Reviews
The Book That Matters Most is an exhilarating celebration of all that books awaken within us: joy, love, wisdom, loss, solace. Ann Hood is a captivating storyteller--I devoured this novel., Engrossing...I admire this graceful and intimate writer for her literary sleight of hand: you don't so much read about her characters as you inhabit them., A mother and a daughter seek balance in their broken lives while books provide them with comfort, clarity, and clues to a mystery...Whether or not they think of themselves as bookish, readers of all stripes will enjoy cycling through these characters' lives and discovering their shared, mysterious past., The Book That Matters Most by Ann Hood works on so many levels. First, it's a delightful read. Second, it's full of great book suggestions. And third, it's inspiration for book groups., Great novelists can envelop you in relatable plot lines that make you feel like you're part of the story. That's what Ann Hood, author of the much beloved The Knitting Circle, does in her latest., Ann Hood's eye for the absurd, her masterful prose and vivid characters instantly draw you into this compelling story about mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and lovers. But it's the delicate exploration of human fallibility - of love, loss, regret and redemption that make this one of those rare and wonderful books that truly matter., Ann Hood has given us a remarkable musing on memory, loss, regret and, to an extent, redemption and salvation. She does so with elegant prose and gentle but appropriate tugs on the heartstrings., A love of words, of reading, propels the characters from heartbreak to discovery. Book groups -- indeed, book lovers of all kinds--will delight in this compulsively and effortlessly readable novel., Hood examines the push and pull between mothersand grown children and the transformative power of fiction.