Reader Q&A: Is the Coven a Plan B?

This year marks the 30th Anniversary of Oprah’s Book Club and we are celebrating with her 122nd selection: Go Gentle by International bestselling novelist Maria Semple. Her other books include Today Will Be Different, Where’d You Go, Bernadette and This One is Mine. Go Gentle follows the whimsical life of Adora Hazzard, a Stoic Philosopher and solo middle-aged mother who is raising her teenage daughter Viv on New York’s Upper West side. Adora believes that fulfillment and happiness come from loving life as it is and letting go of what is beyond one’s control. Her well-ordered life is upended when she meets a mysterious, handsome stranger at the ballet. Romance, black market art deals and international intrigue ensue. Maria Semple’s signature wit, humor and the unexpected plot twists are the reason this gripping page turner is Oprah’s Book Club selection for April 2026. Oprah is joined by listeners from across the country who have read the book who have questions for Maria Semple.

BUY THE BOOK:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/797319/go-gentle-by-maria-semple/

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Welcome Maria Semple, author of ‘Go Gentle’ 00:02:45 - What is stoicism?

00:05:30 - Creating the main character Adora

00:08:03 - Many genres woven into the book

00:09:30 - Events from Maria’s life

00:11:30 - How Maria finds her characters

00:14:00 - The idea of the coven

00:16:20 - Was the coven a plan B?

00:18:40 - The goal is to love yourself

00:19:40 - Maria on writing TV comedy to fiction

00:22:40 - Learning to trust her voice

00:23:40 - Do you need a guiding philosophy to survive?

00:25:00 - How Maria practices stoicism

00:27:20 - Theme: Love whatever shows up

00:29:45 - Adora struggles with her weight

00:32:00 - Which version of Adora did Maria start with?

00:34:35 - Mother/daughter tension

00:36:00 - Adora’s blindspot

00:37:50 - Stoicism and motherhood

00:40:30 - Oprah’s favorite quotes

00:44:30 - What Maria hopes readers take away Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

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