Song of the Spirits (102 page)

If there are any other similarities to real farms or personages, they are purely the product of chance.

I
would like once again to thank everyone who helped make this novel happen, above all, my editors Melanie Blank-Schröder, Sabine Cramer, and Margi von Cossart, who really pored over every detail to make sure it was correct. My miracle-working agent Bastian Schlück also deserves mention. And as always, Klara Decker, who helped with the Internet research and test reading—I’m filled with awe every single time someone can retrieve the name of the chief secretary for Ireland in 1896 from the Internet with three mouse clicks. I’d also like to thank the cobs—and the other horses too—for not throwing me off when, on their backs, I lapsed into daydreams of love and sorrow in New Zealand, and my friends, who remained patient when I withdrew for entire weeks after leaving nothing more than the note “I’ll be in New Zealand.”

My border collie, Cleo, was both an inspiration and a model, this time for Callie. In appearing in this novel, she will have superseded her namesake in
In the Land of the Long White Cloud
in age. The breed does indeed live a long time. Nevertheless, thank you to everyone who kept track and wrote to ask whether a dog can really live to be twenty years old. You can’t get anything past discerning readers!

Photo © Gonzalo Perez, 2011

Sarah Lark’s series of “landscape novels” have made her a bestselling author in Germany, her native country, as well as Spain and the United States. She was born in Germany’s Ruhr region, where she discovered a love of animals—especially horses—early in life. She has worked as an elementary-school teacher, travel guide, and commercial writer. She has also written numerous award-winning books about horses for adults and children, one of which was nominated for the Deutsche Jugendbuchpreis, Germany’s distinguished prize for best children’s book. Sarah currently lives with four dogs and a cat on her farm in Almería, Spain, where she cares for retired horses, plays guitar, and sings in her spare time.

Photo © Sanna Stegmaier, 2011

D. W. Lovett is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from which he received a degree in comparative literature and German as well as a certificate from the university’s Center for Translation Studies. He has spent the last few years living in Europe.