THE GIRLWhen people ask me what the new book is about, I say: “It is about a g...

THE GIRL
When people ask me what the new book is about, I say: “It is about a girl and a squirrel.”
The girl’s name is Flora Belle Buckman.
She is a surprisingly helpful cynic.
She is a reader of comics.
She loves words.
She is a little bit strange.
One of my best friends read the book and exclaimed, “She’s you!”
“Me?” I said. “Really? That never even occurred to me.”
My friend rolled her eyes.
The next day I talked to my editor and said, “A good friend of mine just told me that Flora is me....