl Herbsman and Malinda Lo, I’m talking about you! Stephanie Perkins and Kiersten White—you’re as fabulous as ever; I love our Wednesday “chats.” Suzanne Young—you are adored.

As always, my best friend in the entire world, Theresa Shaw, was
and
is there for me, for every book, for every event, for every moment in my writing career. Theresa—you are inimitable, and I can’t imagine navigating the insanity and the magic without you.

I am indebted to many online resources for information about doctor-patient confidentiality as well as health and medical guidelines in Japan. That includes a study on disease and prognosis disclosure conducted by the University of Tokyo, a study on ethical decision-making and patient autonomy in Japan and the United States conducted by the Stanford University School of Medicine, studies on patient autonomy and diagnosis disclosure conducted by the Department of Geriatric Medicine at Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore, as well as the article “Comparison of Diagnostic Disclosure in Japan and the United States: From Communicative Perspective” by Tomoka Noguchi. I am also grateful for the insight from my doctor friends Sandeep Wadhwa and Louise Lo on doctor-patient relationships and how they impact the next of kin.

I relied on several sources for the Japanese translations in this novel. Thank you to Eric Sandler, Eve Eschenbacher, and Kana Kozawa, whose name also provided the inspiration for a central character in the novel. Any mistakes in Japanese are entirely mine.

Big thanks to Kathy Brooks for helping me understand more about the Jewish approach to the afterlife, and to Garry Brooks for his invaluable input on air-conditioning. Trust me when I say that both of your respective contributions on religion and on handyman-ism are equally vital!

Many thanks for the booksellers, teachers, librarians, bloggers, and fellow authors who spread word of mouth and, of course, to readers. I adore hearing from you. You, readers, are why I write.

Thanks to Cammi Bell, Ilene Braff, Kelli Anderson, and so many of my “real life” friends who were there when I got to say, “My book sold!”

I thanked my husband at the beginning of these acknowledgments, but I’ll thank him again, because he makes the best sandwiches, finds the funniest TV shows, and always knows when I need a crazy cat photo or penguin gummies to pick me up.

To my children, whom I love fiercely and endlessly and with everything I’ve got. You guys are my loves. Always and forever.

And a tradition is a tradition is a tradition. Danny is fortunate to have a dog who is “the definition of perfect,” because his dog
is
my dog. Violet, I am sure, would be delighted to lend her personality and looks to Danny’s dog, Sandy Koufax, if she cared about such things. Alas, Violet cares most about tennis balls, kibble, and taking up as much space on the bed as she possibly can, since she is a bona fide furniture dog and will always have full furniture privileges, as all dogs should.