Lara Love Hardin lost everything. Writing helped her find her way back. In this conversation, the author of the New York Times bestseller  and Oprah’s book club pick reflects on The Many Lives of Mama Love, a memoir of addiction, incarceration, motherhood, and recovery. She talks  about reading as her first addiction, writing as a survival tool within prison walls, and what it takes to tell the truth without softening it for the page.

Author’s Note:

Lara traces her earliest attachment to books, long before prescription drugs or heroin, framing literature as both refuge and obsession.

Margins

Lara reflects on what it means to carry a past without being defined by it. Addiction, prison, motherhood, and authorship are all layers that make her who she is. 

The Spine

Lara speaks about prison as a place where every woman had a “superpower”. Hers 

was writing. By helping other inmates with their correspondence, writing got her through her darkest days. 

Footnotes:

The conversation goes  beyond the book. Lara speaks about re-entering the workforce after incarceration, the barriers women face, and her work today as a ghostwriter, literary agent, and co-founder of the Gemma Project. She considers what Mama Love could not yet include — a quieter chapter defined by steadiness, work, and rest.

Featured Clips in this episode:

Oprah selects "The Many Lives of Mama Love" as newest book club selection

Message from Lara Love’s sons for Oprah

Credits: 

Host: Mallika Kapur

Mallika Kapur is an award-winning journalist and seasoned interviewer with over two decades of experience in television and live journalism. Across three countries and various impactful roles at CNN and Bloomberg, she has reported on major global events, including the London train bombings, the Indian Ocean tsunami and the Mumbai terror attacks. She also moderates news making panels at global forums, leading insightful conversations with the world’s top figures in business and culture.

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This is a Maed In India Production

Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Sound Designer & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni

Producer: Rachna Sukuru

Editorial Assistance: Devanshi Chandak

Sound Engineer: Nihar Temkar

Artwork: Alika Gupta