The Bones of Paradise

For Ross Agee

One realizes that human relationships are the tragic necessity of human life.

—
WILLA CATHER

M
y gratitude goes to Brent Spencer, my husband, for offering a home for my imagination and my heart; to my daughter, Brenda, for coming home when it mattered most; to Nora for bringing joy and laughter to our family when we needed it; to my sisters, Jackie and Cindy B. and Cindy A.; to my nephews and nieces, who hold the future, Talbot, Travis, Mike, Ross, Blythe, Tara, Ashton, and Laura; to my friends Mollie and Terry Foster, Gillian Howell, Leslie Adrienne Miller, Tom Redshaw, Elizabeth Redshaw, Lon Otto, Jim Cihlar and Bill Reichard, Diana Hopkins, Greg Hewett and Tony Hainault, Tim Schaffert and Rodney Rahl, Dave Madden and Neal Nuttbrock, Gwen Foster and Wheeler Dixon, Carla and Randy Stout, and Sharon and Teddy Warner; to Rebecca Rotert and Bud Shaw, neighbors and writers par excellence; to Noah Ballard for encouragement; to Mad Jack Hill and Ian Rogers, who dug me out from the hailstorm so I could write; to Micah Hansen, who keeps me riding right; to Joni, whose bright smile lightens the day; and to Alexandra Kafka, who does it all at my house. A special thanks to my students over the years, who continue to inspire me with their extraordinary talent and generous spirits. Thanks to Laura Cherkas for her meticulous copyediting.
Thanks to Heid Erdrich for her careful reading. I am especially grateful to my agent, Emma Sweeney, who is the best friend a writer and animal lover could have! You believed in this book. And finally, I thank my editor, Jessica Williams, for her vision and support in seeing this novel to its completion. You made it happen!