I love discovering an author whom I’ve never read – sometimes never heard of – through friends or other recommendations. When I read a book by such an author, I am apprehensive of what my reaction will be. Just because a friend or family member liked it, will I? Robin Yocum is an example of an author who is new to me and recommended by a family member. I read his novel, The Essay, and I loved it. I slowed down the last thirty or so pages because I did not want it to end, despite wanting to know what would happen to the main character. Fans of the Jeannette Walls’ memoir, The Glass Castle, would enjoy Yocum’s novel about a boy growing up in poverty in Appalachia with not much going for him until two people take an interest in his well-being. It is a story of struggle, perseverance, and positivity despite tremendous odds stacked against you. It was my first Robin Yocum book, but it won’t be my last.
