The name Eldaah means "Knowledge of God." In Genesis 25:4, there is mention of Eldaah, son of Midian, of Abraham with Keturah.
Any readers who are interested in a behind-the-scenes peek at how I came to write Season of the Witch, please visit my Web site: www.natashamostert.com.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Season of the Witch was a joy to write-and an adventure. Many thanks to everyone who was there with me, slamming the ride.
I am indebted to the entire team at Penguin Dutton. In particular, I am privileged to work with my editor, Julie Doughty. Julie, thanks for insisting that I deepen the emotional heart of the book.
And then there's Jonny! Innovative, tireless and totally hands-on, Jonny Geller is the kind of agent authors dream of having in their corner. I am also immeasurably grateful to Deborah Schneider for all the hard work she did on my behalf and for believing in this book right from the start.
To my wonderful friends and first readers-Catherine Gull, Diane Hofmeyr, Sonja Lewis and Niki Muller-thank you all. Your feedback is treasured. A special thank-you to Gaynor Rupert, whose meticulous eye was invaluable as always, and who saved me from embarrassment more than once. Fellow scribe Ian Watson is a Jedi, and I am grateful for his support and advice.
Thanks to my brother Frans, for reading through the manuscript in one sitting and for catching a fatal flaw in the book, which might have escaped us all. Thanks to my brother Stefan, who always reminds me to think visually. Thank you to kickboxing champ Carlos Andrade for keeping this desk-bound author healthy and for not allowing me to take myself too seriously.
Hantie Prins, my mother, is an imaginer and a constant source of inspiration. She walked this journey with me.
Frederick, my brilliant, compassionate husband, is my lifeline. If not for him, I would never have the courage to turn dreams into words.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Natasha Mostert is also the author of The Midnight Side, The Other Side of Silence and Windwalker. Educated in South Africa and at Columbia University in New York, Mostert holds graduate degrees in Lexicography and Applied Linguistics and has worked as an academic and a freelance journalist. You can see more at her Web site: www.natashamostert.com. She lives in London.
