Gratitude

by Joseph Kertes

  I thank others who offered valuable advice on the manuscript: Kenneth Ballen, Craig Patterson and Antanas Sileika, foremost among them. But others, too: Nancy Burt, who praised the work, and Naomi Gordon, Mel Solman and Marianna Meyer-Krahmer, who inspired three of the episodes in the novel, as well as Mary Jo Morris, who repeatedly offered to help.

  Many good friends and family have cheered me on: Linda and H.H. Au and their family, my Bandel cousins, Mark Breslin, Ernest Chambers, Wayson Choy, Vassiliki Daskalaki, Jack David, Heidi Davis, Anthony De Sa, Michael Helm, Lillian, Jesse and Andrea Kertes, Zoe and Talia Kertes, Ben Labovitch, John Lovatt, Kim Moritsugu, Athena Papageorge, Peter and Stan Papageorge and their families, Elizabeth Manson, the Nemets, Yolanda Perez, Otto Ratz and Otto Ratz Jr., Dolly Reisman, Snaige and Antanas Sileika and their sons, Paul Quarrington, Grace and Henry Sadowski, Eve Shea, Janet Somerville, Gunild Spiess, Jordan Sugar, the Ungars, especially Susie and Tom, Helen Walsh, Norma Weiner and Hubert Saint-Onge, and Eric Wright.

  And my loyal family at Humber College: Diana Belshaw, John Bourgeois, Denny and Rose Christianson, Andrew Clark, Paul Court, Charlotte Empey and Larry Grzebinski, David Flaherty and Jayne Eastwood, Lorne Frohman and Linda Chandler and the other Frohmans, Maria Gonsalves, Cynthia Good, Squee and Mary Gordon, Val Hewson, Hilary Higgins, Richard and Josette Hook, David Kemp, Marc Lappano, Madeleine Matte, Cathy Mitro, Ian Smith, and Jerry and Wendy Smith.

  I’m not sure why it’s unusual to do so, but I thank the kind writers who took a chance and agreed to endorse this novel: Wayson Choy, Roddy Doyle, Bruce Jay Friedman, Ha Jin and M.G. Vassanji.

  And my loyalest of families: my wife Helen and daughters Angela and Natalie. They are always urging me on, always wanting to look over my shoulder as I write, always pushing my work on others. Dear, sweet girls, all three.