Bruce Holsinger talks to Carol about his novel, The Gifted School, which is now out in paperback. It was a Bookreporter Bets On selection when it pubbed in hardcover last year.
The Gifted School follows a close-knit community of friends and their parents as applications open for entry into a school for gifted students. These parents — though meaning well — go to overwhelming competitive lengths to prove their children are brilliant and talented, and that brings a ripple effect that could damage their friendships, marriages, and careers. Briskly told and with definite tones of satire, this novel looks at what it means to be gifted — and what people do to get there.
With more and more university scandals known best as “Operation Varsity Blues” reverberating, it is very timely(this book came out just after that scandal unfolded). It’s also something to ponder as parents do remote learning. Is it tougher to teach a gifted and talented curriculum? Their conversation explores the wider problems that lead to parents pushing their children, students dealing with the overwhelming pressure of proving themselves, and how this stressful approach to school combined with modern technology of phones affects learning. Carol also talks about what her own book group discussed after reading the book.
Book discussed in this episode:
The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger
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