Yield, by Lee Houck

About 8 years ago, I received fan emails from a young man and his librarian mother. Both had read my first novel, both loved it, both made a point of writing to me. Both emails were among the most lovely and literate of appreciations. I was very charmed by them.

Over the years I've kept in touch with the young man, also a young writer, and encouraged him periodically, and even worked with him privately as a writing tutor at one point. Now he's published his first novel, Yield, a sort of...