How to Read a Book A Novel

This National Bestseller from award-winning author Monica Wood is the kind of book that reminds us why we read in the first place—and why we gather to talk about what we’ve read.

How to Read a Book opens on an ordinary morning in a Portland bookstore, where three lives collide in the most unexpected way. Violet Powell, just released from prison after a drunk-driving crash that took a beloved teacher’s life. Harriet Larson, a retired English teacher grappling with what comes after a life spent in service to others. And Frank Daigle, a widower still wrestling with the complicated grief of losing his wife. Each has come to this quiet shop for their own reasons—but what unfolds is a story about second chances, forgiveness, and the quiet magic that happens when strangers become family.

Wood writes with the kind of grace and emotional honesty that lingers long after you’ve turned the final page. This is a novel about guilt and goodness, about the books we carry with us and the people who help us carry on. It’s been praised by the New York Times Book Review as “a reminder that goodness, and books, can still win in this world,” and Lily King called it “a beautiful, big-hearted treasure.”

Perfect for book clubs looking for something deeply humane and conversation-worthy—a story that asks: How do we move forward when the past won’t let go? And how do the stories we share help us find our way home?

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