{"product_id":"9780008831714_how-to-read-a-book-a-runaway-bestseller-the-healing-and-heartwarming-read-you-will-want-to-share-for-2026","title":"How to Read a Book: A runaway bestseller, the healing and heartwarming read you will want to share for 2026","description":"\u003ch2\u003e'A beautiful, big-hearted treasure of a novel' Lily King\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\n          \u003cstrong\u003eA runaway bestseller in the USA, available for the first time in the UK comes a heartfelt, uplifting novel about a chance encounter at a bookstore. \u003c\/strong\u003e\n        \u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eExploring redemption, unlikely friendships, and the life-changing power of sharing stories, this is a book that readers have taken to their hearts.\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eViolet Powell, a twenty-two-year-old from rural Abbott Falls, Maine, is being released from prison after serving twenty-two months for a drunk-driving crash that killed a local kindergarten teacher.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHarriet Larson, a retired English teacher who runs the prison book club, is facing the unsettling prospect of an empty nest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrank Daigle, a retired machinist, hasn't yet come to grips with the complications of his marriage to the woman Violet killed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen the three encounter each other one morning in a bookstore in Portland – Violet to buy the novel she was reading in the prison book club before her release, Harriet to choose the next title for the women who remain, and Frank to dispatch his duties as the store handyman – their lives begin to intersect in transformative ways.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHow to Read a Book\u003c\/em\u003e is an unsparingly honest and profoundly hopeful story about letting go of guilt, seizing second chances, and the power of books to change our lives. With the heart, wit, grace, and depth of understanding that has characterised her work, Monica Wood illuminates the decisions that define a life and the kindnesses that make life worth living.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\n          \u003cstrong\u003e\"The perfect pick to really light a fire under my book club, and yours … A reminder that goodness, and books, can still win in this world.\" \u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n        \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\n          \u003cstrong\u003e\"A beautiful, big-hearted treasure of a novel.\" Lily King\u003c\/strong\u003e\n        \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\n          \u003cstrong\u003e\"A deeply humane and touching novel; highly recommended for book clubs and fans of Shelby Van Pelt's \u003cem\u003eRemarkably Bright Creatures.\"\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eBooklist\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n        \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this latest work of fiction, Monica Wood beautifully weaves a tale of grief and bereavement, set against the backdrop of bookstores and libraries. The humorous undertones provide a much-needed respite, making it a top pick for readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003enan\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHarperCollins 2026\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Monica Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46889527214229,"sku":"9780008831714","price":45.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0484\/3175\/9509\/files\/9780008831714_86c6e100-465a-454e-a73e-6060be83cbba.jpg?v=1776888615","url":"https:\/\/harpercollins.com.au\/products\/9780008831714_how-to-read-a-book-a-runaway-bestseller-the-healing-and-heartwarming-read-you-will-want-to-share-for-2026","provider":"HarperCollins AU","version":"1.0","type":"link"}