Regarding all things baseball, I’d like to thank Nate Contrino, Harry Fulton, Carter Strain, and my dad, Chuck Dias, who has been a die-hard Red Sox fan for the last seventysomething years. Any inaccuracies that may remain are mine alone. Regarding all things cricket, I decided to change the names of the professional cricket players mentioned in this story, since these characters are based on real people who are still living.
I can’t imagine writing a book without the insight, encouragement, and honest feedback from my long-time critique partners Joan Paquette, Julie Phillipps, and Kip Wilson. My mother, Carol Dias, also read through the manuscript and helped keep this story on track.
I never would have been able to write this book without the help of friends who have a close connection to Pakistani and Pakistani American culture. Fellow author and friend Hena Khan read through this manuscript several times and offered invaluable insights, even emailing relatives back in Pakistan to find answers to my questions. Fahd Patel, attorney by day and first-time dad by night, was kind enough to reply to an email from a stranger after I stumbled across a Zindagi 360 interview where he talked about his Pakistani American experience. His wife, Sahar Khan, generously provided answers to questions that I didn’t even know I had and read through the manuscript, all while working on her PhD and raising a baby son. My former colleague, Sughra Kolia, is not only a wonderful teacher, but also a kind friend who shared tidbits of her life here in the US and in Karachi. My thanks to Amrita Love and Shaziya Ali, who are sweeter than jalebi.
My students have inspired my writing more than they will ever know. One of my many, many wishes for them is that they will one day tell their own stories from their own unique world experiences. I hope that my students and all readers will follow the good work behind We Need Diverse Books, an organization that helps people of all ages find and value their own stories.
My biggest thanks go to Davide, who gives me the encouragement and time to write; Teah, who always knows when I need a latte break; Sofia, who offered her own insights on the manuscript; and Jordan, who let me use his name for a baseball-playing girl. I am so very lucky to have you all on my team.
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