Tayari Jones on friendship, writing, and choosing your ‘Kin’

Eight years after her bestseller 'An American Marriage,' Tayari Jones has written a new novel, 'Kin,' set in the Jim Crow South. It follows two girls, Vernice and Annie, who grow up next door to each other without their mothers. That shared wound binds them and carries them through adulthood and across class lines. Jones says the idea for the book came from her own experience of losing a friend — and the particular kind of grief that the world doesn't always recognize. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about female friendship, growing up with civil rights activist parents, and the writing class that changed her life.'Kin' was just selected by Oprah’s Book Club. Also, critic David Bianculli gives his take on the latest TV shows. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy