Annie

Hi, Oprah.

Hi, Maria.

Thank you so much for having me.

I'm honored to be here.

Maria, I absolutely loved the book.

Similarly, I devoured the book in about a day and a half.

I just couldn't read it fast enough.

I actually recently turned 30, so I'm a few years behind Adora.

But like her, I'm single and navigating living in New York City.

And as a single woman, I've realized that it's really important to have a philosophy or a mantra to keep you grounded.

For me, mine is really simple.

It's that everything happens for a reason and nothing happens by mistake.

And this helps me navigate the highs and the lows of living in a city that can sometimes chew you up and spit you out, which is a big reason why we love New York, but it can be tough.

So I actually have two questions for you.

My first question is that you wrote Adora, as you mentioned previously, to have stoicism as her anchor.

Was that intended to show how having a guiding philosophy can help a woman survive and thrive in a challenging and fast-paced environment like New York?

And also, do you see stoicism as a universal tool that anyone can use to stay centered while they figure out their life, their love, or their career?

Didn't it do that for you too?

It really did.

And I, like you were saying before, I hadn't had my eyes open to Stoicism previously.