Starry Night (34 page)

I want to give huge shout-outs to my beloved brothers, and the brothers of my friends growing up, who taught me a lot about what good guys were like. Thank you, dear friends, all of you—the ones I met when I was five and the ones I met in my forties—for being Sams. (“Sam” is a word my father uses when describing someone who is by your side and helps you along the way.)

I would love it if every single teacher and tutor in my life read this page so I could say thank you to them—especially the drama and art teachers, but really all of them. And I want to thank all the schools I ever went to, and everyone inside them.

I would like to thank every boyfriend I ever had. Nothing is better than a boyfriend.

I am calling loudly up to heaven to thank the great Nora Ephron. I didn't know her very well, but she was my north star, especially with this book.

Bill Clegg, to whom this book is dedicated: I will spend the rest of my life grateful that he made me feel like a writer—for real. I heartily also thank his assistants Shaun Dolan and Chris Clemans for being so
on it
and helpful, always.

FSG!!! A tornado of thanks must sweep through the FSG offices, hitting everyone in its path, but the first office it must tear through is that of my editor, Joy Peskin. Thank you, Joy, for finding me and pulling
Starry Night
out of me so calmly, with huge encouragement and careful, smart guidance. I adore and appreciate working with you. This tornado must also hit the copy editors Karen Ninnis (whose red markings and comments I fell in love with) and Karla Reganold, for overseeing everything. It is no small task copyediting a dyslexic. Thank you to the fun and sharp publicity whiz, Molly Brouillette! And Kathryn Little for her great work on marketing. Angie Chen for all of her help; Beth Clark, who designed this beautiful cover; and a huge, crashing thank-you to Simon Boughton, whose support I am so grateful for.

Thank you, Mikey, Cat, Grace, Max, and Deirdre for taking care of the kids while I was writing this book and getting it out into the world. I could not ask for smarter, more creative, loving wing-people.

THANK YOU to our kids' other parents, DeSales, Laura, and Gillian. I am extremely fond of our little ecosystem and endlessly grateful for it.

I must thank Maude, our dog, who is now my writing partner.

It makes me cry when I think about how to thank you, husband Peter Lattman, because if there is such a thing as the brightest star in a starry night, you are it. How do you thank the person who is relentlessly by your side? Who continuously gives you joy and happiness and who never stops moving forward with you? It's like trying to thank your breath, or your heartbeat. I guess I'll just say: Thanks, babe. XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Hugh, Sage, and Thomas, thank the Lord for you, darling hearts, for being wonderfully YOU, and for helping me understand more and more about everything—even spelling. This book is being published just as you three are on the cusp of becoming teenagers. Is it weird for me to tell you that I can't wait? I can't wait to see you all fall in love and navigate school and beyond! Ups, downs, whatever, I am by your side cheering for you even when it seems like I'm not and that I don't get it at all. And if I may use a sports metaphor: remember always, I don't care if you make the winning goal, I just
love
watching you play.

—I.G.

Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers

175 Fifth Avenue, New York 10010

 

Text copyright © 2014 by Isabel Gillies

All rights reserved

First hardcover edition, 2014

eBook edition, September 2014

 

macteenbooks.com

 

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The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

 

Gillies, Isabel, 1970–

    Starry night / Isabel Gillies.

        pages cm

    Summary: As fifteen-year-old Wren and her three lifelong best friends celebrate the opening of a major exhibit curated by her father at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wren finds first love with her brother's new friend, Nolan, and the relationship transforms her and her life—not always in good ways.

    ISBN 978-0-374-30675-5 (hardback)

    ISBN 978-0-374-30676-2 (ebook)

    [1. Love—Fiction. 2. Best friends—Fiction. 3. Friendship—Fiction. 4. Artists—Fiction. 5. Family life—New York (State)—New York—Fiction. 6. Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)—Fiction. 7. New York (N.Y.)—Fiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.G4127St 2014

[Fic]—dc23

2014008408

 

eISBN 9780374306762