Read Ohio Author Jessica Strawser’s New Book ‘The Quitter’s Club’

Gathered at a dinner table along the beaches of Hilton Head, South Carolina, Brooke, Collins, Marie and Lucy look back on their two decades of friendship as they enjoy fresh seafood and hush puppies. Around the tranquil glow of citronella candles, they grapple with how their lives have changed since they met 20 years earlier at Ohio University and how they might be different if they had said “no” more often. 

Their stories unfold in Jessica Strawser’s newest novel, The Quitters Club, to be published June 1. Strawser, an Ohio University alumnus herself, released her debut novel, Almost Missed You, in March 2017. She now lives in Cincinnati and serves as editor-at-large for Writer’s Digest. Her newest book has her revisiting her alma mater.

“I really like setting stories in a place that means something to me and also that maybe people don’t write about as often,” Strawser says. “Athens certainly fit the bill.”

The Quitters Club follows the story of four women who met at Ohio University and their mission to take back their lives. A beach vacation opens the door for discussing struggles with infertility, loss, marriage and career, leading to the formation of the eponymous Quitters Club. Strawser sprinkles in locations from across the Buckeye State into all her books, and graduates of Ohio University will recognize familiar places such as Court Street Coffee and Goodfella’s Pizza. With Marie working as a professor at the university, she opens the door for her friends to come back to the place they met, a journey that reframes the idea of quitting in a way that is relatable to readers no matter their age. 

“Our whole life we’re told to stick with things and never quit, and usually that’s great advice, except for when it’s not,” Strawser says. “I wanted to tell a story that embraced the idea that quitting doesn’t always mean giving up.”

For more information, visit jessicastrawser.com.

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