Oprah Winfrey has selected New York Times best-selling author Susan Cain’s newest book, “Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole,” as her 99th book club pick.
Winfrey announced her choice first on “CBS Mornings” Wednesday, saying Cain talks in her book about how embracing sorrow and sadness is what eventually leads to happiness.
“There is no really great life without being able to embrace sadness and happiness together. Bittersweet,” Winfrey said.
“Bittersweet” explores how the state of mind is the quiet force that helps us transcend our personal and collective pain.
Cain told “CBS Mornings” that bittersweetness is about the fact that there will always be a measure of joy and sorrow in our lives, “and there’s a kind of richer form of happiness that we can get to by acknowledging that.”
“It helps us realize how precious life is, and it actually connects us more to each other, because if we can actually tell each other the truth about what we are experiencing, rather than just the presentation of that smile that may or may not be authentic,” she said.
Cain got the idea for the book after she became curious about why people like herself find sad songs uplifting.
“Why do we listen to Rihanna’s “Stay” or Adele’s “Someone Like You”? Why? Why do we adore it so much?” Cain stated.
Cain claims that the feelings she describes in her book are something that older people can relate to as they get older.
“Studies show that older people are more content, less angry, more forgiving, and so on,” she said. “Older people understand how fleeting life is, but when younger people understand it as well, they gain the same benefits of being more forgiving, less angry, and more content.”
Cain wants readers to consider what they are longing for.
“We get a little closer to our ideal selves when we tap into that state of longing,” Cain said.
Cain’s previous book, “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” was on The New York Times Best Sellers list for eight years.
“Bittersweet,” published by Crown, a Penguin Random House imprint, is now available wherever books are sold.