Stewart O'Nan's kindness

Have been reading Stewart O'Nan's novel "Wish You Were Here" in part because his more recent novel, Emily, Alone, is supposed to be somewhat of a sequel - following the main character from Wish, Emily Maxwell, farther into her widowhood - and I hadn't read the first installment so wanted to be up to date. At some point, I will get on to Emily, Alone as well. Have read a number of O'Nan's books - not all, he's quite prolific - and find him to be one of the most observant of contemporary writers, a true realist in the tradition of Balzac or Zola, great family sagas that are more about situation and, to some degree, character than about plot of style: you feel you are truly there among his characters, whether it's this family of nine, each with his or her own traumas or agonies, stuck within one another in a summer cottage, or, in other works, such as his recent Night at the Lobster, the crew at a restaurant on one stormy winter night (though that was more plot-driven). Full disclosure: Stewart O'Nan was kind enough to provide a very nice jacket blurb for my novel, Exiles. I have to say that I didn't know Stewart, I still don't know him, we have no friends in common that I know of - I just sent him a copy of the novel because I admire his work and thought he might like mine and he did - took the time to read and comment on the work of a first-time novelist whom he didn't know. What a kind and generous soul. Most writers are supportive of others - we know how difficult the work is - and Stewart is one whose kindness I will always remember.