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The Roundtable

Madeleine Dunnigan's debut novel is "Jean"

By Joe Donahue
Published February 18, 2026 at 11:12 AM EST

Author Madeleine Dunnigan’s new novel “Jean” is haunting and it is a coming-of-age debut that integrates the fragilities of masculinity, the mysticism of adolescence, and the often-fraught bonds between mothers and their sons. Madeleine was a Jill Davis Fellow in the MFA program at New York University. She was also awarded a GRI fellowship in Paris and this is her first novel.

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The Roundtable bookcoming of agemasculinityMadeleine Dunnigan
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Joe Donahue
Joe talks to people on the radio for a living. In addition to countless impressive human "gets" - he has talked to a lot of Muppets. Joe grew up in Philadelphia, has been on the area airwaves for more than 25 years and currently lives in Washington County, NY with his wife, Kelly, and their dog, Brady. And yes, he reads every single book.
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