Emma Straub on "American Fantasy" and finding joy after heartache

Emma Straub turned her love for a boy band into her latest New York Times bestselling book "American Fantasy." It's about a 50-year-old woman who is recently divorced, empty-nested, and having problems at work, and who travels solo on a boy-band cruise. As Straub told Mary, the character discovers "transcendence." Straub wrote the book after she went on a similar cruise to bring her joy as she healed after the death of her father, author Peter Straub. Emma Straub talks about her love of New Kids on the Block, finding bravery moving through middle age, and her love of books. Audio excerpted courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio from AMERICAN FANTASY by Emma Straub, read by Marin Ireland. © 2026 Emma Straub, ℗ 2026 Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices