RARELY ARE DREAMS achieved alone. This book began, literally, as a dream. I truly never thought it might become anything more than that. But thanks to the support of a legion of incredible people working behind the scenes, it became the book you hold in your hands. I’m going to try to express my gratitude to all of those people here.
First, to my wonderful editor, Jen Klonsky, who understood this book and what it needed, and carried it every step along the way. Anytime I had an idea I was iffy about, you always responded with enthusiasm. Thank you for that. And thank you for always encouraging and supporting the diversity in this book.
Thank you also to everyone at HarperCollins who helped make this book a reality, including Catherine Wallace, Sarah Kaufman, Alison Klapthor, Alexandra Rakaczki, Sabrina Abballe, and anyone else who I may have left out: I think you’re all wonderful.
To my amazing superhero of an agent, Kristin Nelson: Working with you is another impossible dream come true. I’m unbelievably proud to be part of the NLA family. Thank you for your laser-sharp editorial eye that whipped this book into shape, for loving it as much as I do, and for finding it a perfect home. You changed my life.
A special thank-you is due to astronaut Randy “Komrade” Bresnik, who took the time to answer my questions about astronaut training and what it truly feels like to see Earth from a distance. I hope I was able to express a fraction of your experiences through Cassie. (Though, please don’t check my math too closely.) Also, a big shout-out to NASA in general, for being the inspiration not just for me, but generations of kids who looked up at the stars and wondered. Thank you for letting me be a part of #NASASocial and touring the facilities at Marshall. I hope I’ve done you all justice. Keep fighting the good fight and chasing that horizon.
Thank you to Ayesha Patel, Mathangi Subramanian, Sangu Mandanna, Urvi Patel, Katie Slivensky, and AdriAnne Strickland for their advice and assistance, helping me portray, hopefully, a more sensitive, accurate, and respectful representation of the different facets of Cassie’s character. Your insight was invaluable and much appreciated.
To my library ladies, past and present: Carrie, Barbara, Brenda, Pam, Martha, Sara—and Nate, who isn’t a lady but still counts—thank you for being the best coworkers a girl could ask for, and for all your wholehearted and enthusiastic support of me and my writing. It’s rare to have coworkers who are also friends, and I thank you for making each day pass in relative comfort. Also, thanks for all the cake. Special thanks to Sara for reading rejection emails out loud to me so the blow would sting a little less, and for beta reading. And to Barbara, for making my pie-in-the-sky hopes of finding an astronaut to interview a reality, leading to one of the coolest emails I’ve ever received hitting my in-box.
To my critique partners, Alexa Donne and Emily Neal: You guys are my rock. I’m so lucky to have found you and so grateful for our friendship. Five years of this publishing journey and I don’t know that I would’ve made it without you by my side. I quite literally wouldn’t be where I am today without you. Extra-special thanks to Alexa, for your constant and unwavering support. She encouraged me to send out the query I was too afraid to send that ended up changing everything. You guys were my life rafts in the treacherous query seas, and this book owes its life to you both.
Big shout-out to my various circles of writing friends who have all lent me support and advice somewhere along the way! To Roshani Chokshi, for your mentorship and advice, and for gracing me with your goddess-like wisdom. To the Epic Book Club of Love (even though we never seem to read any books): Jilly Gagnon, Anna Priemaza, Chelsea Sedoti, Kristen Orlando, and Kayla Olson; the Lucky 13s: Mara Fitzgerald, Austin Gilkerson, Rebecca Caprara, Julie Dao, Kevin van Whye, Jordan Villegas, Jessica Rubinkowski, and Kati Gardner: I can’t wait till we can all pose in front of our published books with our matching T-shirts; and finally my fellow 2017 debut authors who have become friends, especially Elly Blake (for being the best roommate ever), Sarah Tolcser, Misa Sugiura, Sarah Henson (for navigating Darcy Miller and me safely through the Smoky Mountains and back!), Sandhya Menon, Tanaz Bhathena, and Axie Oh (I promise I’ll work more on that Secret Other Book now!). And to anyone and everyone who read early versions of this book before it was any good, I thank you.
To my sister, Kayla, who was the very first person to read this book, sent in emailed chunks straight from my brain—you were its first cheerleader, and the reason this book was ever even finished. Your excited flailing was the best motivation. I’m glad we were able to keep your favorite title! Thank you for being my sister—I know that it wasn’t always easy. But it is a very reassuring feeling to have someone who always understands you, the way only siblings do. Love you.
To my parents: You sacrificed so much to make everything in my life possible and paved the way for me to succeed. Despite not being readers yourselves, you made sure to read to me so that I would always love books. You assured that I grew up in a loving, supportive home. You are the best second set of parents for my child I could ever ask for, and I’ll never be able to repay you for the years of free babysitting. (Sorry about that.) I feel so lucky and blessed to have you both. Love you always.
To Nick: Thank you for working so hard for our family, and for all the solo parenting required for me to finish this book. I’m so lucky to have found my partner in life when I was sixteen. Thank you for putting up with me these past twelve years, and for always doing the dishes.
To my Rosie: This book existed before you did, but I am more proud of you than I’ll ever be of anything else. I’m sorry for all the times my work has taken me away from you. (Hopefully you won’t remember very much of that.) Thank you for choosing me as your mom. I hope you learn that you can do anything you aspire to in life. (But please—just for me—please don’t go off on a dangerous mission into deep space. Anything else is cool.) I love you more than all the stars.
To anyone and everyone who has read this book and passed it along to a friend—librarians, booksellers, bloggers, readers—I thank you from the bottom of my heart. There is no better champion of a book than a friend who says to another friend, “You HAVE to read this.”
And thank you, reader, for picking up this book and giving it a chance. I hope it inspires you to take a chance on your own dreams, too. Even if nobody else does, know that I believe in you.