The Reading List

Aleisha understands her responsibilities at home. Her father left the family seven years earlier and is now happily dedicated to his new family. Aidan, who once dreamed of opening his own mechanic business, put everything on hold, including his pursuit of a business degree. For seven years now, he has worked long hours at a biscuit factory. Taking care of their mother, Leilah, is Aleisha’s role—since the divorce, Leilah has seldom gone out and is prone to long episodes of depression. One morning, Aidan tells Aleisha to take the morning off, get out of the house, get some fresh air.

With nowhere particular to go, Aleisha ends up at the library. It is at first unsettling: “The walls of books began to close in on her, the spines growing larger, heavier” (49). She happens to see the returned copy of To Kill of Mockingbird with the list of books sticking out of it. She decides to commit to reading the book. Just as she is settling into the first pages, her boss interrupts her to chide her for not helping the old man who came looking for a reading recommendation. Annoyed by the reprimand, Aleisha takes the Lee novel and, without checking it out, heads out the door, ignoring the library’s alarm.