Adriana Trigiani: Very Valentine

My heartfelt thanks to the master craftsman, shoemaker Costanzo Ruocco and his son Antonio of da Costanzo on the Isle of Capri. Costanzo was generous with his time, technique, and family stories, which I treasure beyond the pages herein. In Rome, Carmelo and Pina Palmisano of Il Calzolaio, shared their knowledge of shoemaking and insights into the family business, which were invaluable.

Suzanne Gluck, my dear friend and agent, is a font of pep, knowledge, and wisdom (not to mention good taste!). Thank you also to the William Morris team: Sarah Ceglarski, Liz Tingue; Cara Stein, Alicia Gordon, Philip Grenz, Erin Malone, Tracy Fisher, Eugenie Furniss, Cathryn Summerhayes, Theresa Peters, David Lonner, and Raffaella de Angelis.

At Endeavor, thank you to my longtime friend and agent, Nancy Josephson, to Graham Taylor, and the adorable Michelle Bohan.

In Movieland my love and appreciation to: Susan Cartsonis, Roz Weisberg, Julie Durk, Lou Pitt, Raquel Carreras, Mark Lindsay, and Nancy Klopper.

Michael Patrick King, I treasure your advice, counsel, and support beyond all telling.

Thank you to the world’s best assistant: Kelly Meehan. More thanks to our interns Megan Stokes and Kasey Tympanick. For your eagle eyes, my thanks to: Suzanne Baboneau, Emily Lavelle, Lauren Lavelle, Jean Morrissey, Rachel Desario, and Brenda Browne. My thanks to Antonia Trigiani for her marketing savvy and vision.

Ann Godoff, thank you for opening the door to my literary career.

Thank you and love to: Larry Sanitsky, Ian Chapman, Caroline Rhea, Nancy Bolmeier Fisher, Catherine Brennan, Craig Fisse, Todd Doughty, John Searles, Jill Gillet, Kim Hovey, Libby McGuire, Jane Von Mehren, Laura Ford, Nigel Stoneman, Debbie Aroff, Meryl Poster, Gayle Perkins Atkins, Joanna Patton, Bill Persky, Mario Cantone, Jerry Dixon, Debra McGuire, Gail Berman, Tom Dyja, Jake Morrissey, Carmen Elena Carrion, Cynthia Rutledge Olson, Brownie and Connie Polly, Susan Fales-Hill, Connie Marks, Wendy Luck, Mary Testa, Dolores and Emil Pascarelli, Elena Nachmanoff, Sharon Watroba Burns, Jim and Mary Hampton, Dee Emmerson, Diane Festa, Joanne Curley Kerner, Jack Hodgins, Ruth Pomerance, Donna Gigliotti, Sally Davies, Sister Karol Jackowski, Allison Roche, Karen Fink, and Max and Robyn Westler.

Thank you Tim and Lucia, for everything else under the sun, and including the sun!

And finally, I am grateful for the photograph of my grandfather Carlo Bonicelli that appears on the dedication page. It was taken around 1930 in his workroom at The Progressive Shoe Shop at 5 West Lake Street in Chisholm, Minnesota. It brought me comfort, strength, and inspiration throughout the process of writing this novel, and it always will.

ADRIANA TRIGIANI is an award-winning playwright, television writer, and documentary filmmaker. The author of the bestselling Big Stone gap series and the bestselling novels Lucia, Lucia, The Queen of the Big Time, and Rococo, she has also written and will be directing the big-screen version of her first novel, Big Stone Gap , in addition to writing the Viola Chesterton Chronicles, a young adult series for HarperCollins Children’s Books. She lives in new York City with her husband and daughter. Visit adrianatrigiani.com for more information.