Publishing a first novel is an act of faith. A great many people came together and put tremendous time and effort into this project, solely because they believed in me and in my book. I would like to take a moment to give special thanks to a few of those who have played a pivotal role in this adventure.
First and foremost, to Rebecca Oliver, the most remarkable literary agent any author could hope for. There are only a handful of people who have single-handedly changed my life. You are at the top of that list.
To Judith Curr and the extraordinary staff at Atria Books for championing my work. In the current political climate, many publishers would be nervous about promoting a book of fiction about the birth of Islam. And yet Judith has shown once again that she is a visionary who has the courage of her convictions.
To Peter Borland, my editor and friend, who has patiently and enthusiastically guided this novel to publication. To Rosemary Ahern, whose detailed advice helped me craft the book into final form. And to Suzanne O’Neill, who first fell in love with the idea of a novel on Aisha and set the wheels into motion.
To my television agent, Scott Seidel, for passing along my initial manuscript to his colleagues in New York. When I told Scott I wanted to publish my novel, he said he would do everything he could to make it happen. He proved to be a man of his word, a rare quality in Hollywood.
To my managers, Jennifer Levine and Jason Newman, who supported me during the long and arduous process of crafting this work while balancing a hectic film and television career. And to all my agents at Endeavor, who have opened so many doors for me as a writer: Tom Strickler, Ari Greenburg, Bryan Besser, Tom Wellington, Hugh Fitzpatrick, and many others. Thank you for taking me seriously every time I come to you with a crazy new idea.
To my elder sister, Nausheen Pasha-Zaidi, the first published author in my family. Her beautiful novel, The Colour of Mehndi, inspired me to stop procrastinating and start writing. To my younger sister and best friend, Shaheen, who patiently read through every single page of this book as it evolved and never feared to give constructive criticism.
And to my parents. For encouraging me to dream.
Kamran Pasha is a writer and producer for NBC's highly anticipated new television series Kings