Megha Majumdar: "A Guardian and a Thief" | Oprah's Book Club

The Oprah Podcast

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://amzn.to/4hbxXvX


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


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More description

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://amzn.to/4hbxXvX


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

2025-10-14 53 min
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