KH: Many of the men in this story are not without their troubles–a shiftless brother, a dangerous love interest, and of course, the quiet center of the action, a once-great scholar stricken down by disease. As a man writing from a woman’s point of view, did you feel you were rough on your own gender? Or is this the fair shake?

NG: And if we believe Amber, even Walt wasn’t completely admirable in his day, with that patronizing attitude toward the locals. My impression is that it’s hard for a woman to find a good, steady, reliable man. But there’s Amber’s father, Frank, of course. He’s a solid family man. You might question his tactics in dealing with poor Herschel, but it’s a crisis that calls for desperate measures. And even Herschel was okay until the unfortunate mishap with the shingling glue. Then there’s Fred, who’s a lot like his dog, but, hey, most men and dogs have their redeeming moments.