The latest pick for Jenna Bush Hager’s Today show book club is This Is a Love Story by Jessica Soffer.
Soffer’s novel, scheduled for publication on Tuesday by Dutton, follows the relationship between author Abe and his dying wife, Jane, an artist, as they reflect on their 50 years together. It is the second novel by Soffer, who published Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots in 2013.
Hager announced the new selection on the Today show, saying, “It’s February, and this may be the most epic love story I have ever, ever read.…It is epic, it is heartfelt, it’s a love story to New York City, it’s a love story to marriage and commitment, the power of art, and how love endures through lows and highs.”
Soffer told Today.com that she wanted to write a realistic novel about a long-term relationship.
“It’s a happy marriage—reciprocal, respectful, compassionate,” she said. “But life is hard, and love is hard, and so I tried to offer up the truths.”
She shared the news of her novel’s selection on Instagram, writing, “The thing about @readwithjenna is it gives authors actual wings. I could not be more grateful. And excited. And nauseated (in a good way?!).”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
