GRETAGRAM book club: 'Whidbey,' discussed!

GRETAGRAM book club: 'Whidbey,' discussed!

From Happy To Be Here by Greta Johnsen

May 29, 2026 · 25 min · Episode 19

About this episode

Greta Johnsen and Kristen Arnett discuss T Kira Madden's novel 'Whidbey', exploring its themes, characters, and plot.

It’s the last Friday of May, which means it’s time to discuss T Kira Madden’s novel Whidbey ! Host Greta Johnsen talks to self-professed T Kira stan Kristen Arnett, the author of several novels. (Her most recent book, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One , is especially wonderful!) They unpack what makes this complex novel so readable: nuanced themes, compelling characters, tangible sense of place, and propulsive plot. TRIGGER WARNING: This book deals with themes of child sexual abuse, which we discuss.  SPOILER ALERT: This episode includes spoilers for the book. If you haven’y read it yet a nd you don’t want to know what happens, listen to the spoiler-free author interview here .  For more information on the GRETAGRAM book club, sign up for Greta's newsletter, GRETAGRAM ! SHOW CREDITS Creator and host: Greta Johnsen Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal Tile art: Mac Maclean See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

People in this episode

Host: Greta Johnsen

Guest: Kristen Arnett

Topics covered

  • book discussion
  • literature
  • novel analysis
  • character development
  • thematic exploration

Keywords

  • Whidbey
  • T Kira Madden
  • Kristen Arnett
  • book club
  • literary analysis
  • child sexual abuse
  • novel discussion

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Whidbey, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One

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