A Girl in Three Parts

by Suzanne Daniel

  Catherine magically got my manuscript under the noses of great people in publishing in Australia, and on a day that I was attending a School Governance Symposium, she juggled offers and achieved an outcome that, to borrow Allegra’s words, had me “bowled over bloody astonished.” How fortunate for me to sign with Pan Macmillan and be placed under the wing of publishing director extraordinaire Cate Paterson, my editor. Thank you, Cate, for taking me on, backing, supporting, and developing me. I feel I’ve known you my whole life, and I hope that I do for the rest of it.

  And heartfelt thanks to the magnificent Danielle Walker, senior editor, who has worked closely with me and responds to everything with expertise and grace. My thanks go also to Brianne Collins for her outstanding copyediting skills and to Sammy Mason and Adrik Kemp.

  And while I was recovering from all that excitement, in downward dog at a yoga retreat, Catherine called from a business trip to New York with the heart-racing news…Knopf Books for Young Readers had picked up Allegra with enthusiasm and was keen to publish her in the US and Canada. It was certainly hard to hold any poses after that! Special thanks to the fabulous Katherine Harrison for her excellent guidance and support and to Allegra’s champions at Knopf, Melanie Nolan and Judith Haut. My gratitude goes also to copyeditors Janet Frick, Artie Bennett, and Alison Kolani; managing editor Jake Eldred; and Nathan Kinney in production. And the clever artists and designers Alison Impey and Liz Casal, who dressed Allegra brightly with the beautiful cover.

  I had some early readers or listeners who gave me encouragement and valuable advice, especially my wonderful cousin Alanna Swanson, but also Julie King, Helen Moore, Deb McGill, Kylie Pickett, Bronwyn Delaney, Mary McGlinchey, Louise Humphreys, Bridget Walsh, Kate Perkins, Lella Pacetto, and Anita Belgiorno-Nettis. My nephew Paddy Leary, an avid reader and skilled surfer, reviewed the surfing scenes and waved me through. Paddy, I was in the room when you were born, and you were there as my adviser twenty-three years later. Alanna’s daughter Molly Swanson was about twelve when I first sent her Allegra’s thoughts, words, and feelings, and she provided an invaluable sounding board, letting me know if it was “real” for Allegra to think, speak, and feel this way. My friend Phil Macken put me in touch with surfing-culture legend Albe Falzon, director of the Morning of the Earth film in 1971, the first Australian film to receive a Gold Record for album sales. Albe was super helpful, and what wonderful, rounded, and long discussions we had. Thanks, Albe—and keep enjoying those pristine waves at Crezzo! Another friend, Tony Boutagy, rode the old Bulahdelah bends on his bike to check exactly where those “bloody good burgers” were once sold, and pointed out that it was because Liszt didn’t have the usual webbing between his fingers that he had extra span on the piano keys. Léone Ziegler, a most talented violinist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, listened to my offbeat idea that Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2 could provide the right tempo for Matilde to throw the dough when making her cherry strudel. Léone counted it out and confirmed that, yes, this could indeed be possible.

  I’d like to thank my sisterhood: those who are dear to me from school, university, work, travels, and life. Those who have walked, talked, and laughed with me: bolstered, balanced, and expanded me. Within that group are some who have been particularly supportive of this project. Diana Mills and Mary Beatty read my manuscript, closely, and discussed it like it was one of our children. Allegra, it seems, became as real for them as she did for me. And my lifelong friends Claire Allen and Serena Sanderson: I’m blessed by their friendship because it truly is the color of sunshine. I’d like to acknowledge, too, Madeleine Pedersen, Annette Tynan, my cousin (more sister) Kate Melrose, Claire Tynan, Madeline Tynan, Jacinta Tynan, Maria Vladetta, Hilary Hannam, Caroline Furlong, Kerry Henville, Kathryn Cistulli, Helen Hamblin, Narelle Pye, Robyn and Hannah Silverton, Karen Barkl, Bin Farrell, Peta Daniel, Penny O’Meara, Sarah Buntine, Geraldine Kondilios, Lisa McSweeney, Deb McKeith, Maree Mangan, Kath Daniel, James Leary, Andrew Leary, Chris Manion, Peter Hall, and Mark Forstmann. Because, as Joy says, “Friendship is so fortifying for we girls”…and I’d like to add…for boys, too!

  On the last day before I got my manuscript to Catherine, I had great help from Maureen Whirfler and my daughter Franny with proofreading, every-single-word. Franny’s friend Ali Littlewood turned up in the evening thinking she was setting off for a night out with Franny, but instead she set to work with us, printing and collating. Ali, you became my friend, too, that day. Thank you.

  I grew up in Yowie Bay with two very different grandmothers, Mollie and May, who lived on opposite sides of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. I was close to them both, but neither of them was much like Joy or Matilde. Although Nanny (Mollie) was about the most loving person I’ve ever known, and, in many ways, she was my harbor.

  Finally, I’d like to remember with great love my mother-in-law, Cyndy, and my extraordinary mother, Colleen. My mother gave me the finest example of strength of character, steadfastness, intellectual curiosity, inclusiveness, enthusiasm, compassion, kindness, and great cooking, and even though she told me to “sit up like a lady,” she was, in spirit and by action, a fabulous feminist.

  Both of these women were educated by the same order of nuns who educated me, the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Heart. And those strong, clever, kind, and life-loving sisters taught us all to pursue truth, social justice, and empowerment. They really were, and remain, an unsung yet important element of “the sisterhood.”

  © Nick Epoff

  Suzanne Daniel is a journalist and communications consultant who has also worked for ABC-TV, the Sydney Morning Herald, the United Nations, the BBC (London), and in crisis management and social services. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s in jounalism and was awarded a Vincent Fairfax Fellowship for ethical leadership. For the past twenty years, she has served on community, philanthropic, and public-company boards. Suzanne lives in Sydney with her husband and family. This is her first novel.

  suzannedaniel.net

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