Huma Abedin talks about “Both / and” | Today Headlines

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In her new memoir, “Both / And: A Life in Many Worlds,” Huma Abedin writes about her Muslim faith, her years working alongside Hillary Clinton and, of course, her relationship with her ex-husband, the former Democratic Representative Anthony Weiner. In this week’s podcast, Abedin said writing the book was “the most therapeutic thing I could have done” and that writing about her marriage and her time in the tabloids gave her perspective.

“Now that I’m on the other side, I can confidently say: I don’t think what I’ve been through is so unique,” ​​she says. “What’s different is that I had to go through it on the headlines. So I know there is a brotherhood and a brotherhood of people in the world who had to endure betrayal and had to find a way to get on with their lives. And these are the conversations to which I am always called; people who stop me in the street and ask me a simple question: “When does it stop hurting?” ‘Should I stay?’ “When am I leaving? “

Gary Shteyngart visits the podcast to discuss his new novel, “Our Country Friends,” about seven friends (and a nemesis) spending time together at a Hudson Valley property during the first months of the pandemic . The drama of the novel, says Shteyngart, comes from people confronting their “deepest selves,” as Chekhov’s characters did when they left Moscow for a rural environment.

“When you’re stuck in the country, wherever you are, life goes so much slower than in the city, and you can really start to think about your place in the world,” says Shteyngart. “There is definitely a feeling that time is slowing down and you are able to check out your real relationships. If you love someone, you love them more in the country. If you hate them, you hate them more in the country. Everything went up to 11. “

Also in this week’s episode, Tina Jordan reflects on the history of book review as she celebrates her 125th birthday; Elizabeth Harris has news from the publishing world; and Dave Kim and Sarah Lyall talk about what they read. Pamela Paul is the host.

Here are the books discussed in “What We Read” this week:

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode and the Book Review podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com.