Ann Hood

Ava Tucker, who teaches French to college students in Providence, Rhode Island, has been married to Jim for twenty-five years. Their son, Will, is working for a non-profit organization in Africa, and their daughter, Maggie, is enrolled in an art history program in Florence. Maggie, who likes to drink, get high, and hang around with various boyfriends, has troubled her parents for years. Ava and Jim hope that she is ready to settle down and make something of herself. In "The Book that Matters Most," by Ann Hood, Ava goes through an emotional wringer. Memories of her heartbreaking past haunt her, and Ava's previously dependable husband betrays her. In addition, Maggie may not be leading the blameless life that she describes in her text messages.

Landing a coveted spot in the book club facilitated by Cate, a librarian who is Ava's friend, requires patience. Finally, there is an opening and Ava is invited to join. This year, Ava and her fellow participants are assigned to choose a book that means a great deal to them, and every month, the group meets for a lively discussion of one of the choices. Ava picks an obscure, out-of-print book, "From Clare to Here," which comforted her when she was depressed, guilt-ridden, and lost. The others select more conventional titles, including "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," "Anna Karenina," "One Hundred Years of Solitude," "To Kill a Mockingbird," and "The Unbearable Lightness of Being."

Hood demonstrates how friendship and literature can promote healing. Although Ava is initially uncomfortable in the book club, she eventually settles in and is energized by meeting people from a variety of backgrounds. She enjoys engaging in conversations that deal not only with the text, but also with each person's perspective and experiences. The author devotes chapters to Ava, Maggie (who is worse off than her mother could ever imagine), and Hank, a detective, and Hood also goes back to 1970, a tragic year in Ava's life. "The Book that Matters Most" is heartfelt, but Hood may have bitten off more than she can chew. She awkwardly juggles a variety of subplots dealing with adultery, promiscuity, hard-core drug use, and a mystery from decades earlier that may never have been solved. Everything comes together in a contrived conclusion that strains credulity. Still, Hood writes with humor, warmth, and compassion, and we grow to care about Ava and Maggie. Most readers will find something or someone to identify with in this bittersweet tale of love, loss, and redemption.… (more)

Ann Hood is the descendant of Italian farm laborers; she learned to appreciate the art of storytelling from her working class relatives who spun yarns around the kitchen table. In school, Ann was a shy child who would rather read than interact with her peers. "I was in the world of stories and words, a world I preferred to the classroom or playground," she recalls. In second grade, Ann fell in love with Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women," and quickly sought out additional books (preferably long ones) that took her to distant places, introduced her to intriguing characters, and inspired her to dream. In "Morningstar," Hood discusses some of the works of fiction that made a lasting impression on her. Along the way, she reminisces about her childhood, family life, challenges, and accomplishments.

Hood discovered early on that reading warded off loneliness, opened up enticing possibilities, and satisfied her curiosity. When her small Rhode Island town finally got its own library, ten-year-old Ann became a regular: "In that library I was handed a blueprint on how to live…." The author tells us why certain books resonated with her. At sixteen, Hood read "The Grapes of Wrath." This masterpiece was a revelation. Ann was dazzled by the magic that Steinbeck conjured up; the vivid portraits he painted; and the range of powerful emotions he evoked. From this novel Ann received a master class in "Plot. Character. Conflict. Escalating stakes. Metaphor." She was blown away by the symbolism, social commentary, and lyrical language of this sweeping saga about migrant workers struggling to survive during the Great Depression,. In addition, Hood reveals why such novels as Plath's "The Bell Jar," Wouk's "Marjorie Morningstar," Segal's "Love Story," Trumbo's "Johnny Got His Gun," and Updike's "Rabbit Run" captivated her. It is easy to dismiss "Love Story" as a lowbrow tearjerker, but it was the first book Ann bought and the first one she gave as a gift. When she read it as an eighth-grader, it reduced her to tears.

In addition to her humorous and insightful account of her literary journeys, Hood alludes to the losses she has endured, the relationships she cherishes, and the fulfillment that being a novelist has brought her. Bibliophiles will appreciate this poetic, intimate, and heartfelt celebration of the joy of reading. The right book at the right time can enlighten, entertain, and transform us in unanticipated ways. "Morningstar" is a lovely, evocative, and eloquent little gem.… (more)

In a story that spans decades, it is clear that one decision can affect your entire life.
Nick Burns is in France in 1917, idly painting when Camile Chastain tells him his work is amateur. He asks her how she knows, she is an artist herself. Also, pregnant, but doesn't want to be a mother.
During a German attack, she gives her son and some paintings to Nick to protect, then flees. Nick's decision of what he does weighs on him for life. Now, 1974, and dying of cancer, he advertises for an assistant. Jenny, a waitress, begs him to hire her, so she can see the world. They travel to France and Italy, to an exhibition by Enzo Piccolo. How these stories integrate with each other is interesting, although a bit too pat. I did like the story between Jenny and Daniel, but again, a bit too pat to be likely.… (more)

3.5 Stars

This ended up being a little bit better than I expected it to be. The premise of the novel is that protaganist Ava joins a book club where each of the members selects "the book that has mattered most to them in their life" as a club selection. While there are many side stories also taking place, I was most curious to see how the author would explore the topic of these fictional characters choosing and discussing favorite books.

The book choices are largely cliched, which was a disappointment. To the extent that any book lover can really name a singular book that has mattered *most* to him or her, I doubt that a group of people gathered would choose the books that came from the syllabus from a high school English class (e.g. [b:Slaughterhouse-Five|4981|Slaughterhouse-Five|Kurt Vonnegut|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493075177s/4981.jpg|1683562], [b:The Great Gatsby|4671|The Great Gatsby|F. Scott Fitzgerald|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490528560s/4671.jpg|245494], [b:Anna Karenina|15823480|Anna Karenina|Leo Tolstoy|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1352422904s/15823480.jpg|2507928], etc.)

The whole idea that a singular book can matter *most* is aptly addressed by one of the book club characters: "I think it's impossible to pick [a book that matters most]. When you read a book, and who you are when you read it, make it matter or not. Like if you're unhappy and you read, I don't know, "On the Road" or "The Three Musketeers," and that book changes how you feel or how you think then it matters the most. At that time."… (more)