Walk like a Man (27 page)

I am indebted to my early readers. Deep thanks to my mother, Greg, Peter, Colin, Clare, Stacey May, and Athena for their insights and support.

CLOSER TO HOME . . .

A considerable debt of gratitude to Domenique Rosenblum for her patience and understanding. A struggling writer has never had a better landlady.

Xander, thank you. I know you understand what it's like to be bubbling over with an obsession. You're not that pointy-headed little baby any more, and I didn't realize, as overwhelmed and blown away as I was the day you were born, that those feelings wouldn't fade, that they'd grow stronger every day.

And Cori.

It's a cliché to say that words don't do something justice, but anyone who's read this far knows that “thank you” is really insufficient when it comes to you, Cor. For more than two decades you've been with me every step of the way, and I shudder to think of how those years would have been, who I would have become, without you.

I've said it before and I stand by it: you're the strongest woman I know. This book was a hard one, on a number of levels, and you never flinched. Knowing that even when things are rough we can meet across a page—yours or mine—means more to me than I can express. You have always been, and remain, my first reader, my fiercest champion, my wisest critic. In these, and so many other ways, I am blessed to have you in my life.

DUANE PRENTICE/NOMADIC VISIONS PHOTOGRAPHY

ROBERT J. WIERSEMA is an independent bookseller, a reviewer who contributes regularly to several national newspapers, and the best-selling author of two novels:
Before I Wake
and
Bedtime
Story.
He lives in Victoria, British Columbia.