Black Cake: A Novel (35 page)

For my parents.
All four of them.

I
f it takes a village
to raise a child, then the same might be said for this book. I am happily indebted to Madeleine Milburn who, together with her talented team of literary agents and assistants, opened a series of doors that ultimately led to publication. Many thanks to editors Jessica Leeke and Hilary Rubin Teeman for embracing this novel with open hearts, questioning minds, and discerning eyes, and to everyone at Penguin Michael Joseph and Ballantine who nurtured and nudged this project out into the world. A special thank-you to those who have encouraged me along the way: my family, GR, and my bookworm friends, some of whom took the time to read through the early pages of this novel. Finally, a shout-out to my fellow writers, including the brilliant ArmadillHers, who inspire me daily with their love of stories and life and their concern for our world.

Charmaine Wilkerson
is an American writer who has lived in Jamaica and is based in Italy. A graduate of Barnard College and Stanford University, she is a former journalist whose award-winning short fiction has appeared in various magazines and anthologies.
Black Cake
is her first novel.

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