NPR's Book of the Day
NPR's Book of the Day
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In the novel ‘Loved One,’ an ambiguous friendship is further complicated by loss
8 minutes Posted Aug 27, 2025 at 7:00 am.
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Show notes
Aisha Muharrar’s debut novel Loved One is about a woman’s effort to understand her relationship with a friend who’s recently died. Julia had been friends with Gabe for nearly a decade after the two briefly dated – but their relationship became complicated right before his death. In today’s episode, Muharrar joins NPR’s Juana Summers for a conversation about ambiguous loss, uncertainty, and how the author hoped to write a book about grief that wouldn’t depress people.


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