Essays

Well, I’m delighted by the early reaction to The Friend of the Family, which is one of my favorites of own works. In fact, I’m so pleased that I have not yet kneecapped any reviewer, though of course that option is never taken off the table. There are certain venues frequented by deranged individuals who would savage one’s book if they thought there was no danger of massive violent response; worse, they would not only savage it but do so without first buying it, which is an unforgivable faux pas.

This is a novel about an outsider, a young woman named Alida, who has endured much humiliation and loneliness as an exhibit in a carnival sideshow of “human oddities.” Don’t worry: there’s nothing icky about her. Suddenly she is rescued from her dire circumstances and brought into a life with a loving and prosperous family who recognize her value. Of course that is only the beginning of her story. If that were her entire story, the novel would be only 30 pages, and my publisher would no doubt have returned the manuscript to me with acerbic references to various clauses in our contract. The people at my publishing house are lovely and kind, but they know a con man when they see one.

In this 370-page story, an individual from Alida’s dismal past is certain at any moment to show up and behave like the exasperating, destructive lowlife you expect him to be. However, there are other threats no less dangerous than he. A writer I admire said there is more story crammed into these 370 pages than into other novels twice as long, and he didn’t even want to be paid for that endorsement. You can trust him. I do.

Writing about an outsider like Alida sort of came natural to me, because I grew up feeling like the Outsider of the Century. However, there was no such award given, so I didn’t have a big, fancy, gold-plated trophy to brag on. By the age of 18, I learned that some people could be persuaded that an outsider was a cool thing to be—me and Bob Dylan, living on the edge, like two rolling stones! The problem was that those who could be persuaded were only a small fraction of those who knew me, and the one guy that was persuaded changed his mind three days later. Then of course Bob Dylan became the ultimate insider, and I was alone again as an outsider, with no one to sing with.

Anyway, The Friend of the Family is a suspenseful, swift, and emotional story that I believe you will enjoy almost as much as Watchers. Furthermore, it makes a fine gift, even for Aunt Crabby or Uncle Grump. The Friend of the Family is available in hardcover, eBook, and audio. For a suitable fee, I will sit at your bedside and read it aloud to you over ten evenings.