Blue (15 page)

I discovered this story with the help of many experts and owe a great deal of credit to them. To Carolyn Yoder of Calkins Creek Books, who sent me digging for hidden history and taught me how to write about it. (I never expected to get the nurture of an editor who was so writer-friendly and professionally demanding!) To Patti Gauch for a great writing weekend that took my work to another level, and to Kent Brown and all the folks at The Highlights Foundation for providing the workshops that shaped this story. To Katya Rice, who somehow managed to reconcile Ann Fay's voice with a copy editor's passion for good sentence structure, and to Helen Robinson, who made
Blue
so beautiful. To the experts who helped me understand the effects of polio and the Miracle of Hickory story—John Myer, Shelby Duane, Daniel Moury, Eubert Sigmon, Margaret Hunt, Maria Winkler-Hyams, Inez Sigmon, Ramona Hartzler, John Nyce, and especially Ruth Morton. (Thanks to Ruth, Ramona, John Nyce, and Shelby for reading the manuscript and giving me feedback.) To senior citizens who answered my questions about life during World War II—Hal and Pauline Willis, Jack and Clara Abernethy, Clarence and Irene Lynch, and especially my parents, Wellington and Evangeline Moyer. To Larry Mosteller, who shared his expertise on antique cars,
and to Kay for the books on antiques. To Debbie Richey of Sentimental Journey Antiques, for answering my nitpicky questions. To Michael Shaddix, senior librarian at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, who shared priceless photos, scrapbooks, and other artifacts, answered questions, and read pertinent parts of the manuscript. To Sydney Halma at the Catawba County Historical Association, who answered numerous questions, made precious archival materials available, and read the manuscript for accuracy. To David W. Rose, archivist for the March of Dimes, who clarified historical information for me. To Carol McCormick of the University of North Carolina Herbarium, for sharing her expertise on North Carolina plant life. To my friends at Patrick Beaver Memorial Library, Catawba County Library, Greensboro Public Library, Davidson University Library, and Tuskegee Institute. To Doris Jean and Anne for their hospitality and help with research. To my writer friends who critiqued my manuscript and held my hand during the breathless waiting—Christine Taylor-Butler, Jen Mann, Kathy Erskine, Vy Armour, and especially Marilyn Hershey, who believed in me when I needed it most. To loved ones who read the manuscript and gave me feedback—Wendy, Kathleen, Joanne, Jeannie, Jessie, Grace, Miriam, Lovena, Elma, Rick, Ruth, Kelly, Kay, and Larry. To Shirley Cunningham, the eighth-grade teacher who forecast my future as a writer, and to David Hazard, who at one of those many writer events affirmed my teacher's predictions. And last but also first, to my husband, Chuck Hostetter, whose expertise lies in loving generously, funding my writing addiction, and listening to the many agonies involved, both mine and those of my characters.