Handle with Care

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It may be a cliché to say I didn’t do this alone, but it’s also true. First and foremost, I want to thank the parents of kids with OI who invited me into their lives for a little while-and the kids themselves, who made me laugh and reminded me daily that strength is far more than a physical measure of stamina: Laurie Blaisdell and Rachel, Taryn Macliver and Matthew, Tony and Stacey Moss and Hope, Amy Phelps and Jonathan. Thanks to my crackerjack medical team: Mark Brezinski, David Toub, John Femino, E. Rebecca Schirrer, Emily Baker, Michele Lauria, Karen George, Steve Sargent; and my legal eagles: Jen Sternick, Lise Iwon, Chris Keating, Jennifer Sargent. I owe Debbie Bernstein for sharing her story about being adopted (and letting me steal huge parts of it). I am likewise indebted to Donna Branca, for revisiting memories that are painful and for being gracious and honest when I asked questions. Thanks to Jeff Fleury, Nick Giaccone, and Frank Moran for helping me create Sean’s life as a police officer. For other expertise in their fields, thanks to Michael Goldman (who also let me use his fantastic T-shirt slogan), Steve Alspach, Stefanie Ryan, Kathy Hemenway, Jan Scheiner, Fonsaca Malyan, Kevin Lavigne, Ellen Wilber, Sindy Buzzell, and Fred Clow. It would be a gross oversight not to highlight the involvement that Atria Books has in making my books such successes; I am grateful to Carolyn Reidy, Judith Curr, David Brown, Kathleen Schmidt, Mellony Torres, Sarah Branham, Laura Stern, Gary Urda, Lisa Keim, Christine Duplessis, Michael Selleck, the whole of the fabulous sales force, and everyone else who has worked so hard to make my books leap off the shelves into the arms and hearts of readers. A special thanks goes to Camille McDuffie, my secret weapon/publicist extraordinaire. Thanks to Emily Bestler, who always makes me feel like a star (and makes sure everyone else seems to think I’m one, too). Thanks to Laura Gross, with whom I celebrated my twentieth anniversary this year-and who is the other half of a partnership I rank right up there with my marriage. And to Jane Picoult, my mom, thanks for believing I could do this long before anyone else did, and for laughing and crying in all the right places.

In the interests of accuracy, I should state that although there was an OI convention in Omaha, I’ve changed the date. Also, I’ve slightly amended the way juries are picked in New Hampshire-it’s not by individual, as I’ve written, but it’s a lot more interesting to read that way!

I have two special thank-yous. The first is to Katie Desmond, the sister I never had, who created the recipes I’ve attributed here to Charlotte O’Keefe. If you’re ever lucky enough to be invited to her house for dinner: don’t walk, run. The second is to Kara Sheridan, who is one of the most inspirational women I’ve ever met: she’s a scholar studying body image and self-esteem for disabled teens. She’s an athlete-a swimmer who’s broken records. She’s about to get married to a wonderful, adorable guy. And oh, by the way, she also has Type III osteogenesis imperfecta. Thanks, Kara, for showing the world that barriers were meant to be broken, that no one can be defined by a disability, and that nothing’s ever impossible.

Finally, I have to thank once again Kyle, Jake, and Sammy, for giving me something wonderful to come home to; and Tim, who is my happy ending.