ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book never would have happened if I hadn't fallen out of the boat in Deubendorff Rapid during my first Grand Canyon trip. Which might seem odd, given the fact that my so-called swim lasted for just thirty terrifying seconds. But with the terror came an exhilaration I hadn't felt for ages, and before I even dried out, I was already writing about it. I wouldn't know there was a novel here until much, much later, but the experience has fueled most of my writing since that day.And so right off the bat I give a tremendous amount of thanks and blessings to Ed Ha.s.se of Arizona Raft Adventures. Ed was my paddle guide that day, and we got off course in Deubendorff. As the boat reared up, I toppled over the back; Ed grabbed onto my ankle for the briefest of seconds, then let me go, physically and spiritually, down into the deep. A lot of people have written very eloquently about what it's like to swim a big rapid; the most accurate comparison for me lies in the expression "getting maytagged." I was sucked down and spun around and finally ejected back into the sunlight, after which I truly felt like an unexpected rebirth had taken place. And so thank you, Ed, for letting go. Thank you, too, for all your advice and detailed comments on the ma.n.u.script.That first trip jump-started a continuing pa.s.sion for the river, and several years later I had the opportunity to go down again-this time as a guide's a.s.sistant. Thanks to Arizona Raft Adventures' Rob Elliott, Diane Ross, and Katherine Spillman for this last-minute offer, which gave me a much-needed inside view of a guide's life. A warm and heartfelt thanks to my magnificent guides: Bill Mobley, Jan Sullivan, Jerry c.o.x, Jessica Cortright, and Jon Harned. With a great deal of patience (and a lot of ribbing) they taught me how to rig a boat, read a rapid, set up a kitchen, and cook a bang-up meal for twenty-five in one of the most exquisite environments in the world. May you all continue to welcome other travelers into the magical world below the rim.My entire river education has been supremely enriched through a deep friendship with artist Scott Reuman, Zen Master of Flowing Water. Thanks to Scott for reading and critiquing the ma.n.u.script, and for always being available to answer questions both ba.n.a.l and profound. Why do you use four buckets to wash the dishes? Ask Scott. What's so cool about a river trip? Ask Scott.And to another invaluable source, Maureen Ryan of Grand Canyon Dories-thank you for pondering my "what-ifs" and offering so much insight into a guide's thought process. I am forever grateful for our sessions at Vic's, for your careful reading and commenting on the ma.n.u.script in progress, and for your continuing friendship.To all the members of my fabulous writing group-Marilyn Krysl, Gail Storey, Julene Bair, Lisa Jones, and Janis Hallowell-what would I have done without you? My love and heartfelt thanks for your critical ears and wise comments, week after week after week. More love and thanks to Lisa Halperin and Laura Uhls, too, for reading and critiquing the ma.n.u.script in its final stages.Some people may not have realized they played such an important role in this project, and I wish to extend my grat.i.tude to them: my in-laws, John and Madeleine Schlag, for suggesting the trip in the first place; Graham Fogg, professor of geology at UC Davis, for steering me away from an implausible premise; Artie and Patty and Renee and Kees and Scott, for taking me down the Green; and, above all, my beloved parents, John and Betty Hyde, for all those trips in the red canoe, which despite its unfortunate disappearance is out there on some lake or stream, making someone happy.To my New York Crew: down-on-my-knees thanks to my agent, Molly Friedrich, for including me in her very busy life; to my editor, Jordan Pavlin, for having confidence in this novel when it was just a phrase in my mind; to Lucy Carson, for such careful readings of numerous drafts; and to Leslie Levine, for handling all the details at every stage of publication.Thanks to Vic's Cafe in Boulder, not only for all the caffeine but also for the anonymous works.p.a.ce. (You senior noontime ladies rock!)And finally to my husband, Pierre, whose central role in this project goes back to a lunch on our deck one summer day. It was about a year after our first river trip, and I was still obsessed. Since I was writing The Abortionist's Daughter The Abortionist's Daughter at the time, I was trying to turn one of the characters into a river guide. Suffice it to say that I had trouble figuring out how a river guide would end up a criminal detective, and sought Pierre's help. We brainstormed for an hour. at the time, I was trying to turn one of the characters into a river guide. Suffice it to say that I had trouble figuring out how a river guide would end up a criminal detective, and sought Pierre's help. We brainstormed for an hour."Give it up," he finally said. "Go write a whole novel about the river."So I did.

A NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elisabeth Hyde is the author of four previous novels. Born and raised in New Hampshire, she has since lived in Vermont, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Seattle. In 1979 she received her law degree and practiced briefly with the U.S. Department of Justice. She currently lives in Colorado with her husband and three children.

ALSO BY ELISABETH HYDE

The Abortionist's Daughter

Crazy as Chocolate

Monoosook Valley

Her Native Colors