Douglas Stuart: “John of John” | Oprah’s Book Club

About this episode

Oprah interviews Douglas Stuart about his book 'John of John' and the themes of family and secrets within it.

As part of the 30th anniversary of Oprah’s Book Club, Oprah picks her 123rd selection: John of John by celebrated Scottish author Douglas Stuart. His other novels include Young Mungo and Shuggie Bain which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2020. John of John is set in a small, fictional farming and textile town, Falabay, on an isle off northern Scotland where everybody knows everyone’s business. The story centers around three generations living under the same roof: a father, his son and the son's grandmother. The central theme to this enthralling book is the secrets these three so desperately hold on to: secrets from each other, from their neighbors and from the church. A love story at its heart, Douglas Stuart tells Oprah how he spent six years writing this book, spending 16 weeks researching the Outer Hebrides Isles on the northwest coast of Scotland talking to local people who inspired his 26 supporting characters. Oprah and Douglas Stuart are joined by an audience in New York City who enthusiastically read the book and have questions for the author. BUY THE BOOK! https://groveatlantic.com/book/john-of-john/ 00:00:00 - Welcome Douglas Stuart, author of “John of John”…

People in this episode

Host: Oprah

Guest: Douglas Stuart

Topics covered

• literature
• book discussion
• author interview
• family secrets
• Scottish culture
• Oprah's Book Club

Keywords

• Douglas Stuart
• John of John
• Oprah's Book Club
• family secrets
• Scottish author
• literature
• book discussion

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: John of John, Young Mungo, Shuggie Bain

Places: Scotland, Falabay, Outer Hebrides Isles

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