It is the month of October and Nerdette Book Club’s selection is The Vaster Wilds by three-time National Book Award finalist Lauren Groff. This historical novel follows a servant girl who is on the run from her corrupt, smallpox-riddled colonial settlement. She struggles to survive in the unforgiving wilderness. The story is a meditation on mortality and deep, deep isolation. But it also balances a remarkable eye for beauty, grace, and peace.

In this spoiler-free interview with the author, we talk about changing the narrative of the American frontier by putting a young girl at its center.

We invite you to read along and participate in the book club! We’ll be back with another episode on the last Tuesday of the month to debrief on what we read. You can contribute your thoughts to the discussion by recording a voice memo. Send your files to NerdettePodcast@gmail.com and you will get the chance to hear your voice in the episode!