Anya and the Nightingale
Page 25
Shavua tov: “Have a good week.” Said at the end of Havdalah to wish everyone a good and productive week until the next Shabbat.
Shavuot: “Weeks,” a harvest festival at the end of spring that commemorates the receiving of the Torah from God by Moses. Traditionally, dairy products are eaten on this holiday, especially blintzes (cheese-filled thin pancakes), called bliny in Russia.
Sivan: the name for the month on the Hebrew calendar that usually falls in May to June
synagogue: a Jewish house of worship. Sometimes called a shul or a temple.
Talmud: Jewish civil and ceremonial law discussed and debated by historic rabbis and recorded as a discussion of what the Torah means
Torah: also called the Pentateuch; the first five books of the Hebrew Bible
Acknowledgments
Writing a first book is fun but tough.
Writing a second book is . . . impossible.
But somehow, they get written. Mine got written with the support of some very amazing people:
Erika Turner, my editor at Versify, who weathered my anxious emails and gave me insight and advice. I’m awed by how you “get” this book and how you’re able to really touch the very deepest heart of it.
Rena Rossner, superstar agent extraordinaire, who speed-read an early draft at my request and who, incredibly, endures my silliness and gif-posting with the bearing of a queen.
Jeff Langevin nailed my cover yet again. He has thus far taken all my half-baked and unformed suggestions and turned them into visual perfection.
My family: my husband, for literally everything. My daughter, for being proud of me. My son, for keeping me humble. My mother-in-law, my mom, my sister, my nieces and nephews—all their positivity and support and excitement got me through times when I was tired and weary and feeling like giving up.
The SLC Writers Group gang didn’t get to read this book the same way they got to read the first one, but that didn’t stop them from being jazzed about it. Everyone needs cheerleaders, and I’ve got the very best group of them.
To the Utah Novel19s: our debut year was WILD and I would have had a much harder time without you. You’re all amazing people, talented writers, and incredible friends!
And finally, thank you, thank you, dear reader. I hope you’ve found what you were looking for.
Sofiya Pasternack
versifybooks.tumblr.com
About the Author
Author photograph by Elisha Frey
SOFIYA PASTERNACK is a nurse whose fondest childhood memories involve her pet goats wrecking the house. When she’s not working at the hospital, she can be found enjoying Utah’s wild places, teaching her kids to make challah, and writing whatever new story has taken up residence in her brain.
sofiyapasternack.com
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