- 288 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
"The perfect pick to really light a fire under my book club, and yours....A reminder that goodness, and books, can still win in this world." —New York Times Book Review
"A beautiful, big-hearted treasure of a novel." —Lily King
National Bestseller * From the award-winning author of The One-in-a-Million Boy comes a heartfelt, uplifting novel about a chance encounter at a bookstore, exploring redemption, unlikely friendships, and the life-changing power of sharing stories.
Our Reasons meet us in the morning and whisper to us at night. Mine is an innocent, unsuspecting, eternally sixty-one-year-old woman named Lorraine Daigle…
Violet Powell, a twenty-two-year-old from Abbott Falls, Maine, is being released from prison after serving twenty-two months for a drunk-driving crash that killed a local kindergarten teacher.
Harriet Larson, a retired English teacher who runs the prison book club, is facing the unsettling prospect of an empty nest.
Frank Daigle, a retired machinist, hasn’t yet come to grips with the complications of his marriage to the woman Violet killed.
When the three encounter each other one morning in a bookstore in Portland—Violet to buy the novel she was reading in the prison book club before her release, Harriet to choose the next title for the women who remain, and Frank to dispatch his duties as the store handyman—their lives begin to intersect in transformative ways.
How to Read a Book is an unsparingly honest and profoundly hopeful story about letting go of guilt, seizing second chances, and the power of books to change our lives. With the heart, wit, grace, and depth of understanding that has characterized her work, Monica Wood illuminates the decisions that define a life and the kindnesses that make life worth living.
"A deeply humane and touching novel; highly recommended for book clubs and fans of Shelby Van Pelt's Remarkably Bright Creatures." — Booklist
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Dedication
- Contents
- 1: Violet
- 2: Frank
- 3: Harriet
- 4: Violet
- 5: Harriet
- 6: Violet
- 7: Frank
- 8: Harriet
- 9: Violet
- 10: Frank
- 11: Harriet
- 12: Violet
- 13: Harriet
- 14: Violet
- 15: Frank
- 16: Violet
- 17: Frank
- 18: Violet
- 19: Harriet
- 20: Violet
- 21: Frank
- 22: Violet
- 23: Harriet
- 24: Violet
- 25: Harriet
- 26: Violet
- 27: Frank
- 28: Violet
- 29: Frank
- 30: Harriet
- 31: Violet
- A Note on the Parrots
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Also by Monica Wood
- Copyright
- About the Publisher