In this episode of Oprah’s Book Club: Presented by Starbucks, Oprah and Megha Majumdar discuss her magnificent new book, A Guardian and a Thief, a 2025 National Book Awards finalist and Oprah’s 119th Book Club selection. This exquisitely written novel packs an epic story into just 224 pages. From page one to the jaw-dropping conclusion, readers are immersed in a harrowing journey as two families, on a collision course in Kolkata, India, face the consequences and moral implications of their life-and-death choices. Megha’s evocative, beautifully crafted exploration of our changing world sparked a lively and thoughtful conversation among readers at a Starbucks coffeehouse in New York City. Starbucks' delectable drink pairing for this book is an Iced Banana Cream Protein Matcha. BUY THE BOOK! A Guardian and a Thief, published by Penguin Random House and written by Megha Majumdar, is available wherever books are sold. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/798984/a-guardian-and-a-thief-by-megha-majumdar/ 00:00:00 - Welcome Megha Majumdar, author of “A Guardian and a Thief” 00:01:56 - Oprah describes “A Guardian and a Thief” 00:03:28 - Oprah’s daughter-girl Thando shares her take 00:05:15 - The plot 00:09:08 - Writing about famine 00:13:20 - A writer’s relationship to failing 00:16:20 - Each character sees America differently 00:22:30 - Is everyone both a guardian and a thief? 00:25:50 - How would you act under great pressure? 00:32:00 - What motivates us to do the right thing 00:39:30 - Confronting contradictions in her book 00:40:45 - Megha’s story of America 00:42:23 - Did Megha always know the ending? 00:47:28 - When writing became her career Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@Oprah?sub_confirmation=1 Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: Instagram Facebook TikTok Listen to the full podcast: Spotify Apple Podcasts #oprahsbookclub Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.