A stoic philosopher assembles a coven of middle aged single women in her Manhattan apartment building, she is working for an uber-wealthy family and feeling “wide and well," when she is suddenly drawn into a mysterious romance that takes her into the world of possible art thieves, weapons dealers and double agents, one of whom she happens to be falling for.

This all goes down while she desperately tries to reconcile her beloved Epictetus and Seneca with her increasingly emotional choices.

Okay, maybe you haven’t heard that one.

That’s understandable, because Maria Semple’s new novel, Go Gentle, just came out this week. Semple is the bestselling author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Today Will Be Different, both set in Seattle. And Semple will be appearing at Town Hall Seattle on Saturday, April 18th.

Guest:

Maria Semple, author of Go Gentle

Relevant Links:

Maria Semple with Ken Jennings at Town Hall Seattle on April 18th

The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness by Sharon Lebell

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Go Gentle’ blends screwball comedy, romance, and stoic philosophy