Oprah Winfrey picks Amanda Rizkalla’s debut novel “Hungered” for her book club
In short
Oprah Winfrey announced Tuesday that her new book club selection is “Hungered,” a debut novel by Amanda Rizkalla that came out in May. The novel follows 12-year-old Sofia, who lives with her mother and younger brother in their car. CBS News, which aired the reveal on “CBS Mornings,” said it is Winfrey’s 125th book club pick and comes as the club marks its 30th anniversary.
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Oprah Winfrey announced Tuesday that her latest book club selection is “Hungered,” a debut novel by Amanda Rizkalla that was released in May, the Associated Press reported. CBS News, which aired the reveal on “CBS Mornings,” said the pick is Winfrey’s 125th and comes as the club marks its 30th anniversary; the AP said Winfrey launched the club 30 years ago. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Winfrey said in a statement that the 28-year-old Rizkalla had written a “riveting novel” about “families who live outside the margins, living unhoused” and “their hopes, dreams, and the perseverance it takes to face another day.” CBS News described the coming-of-age story as following 12-year-old Sofia, who lives with her mother and younger brother in their car while her mother searches for a safe place to park each night, and who dreams of having a bedroom of her own, returning to school with her friends and eating the colorful cakes in a grocery store display case. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Rizkalla is a Los Angeles native who now lives in the Bay Area. She was an undergraduate at Stanford University and received a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She said she learned she had been selected after receiving a surprise call from Winfrey. “I was so stunned I could hardly believe it was real, and there are still moments where it all feels like one big daydream,” Rizkalla said in a statement. [ 1 , 2 ]
A conversation between Winfrey and Rizkalla on The Oprah Podcast can be seen on Winfrey’s YouTube channel and through other outlets, the AP reported. CBS News published a free excerpt of the novel alongside its report. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
A selection by Winfrey’s book club, which the Associated Press says she launched 30 years ago, typically brings a debut author to a national audience; CBS News said the pick was revealed exclusively on “CBS Mornings” and that the outlet published a free excerpt. Coverage here is consumer-facing book news, with no stated consequences beyond the promotion of the title.
Key facts
- Winfrey announced Tuesday that she had chosen Amanda Rizkalla’s “Hungered” for her book club, according to the Associated Press. [ 1 , 2 ]
- “Hungered” is Rizkalla’s debut novel and was released in May. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The novel’s narrator is 12-year-old Sofia, who lives with her mother and younger brother in their car while her mother looks for a safe place to park each night. [ 3 ]
- CBS News said it was Winfrey’s 125th book club pick and that the announcement was made on “CBS Mornings.” [ 3 , 4 ]
- Rizkalla, 28, is a Los Angeles native who now lives in the Bay Area and studied at Stanford University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Rizkalla said she learned of the selection through a surprise call from Winfrey. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether the pick is Winfrey’s 125th selection, as CBS News reported. Only CBS News states the 125th-pick figure; the Associated Press copies do not give a count.
- When and where the announcement was made beyond the day, Tuesday, and the CBS News program. The documents give publication times and the AP dateline New York, but do not state the announcement’s venue or hour.