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I have a friend at church who out-reads me. Not only does she read more books than I do, she actually finishes them, which is more than I can say for the half-read stack on my nightstand. Over the years we’ve traded titles back and forth, the way book aficionados do.

So earlier this year, when she said, “I read a book that you must read,” I paid attention.

She had never said that to me before.

Then came the twist: it was a novel. I rarely read fiction unless it’s science fiction or anchored in history. But her conviction made me curious, so my wife Jamie suggested that I look it up.

My habit is to check the library first. The Indianapolis Public Library’s catalog told me I was 21st in line for one of 20 copies. I had never seen anything like that.

So Jamie and I drove to Barnes & Noble. The book wasn’t in New Fiction, so we walked over to the reference desk. The answer was standing right beside it: a tall stack of copies of Theo of Golden.

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