# Claire Messud's epic family odyssey

An episode of [The Bookshelf](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/499762704), 10 May 2024, 1 h 01 min.

Audio: https://mediacore-live-production.akamaized.net/audio/01/ti/Z/ei.mp3

Cassie and guest host Tom Wright discuss Claire Messud's This Strange Eventful History, about a family torn apart by war, geography, politics and religion, over the course of three generations. Plus, guests Claire Mabey and Shannon Burns review new fiction from Sarah Perry and Alan Murrin. BOOKS This Strange Eventful History, Claire Messud (Hachette) Enlightenment, Sarah Perry (Penguin) The Coast Road, Alan Murrin (Bloomsbury) GUESTS Shannon Burns, writer, critic, and member of The JM Coetzee Centre for Creative Practice at the University of Adelaide. His book Childhood: A Memoir is published by Text and has just been shortlisted for the NSW Premiers' Literary Awards Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction Claire Mabey, Founder of Verb Wellington and books editor at The Spinoff (NZ online culture and news site). Her first book, a middle grade novel called The Raven's Eye Runaways will be published in July OTHER BOOKS MENTIONED Edna O'Brien, Byron in LoveJavier Marías, A Heart So WhiteNicholas John Turner, Let the Boys PlayLauren Groff, The Vaster WildsLouise Wallace, AshMax Porter, works CREDITS • Presenter, Cassie McCullagh + Tom Wright • Producer, Cassie McCullagh + Sarah Corbett + Barbara Heggen • Sound engineer, Hamish Camilleri + Ann Marie Debettencor • Executive producer, Rhiannon Brown

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