What happens when a woman decides midlife to break free of the unlived life she's been

leading?

Dana Spioda will be here to discuss her latest novel, Wayward.

How do the environmental threats and economic imperatives of logging affect the lives of

those who make their living from cutting down trees?

Ash Davidson will join us to talk about her debut novel, Damnation Spring.

Alexander Alter will be here with the latest in publishing news.

Plus, my colleagues and I will talk about what we're reading.

This is the Book Review Podcast for the New York Times.

It's August 13th.

I'm Pamela Paul.

Dana Spioda joins us now from the Catskills.

She is the author of many novels, including Innocence and Others, Lightning Field and

Stone Arabia.

And her latest book is called Wayward.

Dana, thanks so much for being here.

Thanks so much for having me, Pamela.

So this book begins with a house.

Why?

What is this house and what role does it play in the novel?

Well, it's a falling down arts and crafts house that's in the city of Syracuse.

The main character, Sam, has a habit of going to these kind of open houses with no intention

...