A charming, openhearted novel, deceptively easy to read but layered with sharp observations, hard truths and rich ideas ... How to Read a Book nudges the conscience as much as it pulls at the heartstrings. But it is also generously seasoned with unexpected twists and a wonderful wit. It’s never saccharine.
This open-hearted book radiates kindness, just shy of excess. Wood manages to avert that result with a combination of irreverence, humor and grit ... This is a smart feel-good book, rich and complicated.
Told with compassion and empathy, Wood’s... tender novel explores the ways people can surprise themselves and others. A deeply humane and touching novel.
This gorgeously told story follows the first few months after Violet’s release, what she calls the shimmering time, as she tries to define herself on the outside ... A finely wrought story, beautifully told, with deeply memorable characters.
