Let's make this birthday one to remember.

55 years old (Born on March 01, 1970)

Happy Birthday, Darin Strauss! May your day be as captivating and original as "The Real McCoy," and may you celebrate with twice the joy—just like Chang and Eng. Your literary brilliance continues to inspire readers everywhere, proving that you're not just half a life ahead of us all in talent.

Congratulations on another year of storytelling mastery! Winning the National Book Critics Circle Award was impressive enough; now you've earned another candle on your cake. Here's hoping this birthday chapter is filled with laughter, inspiration, and plot twists worthy of one of your novels—but perhaps fewer dramatic cliffhangers!