Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite - 94
Cursed Daughters means a great deal to me, simply because it exists. But I could not – and did not – do it alone. This book is the result of the efforts of many, many people. I have always been fortunate in the people I get to work with, and that’s especially true of my editors. James Roxburgh and L...
Cursed Daughters means a great deal to me, simply because it exists. But I could not – and did not – do it alone. This book is the result of the efforts of many, many people.
I have always been fortunate in the people I get to work with, and that’s especially true of my editors. James Roxburgh and Lee Boudreaux – thank you for your tireless work, your patience with my endless changes, and for just being really cool peeps. Together, I believe we brought about the best version of this story.
Thank you to the Atlantic team – Kate Straker, Felice McKeown, Kirsty Doole – and to the Doubleday team – Michael Goldsmith, Julie Ertle, Gianna Antolos, and Anne Jaconette. Thank you for your dedication and for making me feel like an author princess. And thank you to Emily Mahon and Jaya Miceli; and to Anna Morrison for creating such effervescent covers.
To Clare, agent of agents – your keen eye and fate brought us together, and I am forever grateful. Thank you to Lesley Thorne, for believing in me and my work with such conviction. And to the Aitken Alexander team – Lisa Baker, Anna Hall, Talia Schwartz, Alice De Abaitua, and Matilda Southern-Wilkins – thank you.
Thank you to the Narrative Landscape team, and to all my translation publishers who have given this story a chance. May your faith in me – and in this tale – be richly rewarded.
To my husband, Temidayo Odunlami – my greatest cheerleader, the one who reads every draft, talks me through mental blocks, and once rewrote a few sentences himself when my brain was melting. Thank you.
To my father, Akin Braithwaite, who kept reminding me how long it had been since my debut was published – and didn’t let up until I finally put fingers to keyboard. Without him, this story might still be trapped in my head.
If I thanked everyone I want to, this section would be longer than the book. So, rapid-fire …
Thank you to my tribe – for the care and support with the baby, without which I would not have had the time or capacity to write this book: my sweet sweet mother, Tokunbo Braithwaite; my mother-in-law, Funlola Odunlami; my dear aunty, Lara Bolarinde; my sisters, Obafunke Braithwaite and Siji Okeke; my brother, Ore Braithwaite; my in-laws, Bayo and Remi Odunlami; my cousins, Gbeminiyi Osidipe and Olu Otudeko; and many many aunties. It truly takes a village.
To my readers – Temidayo Odunlami, Obafunke Braithwaite, Funlola Odunlami, and Adebola Rayo Falade – thank you for your insight and encouragement.
Most of all, I thank God – for the immeasurable grace, support, and love I’ve experienced on this journey. And for the gift of imagination.