Cristina Della Coletta, dean of the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, San Diego, graciously translated John Milton’s Italian sonnet for me and provided valuable insight into Milton’s grasp of the Italian language. Greg Peck, assistant professor of horticulture at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, advised me on botany, especially apple trees. My cousin, John Lewis, PhD, spoke to me at length about seventeenth-century Protestantism, helped me wrap my mind around Puritanism, and translated passages into biblical and modern Hebrew for me. My brother, Paul Blankman, helped me track down historically accurate terms (Paul, I still owe you for “sumpters”).
My mother, Lynn Brostrom Blankman, has been my first reader since I started writing stories at age four. Mom, thanks for saying all the things I didn’t want to hear but needed to. And for going over and over the historical timeline with me (“One more time, Anne, when did Milton meet Galileo?”). My agency sister, Sara B. Larson, is always ready to read a manuscript and isn’t afraid to tell me the truth, in her sweet, tactful way (“Anne, this is just my opinion and feel free to take it or leave it, but this part doesn’t really make sense. . . .”). You were spot-on, every time. Lynne Matson, owner of a phone with the most unintentionally funny autocorrect in the world, read an early draft and offered excellent advice.
My father, Peter Blankman, spoke candidly to me about his experiences with severe vision loss. Dad, you probably won’t believe this, but some of my favorite childhood memories include reading books to you and taking you for walks around our neighborhood. I’ll always be grateful to you for being so tough.
My husband and best friend, Mike Cizenski, talked with me for hours about the Royal Society, Galileo, and seventeenth-century science. Mike, I hope I made your electrical engineer’s heart proud. My daughter, Kirsten, was only four when I began working on this book, but her fascination with the night sky convinced me to turn Elizabeth from a poet into a budding scientist. Special thanks to Mike and Kirsten for following me all over England while I researched this book. To my in-laws, Richard and Julie Cizenski, who took care of Kirsten so I could go on a book tour and who always cheer me on.
The relationship between my lifelong friend Alissa Murray Orzea and her late brother, Scott Murray, inspired the dynamic between Elizabeth and Anne Milton. Alissa, whenever I feel weak, I think of Scott’s determination to lead an independent life near his beloved Disney World and I immediately feel stronger. I’m honored to have grown up alongside him.
Thanks to my coworkers at the York County Virginia Public Library System, especially Pat Riter, who remains the ILL goddess. To the booksellers, teachers, librarians, and readers—you are wonderful. As a librarian myself, I know how hard librarians work to put books into patrons’ hands, and I’m deeply grateful for all you do. Thanks also to Becca Fowler, who designed beautiful Traitor Angels tote bags. To the bloggers, especially Hannah McBride of the Irish Banana, who put together an amazing blog tour; Patri and Anasheh of the Fantastic Flying Book Club; Jess of Read My Breath Away; and Danielle of Love at the First Page. A special thanks to the wonderful Sasha Alsberg, who hosted the reveal for the Traitor Angels book trailer. I’m grateful to many booksellers, especially Ward Tefft of Chop Suey Books in Richmond, Virginia; Janet Hutchison of the Open Door Bookstore in Schenectady, New York; and Rachel Strolle of Anderson’s Bookshop in Napier, Illinois. Many thanks also to librarian Serena Butch, who helped me find books to read when I was a little kid, served as my mentor when I was in library school, and has hosted me several times at her library over the past few years. Thanks, Serena, for showing me that books are magic.
And thanks to the men behind this book’s title. I have loved John Milton’s poetry ever since I began reading it as a college student. As the daughter of a man who has dealt with significant eye trauma, I can understand a little of what Milton’s battle with blindness must have been like—and his determination to continue writing despite it fills me with awe. To Galileo Galilei, whose deposition before the Italian Inquisition breaks my heart every time I read it and who kept inventing and experimenting long after he lost his sight. And to Vincenzo Viviani, whose steadfast dedication to his mentor and unsuccessful attempts to clear his name brought me to tears. You three men have haunted me, and I’m grateful to you for teaching me to view the world through a new lens.
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About the Author
Photo by Peter Blankman
ANNE BLANKMAN has lived in New York, Maine, and England and currently resides in Virginia with her husband, Mike, and her young daughter, Kirsten. She has been fascinated by English poet John Milton ever since she took a class about him during her senior year at Union College and learned that he had secretly met Galileo after he had been sentenced to house arrest by the Italian Inquisitors. Her daydreams about the men’s possible conversations eventually grew into this book. She is also the award-winning author of Prisoner of Night and Fog and Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke. You can visit her online at www.anneblankman.com.
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Books by Anne Blankman
Prisoner of Night and Fog
Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke
Traitor Angels
Credits
Cover art © 2016 by Sean Freeman
Cover design by Michelle Taormina
Copyright
Balzer + Bray is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
TRAITOR ANGELS. Copyright © 2016 by Anne Blankman Cizenski. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
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ISBN 978-0-06-227887-6
EPub Edition © April 2016 ISBN 9780062278890
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FIRST EDITION
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Anne Blankman, Traitor Angels
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