No, I think the author is stuck on it being a guy. Then our brainy editor says, I have a novel about a family on a small farm coping during a drought. The characters are well drawn, and the story is compelling. It is a very uplifting story in that its underlying theme is about how families survive in the midst of adversity. A stunned silence fills the room.
All heads turn to stare at the brainy editor.
It's a very fine novel. Just the family, really. That's what people buy. You know, huge. You mean like a Ludlum novel.