Bob Moyer reviews a new novel that sounds like the book we need to read these days. It is a joy to read, he says.
Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer
HOW TO READ A BOOK. By Monica Wood. Mariner Books. 273 pages. $28.00
Coincidence.
When it happens in our lives, it is remarkable. The phone call from the person you just decided to call at that moment, the colleague you haven’t seen for 20 years waving to you across the subway platform.
Coincidence in fiction, however, always throws up bit of doubt. Is this a fortuitous accident, or the author falling back on a device to get the story moving? In Monica Woods’ latest novel, it is more than a fortuitous accident — it is remarkable.
The incident brings together three people she introduces and endears to the reader. Harriet is a retired English teacher who runs a book club at the local women’s prison. She’s about to become an empty nester, when her granddaughter moves out. Violet is 22-year-old prisoner, about to be let out after serving time for killing a local teacher while driving drunk and on drugs. And Frank, a retired machinist, works part-time at the local bookstore. He’s the husband of the woman Violet killed, and an admirer of Harriet. Woods brings them together at the bookstore in Portland, Maine, right after Violet has been released. The coincidence of their meeting results in an emotional outburst for both Violet and Frank, while drawing Harriet into a relationship amongst the three that carries through the rest of the book. Violet discovers herself, Frank and Harriet discover each other, and the three discover a mutual rapport. The author creates a fascinating “meanwhile” out of their journey.
“Meanwhile” is the term that Harriet employs to her prison book group to show them How to Read a Book. One of the joys of this book is the motley crew of characters in the club. Another joy is the examination of literature ranging from Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology to Maya Angelou’s poetry, as they are transformed by the idea that “…stories have a ‘meanwhile’ — an important thing that’s happening while the rest of the story moves along.”
The greatest joy of this book — and it is a joy — is the well-crafted “meanwhile” that makes up the book’s narrative, with Woods’ skilled character development, narrative detail and exquisite prose. It is satisfying to watch Violet transform the idea of “meanwhile” from literature to her life. It is rewarding to be lifted by a profoundly hopeful piece of literature.