Oprah sits down with two-time National Book Award winning author Jesmyn Ward to talk about her new novel and Oprah’s Book Club 103rd pick Let Us Descend. The narrative is set in the 19th century during the time of slavery. It follows a teenage girl’s journey across the American South. Announced in October on CBS Mornings, Oprah describes Jesmyn’s latest novel as “a vital work for our culture.” In this moving conversation, Oprah and Jesmyn discuss their upbringings in Mississippi, how the loss of Jesmyn’s partner caused her to take a 6-month writing hiatus and how she wants people to leave the book with a sense of hope.

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