Oprah's Book Club - Season 1

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Ta-Nehisi Coates: The Water Dancer

1 - Ta-Nehisi Coates: The Water Dancer

Air Date: November 1, 2019

Oprah and Ta-Nehisi discuss the 10-year process of writing his #1 best-selling debut novel and the cultural conversation it has provoked. Plus, Ta-Nehisi visits Monticello, which inspired his book's setting.

Elizabeth Strout: Olive, Again

2 - Elizabeth Strout: Olive, Again

Air Date: January 18, 2020

Elizabeth tells Oprah how her celebrated protagonist reappeared and why she finds the everydayness of life to be extraordinary.

Jeanine Cummins: American Dirt (1)

3 - Jeanine Cummins: American Dirt (1)

Air Date: March 6, 2020

Jeanine and Oprah are joined by authors Reyna Grande, Julissa Arce, and Esther Cepeda for a raw, revealing conversation about the novel.

Jeanine Cummins: American Dirt (2)

4 - Jeanine Cummins: American Dirt (2)

Air Date: March 6, 2020

Latinx people who saw themselves reflected in the book share insights into real-life migrant experiences.

Robert Kolker: Hidden Valley Road

5 - Robert Kolker: Hidden Valley Road

Air Date: June 12, 2020

Oprah has in-depth discussions with author Kolker and surviving members of the Galvin family about living this extraordinary true story.

James McBride: Deacon King Kong

6 - James McBride: Deacon King Kong

Air Date: July 30, 2020

Oprah and McBride discuss how his novel speaks to the current moment, his focus on the Black experience, and the inspiration for his characters.

Isabel Wilkerson: Caste

7 - Isabel Wilkerson: Caste

Air Date: October 2, 2020

Calling the book ”a must-read for all of humanity,” Oprah asks Wilkerson what compelled her to write it and why we need a new language for race.

Marilynne Robinson: Gilead

8 - Marilynne Robinson: Gilead

Air Date: April 23, 2021

Oprah talks to Robinson about her Pulitzer Prize-winning second novel, finding the character of John Ames, and how faith shapes her writing.

Marilynne Robinson: Home

9 - Marilynne Robinson: Home

Air Date: April 30, 2021

Robinson explains what inspired her to revisit the story of Gilead from different points of view and why she chose to address the subject of race.

Marilynne Robinson: Lila

10 - Marilynne Robinson: Lila

Air Date: May 7, 2021

Oprah and Robinson discuss finding new layers in established characters, what America looks like at its best, and how loneliness can be a privilege.

Marilynne Robinson: Jack

11 - Marilynne Robinson: Jack

Air Date: May 14, 2021

Discussing the fourth Gilead novel, Robinson opens up about its interracial romance, her writing process, and the possibility of more stories.

Nathan Harris: The Sweetness of Water

12 - Nathan Harris: The Sweetness of Water

Air Date: July 23, 2021

Oprah sits down with Harris to discuss his debut novel's inspiration, his writing process, and how a biracial upbringing shaped his point of view.

Honorée Fanonne Jeffers: The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois

13 - Honorée Fanonne Jeffers: The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois

Air Date: September 23, 2021

The acclaimed poet opens up to Oprah about the inspiration for her epic debut novel and what she hopes to impart about the Black experience.

Richard Powers: Bewilderment

14 - Richard Powers: Bewilderment

Air Date: October 22, 2021

Oprah and Powers talk about his first novel since a Pulitzer Prize win, finding empathy through our differences, and his hopes for our planet.