“The Huntress”, Friday, June 26, 2026

Good evening The Moosa Slobodian Network friends,

We had such a fantastic discussion of this month’s book on tonight’s Panel. Have a listen at the following link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6AFCc14LA3OoafcoYk3pwL

Show Notes

Books Panel Introduction and Technical Challenges: Macara Slobodian and Aliasgar Moosa open the June 26, 2026, books panel by acknowledging technical difficulties experienced before the broadcast began (00:00:00).
Habits of Rereading Books: The group discusses personal habits regarding rereading books. Lily Frederiksen frequently rereads childhood series like *Harry Potter* and *The Hunger Games* based on specific associations or references in their life (00:00:56). Paul Daniel mentions rereading *John F. Kennedy: President* by Hugh Sidey and *The Watch That Ends the Night* by Hugh MacLennan, noting that these books are tied to specific memories and moments from their youth (00:02:07).
Motivations for Rereading: Ashlyn and Macara Slobodian discuss rereading fantasy works like *Percy Jackson* and *Six of Crows* to reflect on how their personal values and perspectives have shifted over several years (00:05:18). Aliasgar Moosa notes that they rarely reread books, preferring to move on to new titles, though they expressed interest in potentially rereading *The Answer Is…* (00:07:20).
The Connection Between Memory and Literature: The panel explores the idea that books act as time capsules. Lily Frederiksen compares the experience of rereading to listening to music, where the act triggers memories of where they were in life when they first encountered the work (00:09:56).
Introduction of The Huntress: The panel begins discussing this month’s book, *The Huntress* by Kate Quinn. Ashlyn and Lily Frederiksen praise the book’s narrative structure, specifically noting the effective use of non-linear timelines and the way the different character arcs converge (00:11:49).
Format and Pacing of The Huntress: Paul Daniel highlights that while the book is 19 hours long on Audible and over 500 pages, the pacing keeps it from feeling dull. They describe it as a captivating thriller with realistic characters (00:13:25).
Research and Character Development: Paul Daniel and Lily Frederiksen commend Kate Quinn for the extensive research required to accurately portray the various roles the characters held, such as a bomber pilot in the Soviet Union, a journalist, and an interpreter (00:17:37).
Selection Context: Macara Slobodian explains that they discovered *The Huntress* during an Audible two-for-one sale, noting that despite not usually being a fan of historical fiction, they found the book’s depth and layers highly engaging (00:19:58).
Reader Engagement: Lily Frederiksen shares that they read the entire 19-hour book in three days due to the compelling plot and the suspense generated by the shorter, faster-paced chapters toward the end (00:22:24).
Audiobook Narration: The panel commends the audiobook narrator for their exceptional ability to switch between a wide repertoire of accents, including British, Russian, Southern, French, Austrian, and Estonian (00:25:16).
Foreshadowing and Jordan’s Investigation: Lily Frederiksen and Ashlyn discuss the character Jordan’s initial suspicion of Annalise. They note the clever inclusion of details like the medal hidden in the bouquet, which hinted at the truth before the final confrontation (00:28:16).
Justice Versus Revenge: Paul Daniel and Lily Frederiksen analyze Ian’s arc, noting that despite their personal trauma, Ian strives to find justice rather than resorting to violence or vengeance. They argue this makes the character highly human and courageous (00:29:45).
Perception of Book Heaviness: Aliasgar Moosa admits finding the content of the book heavy. The other panelists agree, noting that the themes regarding the Holocaust and the moral dilemmas faced by the characters contribute to this emotional weight (00:33:49) (00:35:30).
Historical Context and Human Behavior: Paul Daniel compares *The Huntress* to Leon Uris’s *QB VII*, discussing how these historical fiction works examine the human condition. The group reflects on how people in extraordinary, horrific situations often struggle to reconcile their actions afterward (00:36:39) (00:39:34).
Annalise’s Moral Justification: Macara Slobodian and Paul Daniel discuss how the character Annalise rationalizes their actions as “mercy” or “following orders.” The group notes that this reflects real-world rhetoric used by perpetrators of war crimes to avoid facing the moral implications of their behavior (00:37:33).
Ending and Realistic Resolution: The panel appreciates that the book does not provide a neat, tidy ending. They conclude that this lack of closure is more realistic, given that true resolution for such traumatic historical events is often impossible (00:41:30).
Future “Expanded Thoughts” Sessions: Aliasgar Moosa suggests holding a future bonus books panel titled “Expanded Thoughts” to delve deeper into discussions that exceed the time constraints of the standard show (00:45:24).
Ali Musa Show Update: Aliasgar Moosa provides an update on The Ali Moosa Show, noting that Gil Martin will return on Monday, July 6, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, to discuss NHL hockey news (00:46:13).
Upcoming Panel Schedule: Macara Slobodian announces the next The Ali and Macara Show, on June 29, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, which will cover *The Bullpen Gospels: Major League Dreams of a Minor League Veteran* by Dirk Hayhurst (00:48:29).
Next Month’s Books Panel: The books panel scheduled for July 31, 2026, will cover the book *Living Disability*, edited by Emily McCrae. Paul Daniel confirms the book is 9 hours and 51 minutes on Audible (00:48:29).
Merchandising Ideas: The group jokingly brainstorms creating a brand around “Ashlyn Approved” merchandise, suggesting products like mugs, t-shirts, lanyards, and artisan condiments to monetize the show’s popularity (00:51:20).
Workshop Announcements: Macara Slobodian announces two workshops for next week: a Libby tutorial on Thursday, July 2, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., and a Gmail on iPhone tutorial on Friday, July 3, 2026, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern (00:53:48).
Closing and Contact Information: The panel concludes by encouraging listeners to subscribe to the network’s newsletters via themoosaslobodiannetwork.ca and to follow the show on YouTube, WhatsApp, and Facebook (00:54:41).