The ‘spell-binding’ dystopian novel that’s now an Oprah book club pick

Megha Majumdar's A Guardian and a Thief is now Oprah Winfrey's book club pick.

The dystopian work is already a finalist for the National Book Award and Kirkus Prize,

Set in the near future, A Guardian and a Thief depicts a world of drought, flooding, crime and food shortages.

It contrasts a woman whose family is about to emigrate from India to the U.S. with the resident of a shelter who has stolen her purse and the passports it contains.

It's Majumdar's first novel since her acclaimed debut, A Burning, came out in 2020.

“I was spellbound from Page 1,” Winfrey said in a statement Tuesday.

“Megha Majumdar is one of those exquisitely skilled authors who takes us into the story of characters and cultural conflicts and leaves us spellbound until the last word and beyond. Who was the ‘Guardian’ who was the ‘Thief’? I’m still thinking about it.”

Majumdar's conversation with Winfrey can be seen on Winfrey's YouTube channel and other outlets where podcasts are available.

Winfrey's book club is currently presented by Starbucks.

Other recent picks include Elizabeth Gilbert' s memoir, All the Way to the River, and a novel by Richard Russo, Bridge of Sighs.