'The Take' and 'The Left and the Lucky' explore peculiar friendships across age

Summary

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NPR's Book of the Day (May 1, 2026)

Episode Overview

This episode of NPR’s Book of the Day spotlights two novels—Kelly Yang's The Take and Willy Vlautin’s The Left and the Lucky—that examine the complexities of intergenerational friendship. Through interviews with both authors, the episode explores how connections between the young and old can be shaped by shared struggle, mutual need, and the desire for growth, love, and belonging. Discussions delve into themes of aging, power, working-class resilience, and the role of luck and choice in forming unlikely bonds.

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Segment 1: The Take by Kelly Yang

Interviewed by Elsa Chang, All Things Considered

[00:01:42] – [09:33]

Premise and Main Themes

• The novel revolves around an unusual transaction: 23-year-old aspiring writer Maggie Wang trades ten years of her life via a blood transfusion to 60-something Hollywood producer Ingrid Parker, for $3 million.
• Explores societal views on age, power—especially among women—and the persistence of “paying your dues.”
• Incorporates sci-fi elements based on real medical research into the idea of aging reversal via blood exchange.

Key Discussion Points

• Origins & Inspiration

  • Kelly Yang drew from her own experience of feeling dismissed as a young aspiring writer (“What could you possibly have to write about?”) ([03:24]).
  • Her encounter with a famous author who suggested she was too young to write something worthwhile inspired the novel’s meditation on age and legitimacy.

• Age and Power Dynamics

  • The older generation can become “gatekeepers” after suffering and working hard—reluctant to base value solely on ideas rather than lived hardship.

    “We can’t just measure you by your ideas. We also have to measure you by how much you’ve sufficiently suffered.” — Kelly Yang [04:01]

• The Blood Transfusion as Metaphor

  • Inspired by Harvard research joining rats’ circulatory systems, noting real-world parallels like Silicon Valley billionaires seeking youth through plasma transfusions ([04:39-05:17]).
  • Represents the literal and figurative exchange—not just blood, but power, youth, credibility.

• Zero-Sum Thinking Among Women

  “You either make something or you take something… It is the way a lot of people feel. And you know what? We don’t talk about it enough because we want to subscribe to this idea that women help women. And I wanted to subscribe to that so badly too. And often it is that case, but sometimes it’s not.” — Kelly Yang [06:32]

  • Discusses the flawed notion of limited opportunity, scarcity, and competition among women in power.

• Personal Experience with Age and Achievement

  • Yang began college at 13 and law school at 17; mentions the fear and stigma of being “too young” to be taken seriously.

    “I always felt like I had to keep my age a secret because if it was revealed, then all of my ideas would be reduced.” — Kelly Yang [07:19]

  • Fear that being “a prodigy” becomes her only identity.

• Rejecting the ‘Wait Until You’re Older’ Advice

  “If you have a story, go do it. Go write it, do it now. You are never too old or too young to do something. There isn’t like the right amount of maturity, the right amount of experience to be a storyteller.” — Kelly Yang [08:51]

  • Encourages listeners not to wait for permission from others to pursue creative expression.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “What could you possibly have to write about?” — Famous Author to Kelly Yang [03:24]
• “Some women treat it as a zero sum game.” — Elsa Chang [06:46]
• “When in reality we’re not necessarily gonna get that sign, but we can give ourselves that permission.” — Kelly Yang [09:12]

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Segment 2: The Left and the Lucky by Willy Vlautin

Interviewed by Scott Simon, Weekend Edition

[11:01] – [19:11]

Premise and Main Themes

• Follows the friendship between eight-year-old Russell and his middle-aged neighbor Eddie, both adrift and yearning for stability.
• Examines broken families, cycles of hardship, and how working-class lives and chance encounters shape character.

Key Discussion Points

• Character Portraits

  • Russell: small, bullied, dreams of escape; living in a household marked by grief, neglect, and emotional darkness.
  • Eddie: house painter, divorced, habitually lonely but compassionate—especially toward those needing help.

• Genesis of the Friendship

  • The relationship begins when Eddie finds Russell alone late at night in a grocery store and offers him food and kindness ([11:57]).
    • Memorable dialogue:

      Eddie: “Why were you in Fred Meyer so late?”
      Russell: [shrugs]
      Eddie: “Next time remember to bring a coat and maybe a flashlight and leave a note so your grandmother doesn’t go nuts.” [12:32]

  • Their connection grows around Eddie’s old Pontiac Le Mans—a project that becomes a touchstone for their bond.

• Themes & Emotional Currents

  • The importance of luck (“The Left and the Lucky” refers to the role of chance in finding safety, stability, and connection).
  • Eddie as a “collector of strays”—he is drawn to helping those who have nowhere else to go ([13:50]).

    “He can’t say no to broken people or wayward people… And when Russell shows up, Russell, I think, intuitively sees this and says, Eddie’s my ticket to a safe life.” — Willy Vlautin [13:50]

  • The cost and pain of broken families; the contrasting colors between Russell’s “noir” home life and Eddie’s “Technicolor” world.

• Realism, Hardship, and Literary Traditions

  • Scott Simon notes the vividness of the bullying scenes, which some readers find harrowing.
  • Vlautin draws on personal experience and literary traditions of writers like Steinbeck:

    “I always wanted to write working class stories… But as I’ve found out, literature kind of turns their back on that. But who doesn’t turn their back on that is crime fiction... really, if you want to read working class fiction, you have to read crime novels.” — Willy Vlautin [17:57]

• Intersection of Music and Writing

  • Vlautin reflects on his dual life as a writer and musician, and how each form helps process heartbreak and creative block.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “I always think of Russell’s house as noir… full of shadows and darkness. And… next door is Eddie… Technicolor…” — Willy Vlautin [12:58]
• “Once in a while… you can save somebody in a novel. And so I was dead set on trying to save Russell and to save Eddie at the same time.” — Willy Vlautin [15:36]
• On the absence of working-class protagonists in literary fiction:

  “I always knew I wanted to write stories like Steinbeck… but literature kind of turns their back on that.” — Willy Vlautin [17:57]

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Standout Moments and Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Highlight/Quote | |-----------|---------|-----------------| | 02:54 | The Take | “I remember standing in the signing line... She just looked at me and she said, yeah, I don’t. What could you possibly have to write about?” – Kelly Yang | | 04:39 | The Take | “It’s based on real research that’s coming out of Harvard… the older rat de-ages and the younger rat ages.” – Kelly Yang | | 06:32 | The Take | “We want to subscribe to this idea that women help women. And I wanted to subscribe to that so badly too. And often it is that case, but sometimes it’s not.” – Kelly Yang | | 08:51 | The Take | “You are never too old or too young to do something…” – Kelly Yang | | 11:57 | The Left and the Lucky | “Can I ask you a question? … Why were you and Fred Meyer so late?” – Eddie | | 12:58 | The Left and the Lucky | “I always think of Russell’s house as noir… next door is Eddie… Technicolor…” – Willy Vlautin | | 13:50 | The Left and the Lucky | “He can’t say no to broken people or wayward people… Eddie’s my ticket to a safe life.” – Willy Vlautin | | 17:57 | The Left and the Lucky | “But as I’ve found out, literature kind of turns their back on that. … if you want to read working class fiction, you have to read crime novels.” – Willy Vlautin |

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Conclusion

This episode offers insightful conversations about the trials and hope that flow through friendships spanning age and circumstance. The Take and The Left and the Lucky are connected by their empathetic portrayals of unlikely bonds—whether transactional or accidental—and the ways these relationships challenge, shape, and save their participants. Both authors encourage readers to recognize the power of storytelling, personal initiative, and the compassion we offer one another, regardless of when or how our paths cross.

Transcript

[A]

Hey there.

[B]

I'm Alyssa Nadworny and this is NPR's book of the Day. Today, two novels focused on vital connections between the young and the old. In a minute, we'll hear about a story that focuses on friendship between a young boy and a middle aged man, both a bit down on their luck from working class families. But first in the book the take an older woman and a younger woman agree to exchange 10 years of their lives through a blood transfusion. Author Kelly Yang spoke about where the idea came from and its grounding in real medical research with All Things Considered host Elsa Chang.

[C]

This message comes from Schwab. At Schwab, you can get everything from self directed investing to full service wealth management all in one place. No matter your investing goal, life stage amount to invest or know how you can invest your way with Schwab. This message comes from greenchef. Green Chef is certified clean with organic produce, responsibly sourced proteins and real whole food ingredients backed by Nutritionists. Choose from 40 plus customizable recipes each week tailored to your needs, delivered straight to your door. Enjoy Mediterranean plant based, verified, gluten free and more. Get 50% off your first box, then 20% off for two [e-mail] 50 NPR with code 50 NPR. This message comes from Integrative Therapeutics, makers of Cortisol Manager named best overall Ashwagandha supplement by Vogue. Use code STRESS2026 for 20% off of Cortisol Manager on Amazon.com Would you give

[A]

up 10 years of your life for $3 million? Well, for Maggie Wang, who's desperate to jumpstart her career as a writer, the answer is yes, you would. When she's 23, she agrees to an unusual transaction with a woman decades older, a prominent Hollywood producer named Ingrid Parker, who wants nothing more than to get her youth back. The two women submit to a medical experiment, a blood transfusion that will accelerate Maggie's aging while reversing Ingrid's. This is the premise for the new novel the Take, a story about how age shapes power, especially for women. That's what author Kelly Yang argues as she joins me now at nprw. Welcome. It's so great to have you here, Kelly.

[D]

Thank you so much for having me. This is so exciting.

[A]

Oh, it's so exciting to have you right here in front of my face because I want to talk about age. At the very beginning of this story, when we first meet your character Maggie, she's actually talking to another older woman, a very established writer who's telling Maggie that She's just too young to write a novel that she needs to live more life in order to say something interesting. Tell us how you are setting up the relationship here between age and. And power.

[D]

Yeah. No, I mean, I remember being in my 20s, and I'd always wanted to write, but I felt like I didn't know if I could do it, you know? And I remember standing in the signing line of a very famous author and getting up there and talking to her and saying, hey, you know, I really have this great story. I want to write about my childhood. Like, do you think I could do it? And she's like, how old are you? And I said, 24. And she just looked at me and she said, yeah, I don't. What could you possibly have to write about?

[A]

Wow. Oh, my God. So that interaction with Maggie and the author was modeled. Wow. That burned into your brain.

[D]

You know what? I, like, just melted as a person. Just felt so mortified. But I also. I kind of understood what she was saying, but it set me back decades, that interaction.

[A]

It gets at this idea that, yes, with age does come experience. And as women accrue experience, they can accumulate power. And when they accumulate power, they become gatekeepers. Right. Of who's in and who's out. But youth can sometimes threaten that authority that those older women have. Right?

[D]

Yeah. I think there's so much of this whole, like, have you paid your dues? Culture. And it comes from the fact that we have been paying our dues. The previous generation had to work so hard, and there was so much suffering, and it's almost like we can't just measure you by your ideas. We also have to measure you by how much you've sufficiently suffered.

[A]

Exactly. So Ingrid and Maggie enter a deal, this medical procedure. And I'm so curious, Kelly, why did you make blood transfusion? The mechanism for the exchange between these two women, like, one woman literally sucking the life out of the other. Why that metaphor?

[D]

Well, first of all, it's based on real research that's coming out of Harvard. Oh, my God. They've been doing some experiments with rats, and they have found that when we join the two rats together. And more than just a blood transfusion, it's a little more complicated. But essentially, the older rat de ages and the younger rat ages.

[A]

Wow.

[D]

Yeah. There actually is a scientific basis. There is, there is. And it has been proven to work with rats so far. You know, and then we already have, like, Silicon Valley, a lot of tech billionaires using young blood plasma. So it seemed to make sense in my Mind as an author like that. This is only like five minutes into the future.

[A]

Right.

[D]

This is coming.

[A]

Okay, but talk about, like, what are these two women actually trading here besides blood? What is the real barter that's happening?

[D]

Yeah. They're tempting fate. I think they're trading the idea that we can rewrite, like, who gets to live without this discomfort. Whether it's the discomfort of having to prove yourself experience wise or the discomfort of, you know, being a little older now and having to still prove your relevancy.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, at certain points in this story, you make a declaration quote. There are only two ways to get ahead in this world. You either make something or you take something. What does that mean, even? And how did you arrive at this conclusion?

[D]

Yeah, well, first of all, it's a conclusion I don't agree with. I just want to say that. But when we see someone who's younger and doing super well and super ambitious, there is a feeling like, oh my gosh, what does that mean for me? You know? And it's a way of seeing that this pie is only so big.

[A]

It's finite.

[D]

There's finite and there's only so many seats at the table, especially for women, which I think is a flawed way of thinking.

[A]

Me too.

[D]

But it is the way a lot of people feel. And you know what? We don't talk about it enough because we want to subscribe to this idea that women help women. And I wanted to subscribe to that so badly too. And often it is that case, but sometimes it's not.

[A]

Some women treat it as a zero sum game.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

Well, this idea, a young woman in a hurry, as you mentioned, it applied to you. But maybe a lot of people listening right now don't know this about you as well. And that is you entered college when you were 13 years old, which is just astonishing. Ridiculous. And then you entered law school when you were 17.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

So let's not even talk about the point in your life later when you wanted to become a novelist.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Did people judge you poorly for trying to accelerate your education like that? How did you feel?

[D]

I always felt like I had to keep my age a secret because if it was revealed, then all of my ideas would be reduced.

[A]

Interesting.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

For being just inherently immature.

[D]

Just everything you said, it would be like, she said this, but she's 15,

[A]

you know, what does she know?

[D]

Yeah, what does she know? What could she. Positive. Where is she coming up with this? This makes no sense. Let's just disregard her. And I was terrified of people finding out and then when they did find out, eventually I had all this attention on my age and it was really cool and it was fun, but it was also terrifying because I was worried, what if the most fascinating thing about me, the fact that I'm young, is no longer the case.

[A]

Oh, interesting, right?

[D]

Like what if I. What, what's gonna become of me when I'm just a normal middle aged woman with normal ideas? Yeah.

[A]

So let me return to that interaction you had with that author who told you, oh, what do you have to say? You're only 20 something years old. Like, you know this book that you've just written, the Take it, actually is your first adult novel, even though you've been writing award winning children's books for years. But now that you are on the other side of this adult novel, is there something to the advice that you should accrue more life experience before you write a literary novel? Is there any merit to that idea?

[D]

I mean, I don't think she meant it maliciously. I can see where she's coming from. But I am of the opinion if you have a story, go do it. Go write it, do it now. You are never too old or too

[A]

young to do something there isn't like the right amount of maturity, the right amount of experience to be a storyteller, to have something to say.

[D]

Yeah, there's never the perfect age or the perfect circumstance. It doesn't exist. And don't wait for people to give you permission either. I think that was the mistake I made in my youth. I try to get a sign, you know, permission from someone, a nod from someone more experienced. And I was so devastated when it wouldn't happen. When in reality we're not necessarily gonna get that sign, but we can give ourselves that permission.

[A]

Right? Turn on your own green light.

[D]

Absolutely.

[A]

Kelly Yang's new book is called the Take. Thank you so much for coming into NPR west today, Kelly.

[D]

Thank you so much, Elsa. This was so much fun.

[E]

It was so much fun. This message comes from Schwab. With the new Schwab Teen Investor account, teens can gain hands on investing experience

[B]

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[C]

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[B]

Up next the Left and the Lucky Sometimes even adults need a friendship or a relationship to help them grow up. In Willy Vlotten's latest novel, he focuses on the connection between a middle aged man and a young boy, both stuck in their lives in different ways. Vlotton, who is also a musician, talks with Weekend Edition's Scott Simon.

[F]

Russell is eight years old, small for his age, bullied by his troubled older brother, often left on his own by his mother and a fading grandmother. He dreams of building a boat or airplane to whisk him away to an island near Hawaii. Eddie's in his 40s and lives next door, paints houses six days a week, is divorced and comes home to an empty house. One night, Eddie encounters Russell in the coffee aisle of a Fred Meyer grocery store. It's 10 at night. Eddie figures out the little boy has walked there. He buys him a quesadilla and they talk.

[E]

Can I ask you a question? The boy nodded. Why were you and Fred Meyer so late? Russell shrugged. You don't know? I was just walking on a rainy night with no coat. Again he shrugged. How's your grandmother been since your granddad died? She doesn't get along with my mom or my brother, russell whispered. Is that why you took a walk? Tears weld in Russell's eyes, and he nodded. I'm sorry, man. That stuff's rough. Next time remember to bring a coat and maybe a flashlight and leave a note so your grandmother doesn't go nuts. Russell nodded.

[F]

What's hatched that night grows into a kind of partnership in which two people help each other, man and boy, to grow up. The Left and the Lucky is the new novel from Willie Vallotin, a writer who is also a musician with the Portland, Oregon band the Delines. He joins us now. Thanks so much for being with us.

[E]

Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it.

[F]

Help us understand Russell's home life at the age of eight.

[E]

Well, it's a family in collapse. I always think of Russell's house is noir. It's black and white. It's full of shadows and darkness. And like so many times when you're in those rough situations, you can't see outside that darkness. And then next door is Eddie, who I always think of Technicolor. He's like those big old beautiful Technicolor movies with his, you know, ragtag guys of degenerate house painters. It's. It's like a heaven to a little kid.

[F]

Eddie works and then works some more, doesn't he?

[E]

Yeah. I mean, sometimes you don't know what to do with your life. Like, his wife leaves him and. And when in doubt, you just work more because it's easier than being at home alone with your own thoughts. So, yeah, he's a workaholic. And I think he also loves security. I think he never had much security in his life, but his work kind

[F]

of brings him closer to little boy, doesn't it?

[E]

Well, I think you know why I named it the left. And the lucky is there is a lot of luck involved in life. And for Russell's sake, he lives next door to a. To a guy, Eddie, who takes in strays, as you learn in the novel. Why he's like this. He can't say no to broken people or wayward people. His wife was like that. The guys he hires are like that. And he can't kick him to the side of the road. And when Russell shows up, Russell, I think, intuitively sees this and says, eddie's my ticket to a safe life. And Eddie's a guy that just can't say no.

[F]

What does an old Pontiac Le Mans do for them?

[E]

Eddie buys the Le Mans so he has something to do at night, something to keep his mind occupied. And the kid, you know, like any kid sees an old Pontiac Le Mans, it's like a hot wheel, and he's instantly attracted to it. And every night, Eddie's home, he's in his carport working on it. And so the kid drifts over, and before you know it, Eddie's got this kid who won't leave him alone, who wants to be a part of Eddie's life. And he'll do odd jobs for Eddie. He'll watch Eddie work, and he's always kind of asking Eddie for dinner.

[F]

Willie, what put this relationship in your mind and heart?

[E]

You know, it's weird. You try to write about different things, but I think over the years I realized I really do write about broken families. A lot and wayward kids or guys fallen through the cracks. And so I got obsessed with the idea of the older brother being, you know, he's good looking, he's strong, but full of rage. And then you have this little kid who still wets the bed who's scared of everything, but he's got what Charles Porta said, true grit, to survive. And I was really interested in those who sabotage the door that opens towards a better life, and those who will, at any cost, go through the door to try to get to a better life. And so I think I was obsessed with that. And, you know, once in a while, I think it's because I'm gay, getting older, you know, you can't save anybody, but once in a while you can save somebody in a novel. And so I was dead set on trying to save Russell and to save Eddie at the same time.

[F]

Gotta tell you, there's a scene where Russell, the little boy, is terrorized by his brother. It is so vivid and so real, I had to put it down a few times to get through it. And I say that with admiration for you, the writer. What was it like to imagine and write something so terrifying?

[E]

You know, it's really interesting you say that because some friends of mine have read it who have older brothers, and it glosses over them with not a problem in the world, because they understand it. They go, oh, yeah, my brother was that bad. My brother did stuff like this. And you start hearing these pretty gruesome stories of, you know, older brothers really beating up on their little brothers. To somebody that hasn't gone through that, it seems horrifying. My own brother's a saint. He wasn't like that at all. My brother's like, literally probably as close to a saint for me as anyone, but I've been around a lot of guys like that. So, yeah, it makes you cry. You know, if it. If it doesn't break me up, then. Then it's not working. But, yeah, it's hard to write those scenes. And I don't do it very often. Like I said, I'm getting softer as I get older, and it takes more out of me to write those kind of scenes.

[F]

What does it say about American literature right now that there aren't a lot of novels about people with a background like, Eddie's a working class man.

[E]

That's interesting. I think about that a lot. You know, I grew up when Steinbeck was king in my school, for whatever reason, in Reno High School was taught, you know, six of his novels, his big works you know, my mom was a struggling single mother. It was paycheck to paycheck. Plus she was an oversharer. So I knew all about that. She got paid less than men, that she was sexually harassed at work. I kind of grew up knowing all those things. So Steinbeck was king for me. You know, I had a picture of him next to the Clash and the Jam and the Pogues as a kid. He was a real hero of mine. And I didn't have much talent in any regard, but I always knew I wanted to write stories like Steinbeck. I always wanted to write working class stories.

[A]

And.

[E]

But as I've found out, literature kind of turns their back on that. But who doesn't turn their back on that is crime fiction. Crime fiction tells the stories of the working class. You know, granted, you have a crime involved, but really, if you want to read working class fiction, you have to read crime novels.

[F]

14 albums of music and eight novels. How do you go back and forth between the two?

[E]

Well, you know, sometimes I don't feel like I do it very well. I don't tour as much as most musicians because I love writing more. But writing takes forever, and I love the work ethic of writing more than anything. I always think of it as like you're just in a ditch digging, you're not bothering anybody, and you're just working day after day. And I love that. But, you know, sometimes I'll get stuck and it takes the air out of me and I end up writing songs about it or, you know, I'll go through stages with a novel where something will break my heart to the point that I just start writing songs because I always write songs when my heart's broken. And so it's really the the novels give me all the ideas for my songs and, and I just end up writing a lot of songs while working on a novel.

[F]

The Left and the Lucky is the new novel from Willie Velotten. Thank you so much for being with us.

[E]

Oh, thank you. It's a real honor. My brother said he'd wire us on camera.

[B]

That's it for this week on NPR's Book of the Day. Let us know what you think you can write to [e-mail] I'm Alyssa Nadworny. The podcast is produced by Chloe Weiner and edited by Megan Sullivan. Our founding editor is Petra Mayer. The show elements for this week were produced and edited by Melissa Gray, Samantha Balaban, Ali Schweitzer, Katie Klein, Elena Torick, Mark Navin, Janaya Williams, Ed McNulty, Dave Mistich, Courtney Dorning, Patrick Jaran Watananan and Katherine Fink. Yolanda Sanguini is our Executive Producer. Thank you for listening.

[C]

This message comes from Schwab Self Directed Investing, Trading, Full Service Wealth Management, Automated Investing, Financial Planning, Thematic Investing, Retirement Planning and to think that's just a small taste of what Schwab offers. Because Schwab knows that when it comes to your finances, choice matters. No matter your goals, investing style, life, stage or experience, Schwab has everything you need all in one place so you can invest your way. Visit schwab.com to learn more. This message comes from Green Chef Green Chef is certified clean with organic produce, responsibly sourced proteins and real whole food ingredients backed by Nutritionists. Choose from 40 plus customizable recipes each week tailored to your needs, delivered straight to your door. Enjoy Mediterranean, plant based, verified, gluten free and more. Get 50% off your first box, then 20% off for two [e-mail] 50 NPR with code 50 NPR this message comes from Mint Mobile. If you're tired of spending hundreds on big wireless bills, bogus fees and free perks, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop [e-mail] Switch taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details.