Ava joins a book group, a bit out of desperation. Her marriage of 25 years has fallen apart and her two grown children and pursuing their own lives, away from her. Joining her friend's book group, she hopes to meet some new people, and find a bit of purpose. This year, the group's goal is for each member to present the book that matters most to them. Ava chooses a book from her childhood, which helped her through a traumatic time.
This story alternates perspectives between Ava and her daughter, Maggie, who is supposed to be studying in Florence, Italy, but who has decided to go to Paris, instead. Caught in a destructive relationship, Maggie seems to be going from bad to worse. At the same time, Ava is struggling with her own challenges. However, Ava's mission to find the author of the book she chooses takes her on a journey that may offer her the chance to remake her life.
I enjoyed this book, although at times, I found one of the characters to be frustrating (that would be Maggie, who makes bad choice after bad choice, like she is helpless to do anything else). I found the idea of the book group's decision to have people choose the book that matters most to be intriguing. For a book group, it's a good way to make sure that people read a variety of books, but it also allows people to get to know each other a bit differently than they might otherwise.
I liked reading about Ava's journey, and even though I found Maggie's story to be extremely frustrating (and, at times, disturbing), I enjoyed the story. I was intrigued by Ava's quest to find the author of the book she chose, and also found myself doing a bit of reflection. How do you choose a book that matters most? If you choose one, do you really want to explain why you chose it? And what makes a book matter most? Definitely an interesting idea, and a good book.
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