'Julia' revisits George Orwell's '1984,' from a new point of view

With permission from the Orwell estate, Sandra Newman's latest novel takes place in the same world and with many of the same characters as 1984 , but retold through the eyes of Winston Smith's love interest, Julia . It's a deep exploration of women's experiences under totalitarianism, and as Newman tells NPR's Scott Simon, an appreciation of the original that doubles down on some of Orwell's humor and ability to capture the psyche of fear — and unexpected comfort — under political tyranny. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy