Edna O'Brien — The Country Girls with Edan Lepucki

Send us a text When Edna O’Brien published her debut novel The Country Girls in 1960, she was branded a “Jezebel” in her native Ireland—but that didn’t stop her from completing a poignant trilogy about a pair of friends coming of age in a world for which village life and convent school failed to prepare them. Despite initial backlash to her sexually frank depiction of young women’s lives and desires, O’Brien’s writing brought her acclaim and celebrity status—Vanity Fair dubbed her “the playgirl of the western world.” Novelist Edan Lepucki joins us to discuss the trilogy’s timeless appeal and the complicated-but-endearing friendship of characters Kate Brady and Baba Brennan. Mentioned in this episode: The Country Girls trilogy by Edna O’Brien Edna O’Brien interview on BBC’s “World Book Club” Time’s Mouth by Edan Lepucki California by Edan Lepucki Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki Mother’s Before by Edan Lepucki Italics Mine Substack by Edan Lepucki Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 35 on Maud Hart Lovelace Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management Ernest Gébler Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry “Laverne & Shirley” Beaches film Th Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast