Welcome to the third session of the Morning Edition book club! Here's how it works: A well-known writer will pick a book he or she loved. We'll all read it. Then, you'll send us your questions about the book. About a month later, we'll reconvene to talk about the book with the author and the writer who picked it.
After reading Deep Down Dark this winter and A God in Ruins this spring, it's time to reconvene the Morning Edition book club for our third meeting. We've asked Pulitzer Prize-winning author and screenwriter Richard Russo to do the honors: He's selected Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff.
"It's a dramatic read, believe me," says Russo.
Fates and Furies is the story of a marriage, divided into two sections. The first, Fates, focuses on the husband's story. The second, Furies, completes the tale, focusing on the wife. Russo says that device allows for a stunning, 360-degree view of a complex relationship.
"The secrets here are character secrets, not plot secrets," he tells NPR's David Greene. "They are revealed in ways that sometimes take your breath away. You have to wait almost until the last page of the book to get to the last of the secrets."
Russo says he was fascinated by the book because of the way it deals with destiny. "It's something that I've been writing about in my own fiction for a very long time," he says. "I write about it, not because I understand it, but because I don't, and I'd love to."
Groff's previous books include the novels Arcadia and The Monsters of Templeton. But it was her collection of short stories, Delicate Edible Birds, "that kind of blew my mind," says Russo. Those stories revealed the author's fearless, wide-ranging curiosity — which is also evident in Fates and Furies. "There's almost nothing that she's not interested in," Russo says, "and her skill set is breathtaking."
We hope you enjoy Fates and Furies! While you're reading over the next few weeks, you can leave your questions for Lauren Groff in the comments section below. When our club meets next month, your question might be read on air. You can also join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #morningeditionbookclub.
If you'd like to ask a question via voice memo, you can record yourself using a smartphone or similar device. Just follow these steps:
1. Introduce yourself and say where you live.
2. Ask your question for Lauren Groff. (Try to keep it brief! Time is limited on the radio.)
3. Send the recording to nprcrowdsource@npr.org
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