Take What You Need

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By Idra Novey, lecturer in creative writing

Published June 21, 2023

  In award-winning author Novey’s latest novel, she traces the lives of Jean and her estranged stepdaughter Leah, who returns to her rural upbringing in the Allegheny Mountains of Appalachia when Jean dies. The journey unlocks a side of Jean that Leah never knew. Leah discovers Jean’s ramshackle home is filled with giant sculptures she created, and Leah also meets the young man who played a role in the final years of Jean’s life. Take What You Need (Viking-Random House) highlights the joys, difficulty, and mystery that surround family dynamics.

Paw in print

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PAW's July/August 2025 issue cover, featuring a photo of people dressed in orange and black, marching in the P-rade, and the headline: Reunions, Back in Orange & Black.
The Latest Issue

July 2025

On the cover: Wilton Virgo ’00 and his classmates celebrate during the P-rade.