How to Read a Book

Violet is one of the three narrators of the novel, and when the story begins, Violet is looking back on a season of her life. At 22, Violet is in prison serving a 28-month sentence for vehicular manslaughter. Violet wrestles with the grief and shame of causing Lorraine Daigle’s death but also losing her family and friends over their inability to forgive her. Moreover, Violet’s mother died while she was in prison from cancer, but Violet holds herself responsible for her mother’s suffering. Prison is a miserable place where Violet feels trapped not just by the bars and razor wire but also by her inability to let go of her past. Her only source of joy is a weekly Book Club with her fellow female inmates led by Harriet, who they call “The Book Lady.” Having always enjoyed reading, Violet finds comfort in the pages of the Book Club selections and in the freedom she and the other women experience discussing the books. Violet’s early release from prison sets the stage for a fresh start in her life. Yet, Violet is alone in an unfamiliar town with no direction or purpose.

A chance encounter with Harriet in a bookstore provides Violet with the emotional and physical support she needs to