Oprah Winfrey picks “Go Gentle” by Maria Semple for book club: Read a free excerpt

Oprah Winfrey on Tuesday exclusively announced “Go Gentle” by Maria Semple as her latest book club pick on “CBS Mornings.”

“Go Gentle” is about a divorce philosopher who meets a mysterious stranger and her orderly life is turned upside down. 

Semple, a bestselling author, said she reflected on her own life experiences while writing.

“About three years ago, I went through a long-term breakup,” she said. “I moved away from Seattle and I thought I can move anywhere. And I thought I’m gonna move to New York to the Upper West Side and I did. And I have been so happy in just loving my life ever since then. I will say it’s really scary at first.”

When she received the call from Winfrey, Semple said she thought “my life has changed.”

“I hit the ceiling and it was just like, I was shocked. I was excited and also just to be a very small part of this history … of the book group,” Semple said.

Winfrey said she picked the novel because of what the character Adora represents for women who are divorced.

“I think for so many women that change that comes to them … that experience, they feel like life is over. They feel like they’re no longer worthy and I think what you’ve done for women in empowering the idea that you can become whatever you, not only imagine, but even things you never imagined,” Winfrey said.

Excerpted from Go Gentle by Maria Semple with permission from Putnam, an imprint of The Penguin Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2026 by Maria Semple.