Ken Cadow was born in Norwich and works as a school principal in Vermont. Cadow is a first-time novelist, and his debut novel is Gather, a young adult novel. Gather is about Ian, a young adult living in his rural home in Vermont. Ian is trying to cope with his mother's drug addiction and holding his family together.
While Ian’s mother is hospitalized, he adopts a stray dog named Gather. Gather becomes Ian's best friend and companion as he tries to comprehend the environment around him and the steps he should take to help his mother. The narrative is about coming of age because it follows Ian from childhood to maturity when he starts working and helping his family to hold together. Things are not smooth for Ian because the situation worsens when his dog gets lost, and he requests the community to help him locate his pet. Ian is torn between remaining at home to care for his recovering addictive mother and leaving his land to search for his dog, Gather.
Gather is Cadow’s debut novel that, receives a positive reception. According to Kirkus Reviews, Gather is an earnest novel focusing on young people's problems and society's worth. On 3 October 2023, Gather was selected as the finalist for the celebrated National Book Award as the best young adult novel.
