Today, Sara and Chelsey gush about a new favorite novel-in-short-stories: The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor. We focus on Naylor’s memorable prose and mastery of structure, avoiding spoilers so you can listen before reading. Plus, as always, we offer six contemporary pairings that capture similar themes, featuring short story collections and well-crafted memoirs.

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Skip to the pairings: [34:43]

Books mentioned:

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The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor (Amazon)

The Men of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor

Linden Hills by Gloria Naylor (Amazon)

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead (Amazon)

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty (Amazon)

Chelsey

The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom (Amazon)
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw (Amazon)
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (Amazon)

Sara

Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor (Amazon)
Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel W. Moniz (Amazon)
Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

Chelsey: The Women of Brewster Place Reissue Review (NPR)

Sara: The Promise podcast

74. The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor and stories of friendship, community, and resilience

Novel Pairings