NPR’s Book of the Day

Episode Summary: "In Sara Levine’s Novel 'The Hitch,' a Corgi’s Soul Enters a Little Boy’s Body"

Date: February 3, 2026
Host: Andrew Limbong
Guest: Sarah Levine (author, The Hitch)
Interviewer: Indira Lakshmanan

Overview

This episode features a conversation with Sarah Levine about her new novel, The Hitch. At first glance a zany horror-comedy about a corgi’s soul “hitching” a ride in a little boy, the novel moves beyond supernatural antics to probe deep questions: How do we love those around us, especially when tempted to shape or judge them? Levine explores themes of parenting, control, and unconditional love through the eccentric, often funny protagonist, Rose—a character as prickly as she is lonely.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Premise: Possession, Parenting, and Unconditional Love

• The story centers on Rose, a secular Jewish feminist and yogurt entrepreneur, and her beloved but “imperfect” nephew, Nathan.
• The plot’s inciting incident: Rose’s Newfoundland kills a corgi (Hazel), after which Nathan insists Hazel’s soul has “hitched” to his own, manifesting Hazel’s behaviors and knowledge.
• While this is played for laughs, Levine frames it as a metaphor for the ways we try (and often fail) to shape the people we love.

"The really scary part is that the book is actually about how to truly love the ones around you without you trying to shape them or judge them."
—Andrew Limbong (00:25)

2. Origin of the Story: Personal Experience and Parenting

• Levine drew from her own experience as a parent, revealing her desire—while pregnant—to shape her unborn child’s identity as a “reader.”
• The “hitch” represents the unruly, inconvenient, and unpredictable qualities in those we love—especially children—that resist control.

"Already I was trying to shape her in my own image...I really wanted the book to talk about love, unconditional love, but never using that jargon."
—Sarah Levine (03:06)

3. Rose: An Unlikable, Complex Protagonist

• Rose is depicted as a lonely, judgmental, and high-achieving woman, whose controlling instincts shape her relationships.
• The interview highlights Rose’s attempts to “improve” Nathan’s environment (e.g., fussing over his bedroom décor) missing what actually matters to him.
• Rose is both a satire of contemporary types (the “eco-warrior/feminist entrepreneur”) and deeply human in her flaws and desires.

"You want to help your child grow and be the best version of themselves, but sometimes you get in the way."
—Sarah Levine (04:23)

• Rose’s inability to let go or be satisfied with others as they are is her defining struggle, emblematic of broader contemporary anxieties about zeal, judgment, and righteousness.

4. Supernatural or Psychological? The Intentional Ambiguity

• Levine constructs the story so readers can interpret Nathan’s “possession” as either supernatural (a literal ghost story), or psychological (trauma response, family dynamics).
• She values this ambiguity: “I'm really interested to see how people read it.” (05:55)

5. Satire, Humor, and Empathy in Characterization

• The author and interviewer note Rose’s acerbic humor, even—or especially—when she’s being insufferable or self-righteous.
• A memorable reading of a dinner scene at an Austrian restaurant demonstrates Rose’s wit and penchant for social commentary.

(Reading from Rose):
“Victor ordered a winter beer, brachnodel, and Wienerschnitzel while I scanned the menu, which read like an insult too subtle for Victor to catch...”
—Sarah Levine, reading from The Hitch (08:19)

• Rose’s internal struggles—her loneliness, her desire for connection—invite readers’ empathy even as her flaws provoke both laughter and frustration.

"I think she's likable because she's funny even when she doesn't know she's being funny...Truly lonely and wanting to connect to her family."
—Sarah Levine (09:22)

6. Thematic Intent: Love, Judgment, and "Hitchiness"

• The story is described as a “blend of horror, comedy and metaphysics,” ultimately asking readers to consider their own “hitchiness”—the places where hang-ups, judgments, and conditions interfere with genuine connection and acceptance.

"I'm hoping that the reader will...think about the hitchiness in their own life, by which I mean the places where they get hung up on conditions or judgments, and it makes them hard to love and engage with other people as they are without needing to change them."
—Sarah Levine (10:19)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Parenting and Projection:

  "It was bonkers that I already, you know, pregnant baby, not even born. And I was having this sort of fantasy of what she would be. She would be a reader like me."
  —Sarah Levine (04:11)

• On Humor and Satire:

  "She raises up victimhood a lot and self-righteousness, but in a very, very funny way."
  —Indira Lakshmanan (08:59)

• On Navigating Judgment:

  "I've just spent so much time wondering when is zeal good...how do you know when you're showing an appropriate amount of passion for a cause and when you're just being a jerk."
  —Sarah Levine (09:22)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:02-00:25 — Introduction to The Hitch and thematic framing
• 01:15-02:12 — Book synopsis and character setup
• 02:13-03:08 — Origins of the story; themes of love and parental control
• 03:08-04:23 — Rose’s character and parenting metaphor
• 04:23-05:22 — Discussion of how parents struggle with control and acceptance
• 05:22-05:55 — Ambiguity around supernatural vs. psychological interpretation
• 06:14-07:53 — In-depth character analysis of Rose
• 08:19-08:59 — Author reading, comedic tone and satire example
• 09:22-10:06 — Judgement, zeal, and the complexities of loving others
• 10:06-10:45 — The book’s conclusion and message to readers

Takeaway

The Hitch is a sharp, hilarious, and heartfelt tale about the messiness of love and the difficulty of letting others—be they children, siblings, or even possessed six-year-olds—be themselves. Through supernatural comedy and biting satire, Sarah Levine challenges readers to reflect on their own “hitchiness” and the sometimes blurry line between caring and controlling.