Good Morning America has selected Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library as its latest book club pick.
Haig’s novel tells the story of Nora Seed, a woman who attempts suicide after losing her job and her beloved cat. After she takes an overdose of prescription medicine, she wakes up in a mysterious library full of books that chronicle alternate versions of her life.
A reviewer for Kirkus called the book “a whimsical fantasy about learning what’s important in life.”
Haig appeared (virtually) on the morning show to introduce readers to his novel.
“The midnight library is a library between life and death where a woman gets the chance to live all the lives she could have led,” Haig explained.
Haig has tackled themes of mental illness before. His 2016 memoi, Reasons To Stay Alive, chronicled his battle with major depressive disorder, which almost led him to take his own life when he was 24.
In a viral tweet from 2019, Haig offered words of encouragement for those struggling with depression. “20 years ago this summer I nearly died by suicide in Ibiza,” he wrote. “I knew I had no future. I knew I’d never be happy again. Today I am in France. With family. And dog. Enchanted. I am alive. I am happy. In the future that couldn’t exist. The impossible happens via living. Stay.”
The selection of Haig’s book marks the first anniversary of the GMA book club. Previous picks for the club have included Kevin Kwan’s Sex and Vanity and Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
