NPR's Book of the Day — Revisiting ‘Waiting to Exhale’

Date: December 20, 2025
Hosts: Andrew Limbaugh & B.A. Parker
Guest: Brittany Luse (It’s Been a Minute, host)
Special Contributor: Tia Williams (Romance Author)

Overview:

This episode is a vibrant, reflective roundtable discussion of Terry McMillan’s landmark novel Waiting to Exhale. Host Andrew Limbaugh, co-host B.A. Parker, and guest Brittany Luse delve into the novel’s impact, its place in the Black literary and cultural canon, how it changed the game for stories about Black women’s friendships and romance, and why it still matters in 2025 — both as a time capsule and a living text. The hosts also compare the book to its iconic film adaptation, discuss its complex characters, and debate its legacy with candor and humor. Romance author Tia Williams closes out the episode with personal insights on the novel’s influence on her own work and the literary landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Connections and Cultural Legacy

00:00–05:08

• Waiting to Exhale is seen as a “full circle moment” for Brittany, who read it at age 12 and now recognizes conversations from her childhood echoed in its dialogue.

  Brittany (A), 00:00: “These are the conversations I was always trying to like ear hustle on ... they still feel true in ways.”

• Parker and Andrew confess they didn’t read the book growing up, but it was ever-present through the movie, soundtrack, and mothers’ bookshelves — making it a backdrop of Black American childhood, especially for women.

• Brittany calls it a “foundational text” for Black American women; Andrew adds, “It’s hard to disentangle this book from the movie.”

  Brittany (A), 02:50: “It felt like the epitome of grown folks business ... This is, like, the backdrop of your childhood, essentially ... They’re inescapable.”

2. Generational Shifts & Growing Into the Book

04:16–05:08

• Now in their mid-30s, the hosts relate directly to the novel’s themes of adult friendship, careers, and relationships.

  Andrew (B), 04:20: “We are now the grown folks. We are now in grown folks business.”

• McMillan’s skill with dialogue means the voices feel fiercely authentic; they’re reflective of the hosts’ mothers and their friends.

  Brittany (A), 04:38: “Terry McMillan is excellent at writing dialogue ... I could hear them very clearly because they sounded like my mom talking to her friends.”

3. Terry McMillan—The Author's Backstory and Literary Impact

06:28–7:57

• Quick bio: Oldest of five, Michigan background, early writer. Noted for portraying the “interior world of Black professional women,” introducing their stories to the mainstream.

• The enormous publishing deal for Waiting to Exhale underlines its significance.

• Influence discussed: Brittany and Andrew argue Waiting to Exhale seeded everything from Sex and the City to current podcast-centric culture about women’s conversations and sex.

  Andrew (B), 07:24: “You could make an argument that without this book, you don’t get everything from, like, Sex and the City ... to the brand of, like, [podcasts]."

4. Resistance, Criticism, and Authenticity

08:08–10:38

• The backlash against the book for being “harmful to Black men” is contextualized alongside other Black women’s novels met with similar pushback.

• Notable quote from Terry McMillan (clip from Fresh Air interview, 1992):

  Terry McMillan (G), 09:38: “I told the story I wanted to tell ... We are not trying to represent the entire Black race. We are telling a story about the characters on our pages ... And the ones who usually are whining and complaining are the ones who are usually guilty.”

• Reflection on how intra-community criticisms and “burden of representation” are ongoing issues today.

5. The Universal and the Specific: Marriage, Money, and Sisterhood

11:28–13:32

• The book is compared to Pride and Prejudice in its concern with marriage, social status, financial struggles, and the pressure to pair off.

  Parker (C), 11:28: “It reminded me of ... Pride and Prejudice ... I have to find a husband right now or I’ll die.”

• The desperation and scarcity mindset in dating are seen as both particular to 90s Black middle-class life and yet evergreen for Black women now.

  Brittany (A), 12:08: “Moms still talk like that now ... after you get married ... It doesn't stop.”

6. From ‘Waiting to Exhale’ to 'Sex and the City' and Podcast Culture

12:21–15:12

• Waiting to Exhale foregrounds women’s conversations and inner lives, paving the way for shows like Sex and the City and contemporary podcasts.

  Andrew (B), 12:50: “I do think it’s fair to say that without this book, you don’t get Sex and the City.”

• Praise for McMillan’s craft: distinct voices, fast-moving plots (each woman gets her own arc), and sharply written, dialogue-driven vignettes.

  Brittany (A), 14:01: “McMillan does such an incredible job ... each woman had a distinctive voice ... and gave them such distinct personalities on the page.”

7. Debate: Does Terry McMillan 'Hate Women'?

19:05–24:53

• Parker poses a provocative question: “Does Terry McMillan hate women?” pointing to the characters’ judgmental asides and harsh portrayals.

• Brittany defends McMillan, arguing that cattiness and gossip are both realistic and a form of intimacy, and that criticism is often embedded in honesty and realism, not misogyny.

  Brittany (A), 21:17: “She’s giving you the reader a peek into their truly private thoughts … it creates a sense of intimacy.”

• Discussion of 90s “scarcity mindset” for Black women seeking partners, and harsh truths still felt today.

  Parker (C), 22:53: “The scarcity mindset ... it was in the water. It was in the air. … It was in the culture in a very intense way.”

• The hosts relate the story to “Night of the Living Dead”—the women fending off zombies (bad men, “other women,” etc.) while finding sisterhood in the struggle.

  Parker (C), 23:35: “These four women are in this house and Zombies and men are trying to come in … they’re kind of like sisters in strife ...”

8. Why Read 'Waiting to Exhale' Now?

26:04–29:28

• Brittany: The novel is an “interesting time capsule” of 90s professional Black women’s lives, full of rich detail and humanity not adequately represented then or now.

  Brittany (A), 26:04: “It is such an interesting time capsule ... each of them had these rich interior lives...”

• Parker: Reads it now for “anthropological purposes,” noting it doesn’t have the literary reverence of earlier Black women’s classics but remains crucial as a record of its time.

• Andrew: Appreciates its comedic sharpness, realistic group dynamics, and how “crashing out” with friends is still relatable.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Waiting to Exhale ... is a foundational text for Black American women and for women our age. This is, like, the backdrop of your childhood, essentially.” — Brittany (A), 02:50

• “I told the story I wanted to tell ... We are not trying to represent the entire Black race. ... and the ones who usually are whining and complaining are the ones who are usually guilty.” — Terry McMillan, 09:40

• “It reminded me of ... Pride and Prejudice ... I have to find a husband right now or I’ll die.” — Parker (C), 11:28

• “All these books, podcasts, movies, TV shows are her sons. ... Sex and the City absolutely jumped to mind.” — Brittany (A), 13:49

• “Does Terry McMillan hate women?” — Parker (C), 19:09
  “No... She’s giving you a peek into their truly private thoughts ... it creates a sense of intimacy.” — Brittany (A), 21:17

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:00–05:08 — Introductions & personal connections
• 06:28–10:38 — Terry McMillan’s backstory & debates over representation
• 11:28–15:12 — Literary influences & contemporary legacy
• 19:05–24:53 — Debate: Does McMillan dislike her characters?
• 26:04–29:28 — Why read this book now?
• 32:31–38:42 — Bonus: Tia Williams on reading the book as a teen & its influence on romance writing

‘If You Like This, Read That’ — Book Recommendations

29:28–32:21

• Andrew: Where I'm Coming From by Barbara Brandon-Croft — Black comic strips with conversations between women, reminiscent of the book’s group dynamics.
• Brittany: Things I Should Have Told My Daughter by Pearl Cleage — Candid personal journals exploring Black womanhood over decades.
• Parker: The Women’s Wilderness by Angela Flournoy — Friendship novel spanning time, a modern companion to McMillan’s work.

Bonus Segment: Author Tia Williams on ‘Waiting to Exhale’

32:31–38:42

• Tia Williams read the book at 16, feeling like it offered a glimpse into “grown woman business.”

  Tia Williams (H), 33:41: “This was a book that was being passed around by my mom and her friends and my aunts because it was about them ... I was excited to get a peek into their life.”

• The book’s sex scenes are “not sexy” — more about the difficulty and frustration of Black women dating.

• It was a “magic trick” of telling deeply Black stories that reached a mainstream audience without pandering.

• As a writer, Williams credits McMillan as a pioneer who “gave birth to all of us.”

  Tia Williams (H), 35:55: “Oh, yeah. I mean, she’s mother. Would I be here? No. Would any Black romance writer ... be here? No. She gave birth to all of us.”

Conclusion

The episode celebrates Waiting to Exhale as a vital, still-resonant piece of Black literature and women's fiction, contextualizes its complicated legacy, and offers a lively, funny, and honest assessment of its place in the cultural conversation—then and now. The hosts’ playful rapport, candid critiques, and enthusiasm make this a must-listen for anyone interested in literature, Black culture, or contemporary women’s storytelling.

For Further Listening:
Episode produced by Cher Vincent, edited by Megan Sullivan. Special thanks to romance author Tia Williams.
Check out Audra and Bash Are Just Friends by Tia Williams, available now.