HOW TO READ A BOOK

by Monica Wood

I had never heard of How to Read a Book or its author, Monica Wood when my friend Pam recommended that I read it.  I am so glad that she did.  Wood has a great premise for her novel and she develops her characters beautifully.  But it is her clear, straightforward writing style that really stands out.  Several times I found myself reading passages out loud to my husband to share her ability to exactly capture a situation or a feeling in very few words.  She also gives the reader much to contemplate as the story plays out.

How to Read a Book is told from three characters’ perspectives: Violet, a 22-year-old about to finish a three-year prison sentence for manslaughter, Harriet, a 64-year-old volunteer who conducts a book club in the women’s prison where Violet resides, and Frank, the widower of the woman killed in the car crash that Violet caused. Harriet, in her characteristic unassuming manner, instills in the bookclub women the belief that they are intelligent, valuable and capable individuals.  Not surprisingly, the incarcerated women feel a real bond with her.

When Violet gets released from prison and is struggling to establish a new life as someone with a prison record, it is Harriet who repeatedly steps up to assist and reassure her. Woods’ characters are complicated and wonderfully believable.  They each harbor secrets of which they aren’t proud, but manage to take their personal blunders and use them to be more accepting of other people’s failures.  To witness Frank graciously bestow his forgiveness on Violet was one of the most poignant scenes I’ve ever read in a book.

Wood manages to impart so many life lessons in How to Read a Book and none of them are heavy-handed or sanctimonious.  She has incredible characters who she puts into extremely emotion-packed encounters and demonstrates beautifully the value of forgiveness.  This is a must-read novel that I’m confident you’ll enjoy. (Liz)