Why Emily Brontë and Taylor Swift are linked in author Karen Powell’s mind

Karen Powell, whose previous novel is “The River Within,” is the author most recently of “Fifteen Wild Decembers.”

Q. Please tell readers about your novel, “Fifteen Wild Decembers.”

Like many readers, I first discovered Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights” as a teenager. I was mesmerized by the wild moorland landscape she described and the equally wild characters that inhabited it.

When I finished reading, I turned to the introduction and was surprised to learn that the author of this passionate...