by Jill Cox
Special thanks to my cousin Jimmy – the real-life version of Pete’s friend, James – for the Mandarin help in chapter fifteen (and for being my lifelong cheerleader). Extra special thanks to Irish natives Gillian Lake and Liam Arbuthnot, who read big sections of my earliest drafts to help the Irish characters sound as authentic as possible. Any cultural gaffes are my own.
Tackle hugs to all my writerly friends, both in north Texas and beyond. Thanks especially to those of you who have messaged on the regular to check in behind the scenes.
To my co-workers: I have no doubt I was placed among you during this moment in time so that I could be surrounded by your particular mixture of common sense, laughter, and kindness. Thank you all for cheering me forward and for being such unwavering, faithful friends.
The best gift ever has been watching my friends’ daughters read Meredith’s story. Hugs to Shea Becker, Lauren & Megan Grace DeVore, Abby Dinges, Rose Duncan, Kate Gerwig, Macie Krause, Abigail & Audrey An Meletio, and Kaitlyn & Lauren White for reminding me why I wrote this series in the first place.
Finally, a gigantic, epic THANK YOU to everyone who has supported The Bridge and The Long Walk – from the book clubs who championed my work to the teachers who shared it with their students (especially my aunt, Jeannie Beckett, and my friends, Jill Becker and Emily Malone), as well as every reader who posted photos and reviews online. I had no clue until now just how much your encouragement would fuel my heart. Each and every one of you have changed my life forever.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jill Cox studied French Language and Literature so she could move to Paris, and then taught high school French so she could convince others to join in on the fun. Even though she’s a Texas native, Jill spends more time than she should imagining ways to visit her three favorite spots on the planet: the Oregon coast, the city of Paris, and western Ireland. Find out more about Jill on jillcoxbooks.com, or follow her on social media: @jillcoxbooks.
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
© 2018 by Jill Cox and Tower 19 Press
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to places, events, organizations, and/or persons living or deceased is purely coincidental.
ISBN 978-0-9982200-3-1 (digital)
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Cover design and illustration by Sarah Huggins Oister
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Printed in the United States of America