In this episode of Julia's Book Club, Julia and Kathy Lette sit down to discuss Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors.

Blue Sisters is the second novel from Mellors, following her bestselling debut Cleopatra and Frankenstein. It tells the story of three very different sisters – strait-laced lawyer Avery, party girl Lucky and stoic world champion boxer Bonnie – who are torn apart by grief and scattered to different corners of the globe after the sudden tragic death of their fourth sister, Nicky.

As the sisters try to come to terms with this devastating loss, the book explores the bonds of sisterhood, how grief changes us and the ways that addiction manifests between generations.

Julia and Kathy unpack these central themes of grief, sisterhood and addiction, and delve into the book's exploration of motherhood. Why do some women choose, or not choose to have children, what happens when that choice is taken away, and how much do our own mothers shape us?

Shownotes

• Blue Sisters is published by HarperCollins and is available at all good bookstores: https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780008623012/blue-sisters/
• CW: This episode covers themes of addiction, and reproductive health, and parts of this conversation may be distressing for some listeners. If this brings up anything for you, help is available by contacting the 24-hour national counselling service 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. You can also contact the Alcohol Drug Information Service (ADIS) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 1800 250 015.

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Elif Shafak is a best selling author, a political scientist and an advocate for women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights and freedom of expression.

In this episode Julia and Elif journey on a candid and deep conversation about Elif’s childhood in Turkey, what drew her to writing, and the lengths she’s had to go to keep telling the stories of those who are often silenced.

They also delve into Elif’s spectacular new novel There are Rivers in the Sky, and discuss why tackling the world’s water crisis is critical for the safety of women and girls.

Show notes:

Elif’s new novel There are Rivers in the Sky is published by Penguin and is available at all good book stores.

To learn more about Elif and her work go to https://www.elifsafak.com.tr/home

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In this month’s Book Club episode, Julia and Kathy Lette explore Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by internationally-renowned author, Salman Rushdie.

In his memoir, the Booker Prize winner recounts the horrifying moment he was stabbed, almost to death, while on stage in upstate New York, preparing to deliver a lecture on keeping writers safe from harm.

Julia and Kathy examine his incredible literary career, his life under 24-hour surveillance and the fatwa which led to the frenzied attack, reigniting debate around freedom of speech.

Kathy - a close friend of Rushdie's - also shares her personal insights of helping to care for him while he was in hiding and details his remarkable road to recovery.

Show notes:

• Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie is published by Penguin and available at all good bookstores: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/knife-9781787334809

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.