by Ilze Hugo
I am deeply indebted to my agent, Stacia Decker. Thank you for believing in me and going above and beyond to get this book into the world.
To my superhero of an editor, Mike Braff, for taking a chance on this crazy book and helping me to make it even better.
To Nathan Burton and Andres Juarez. Thank you so much guys; the cover rocks!
To Linda Sawicki for her eagle eyes and for teaching me what a pot plant is. Everyone else at Skybound and Simon & Schuster without whose hard work behind the scenes this book wouldn’t have happened: Kate Caudill, Joe Monti, Madison Penico, Alexandre Su, Lauren Jackson, and Shauna Wynne.
A big thank you to Alison Lowry, for her generous advice and unending patience.
The following people also kindly offered their time to read drafts and/or give advice: Dr. Ralph Goodman, Stephanie Van Gelderen, Annette Klinger, Nadia Kamies, Anette Hugo, Nobukho Nqaba, Imraan Coovadia, David Cornwell, Lucia Saks. (I didn’t always listen, though, so any faults, blunders, factual inconsistencies, and all the other sucky bits in this text are entirely of my own making.)
To the National Research Foundation, who awarded me with the necessary financial assistance to complete the first draft.
To Daniel, my rock, my muse.
To my children, Kai and Maia, of whom I am incredibly proud.
To my mom, who gave me the best gift in the world—a lifelong love of reading—and without whose belief and constant cheerleading this book would never have seen the light of day. And to my dad, who gave me the next best gift—a sense of humor.
And to Evermore Chaka: Your patience, kindness, and never-ending optimism is an inspiration. Thank you for keeping me sane.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ILZE HUGO is a South African author with degrees in fine arts and English studies, along with a master’s in creative writing from the University of Cape Town. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies like The Ghost-Eater and Other Stories and My Holiday Shorts. As a freelance writer, she’s written for magazines, guidebooks, ad campaigns, and even the odd comic. She lives by the ocean in Muizenberg, Cape Town, with her husband and two children.
FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR:
SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Ilze-Hugo
SimonandSchuster.com
SKYBOUND.COM
@SkyboundBooks
We hope you enjoyed reading this Simon & Schuster ebook.
Get a FREE ebook when you join our mailing list. Plus, get updates on new releases, deals, recommended reads, and more from Simon & Schuster. Click below to sign up and see terms and conditions.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
Already a subscriber? Provide your email again so we can register this ebook and send you more of what you like to read. You will continue to receive exclusive offers in your inbox.
Skybound Books
Gallery Books
An Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2020 by Ilze Hugo
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Gallery Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Skybound Books/Gallery Books hardcover edition May 2020
Skybound Books is a registered trademark owned by Skybound, LLC.
GALLERY BOOKS and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or [email protected].
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Interior design by Michelle Marchese
Jacket design and illustration by Nathan Burton Design
Author photograph by Stephanie Van Gelderen
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN 978-1-9821-2154-9
ISBN 978-1-9821-2153-2 (ebook)