How to Read a Book

Violet thinks about why she never had sex in prison. She was too guilt-ridden, and she never could distinguish sexual desire from the human need for touch. Harriet hugs Violet close as she weeps. Harriet ushers Violet outside to calm down and then walks her home. Harriet cooks Violet a meal and serves her tea while Violet explains Frank’s reaction. Harriet listens empathetically as Violet shares about the trial and the guilt she has for killing Frank’s wife, who was a kindergarten teacher. Harriet shares her life story with Violet, including how she met Lou and became a college student after his death. Harriet encourages Violet that “Life is full of surprises” (65).

Looking at Violet’s sparse apartment, which feels nothing like home, Harriet says she needs books. Violet says she can’t return to the bookstore, but Harriet insists that, at some point, she must try. She will get a library card since it is just down the street. Harriet lives close by and invites Violet to dinner. Harriet’s house is only a bus ride away, but Violet has never ridden the bus. Harriet offers to pick her up and show her the way. Having Harriet in her apartment makes Violet feel less alone.

Frank somehow made it home in a fog of grief and shame. He worries that Harriet thought he was going to attack Violet. In truth, seeing Violet overwhelmed him with painful, traumatic memories from the past. He knew Violet was being released early because a court-appointed liaison had called to inform him. Frank works in his garage, the only place in his house that doesn’t remind him of Lorraine, while he recalls a memory from three years ago.

Frank remembers when the police officer came to his house to tell him Lorraine died in an accident. He barely remembers planning the funeral, though he remembers how hurtful it was to Kristy that he didn’t participate in the eulogy and Lorraine’s lover, newly divorced, attended the funeral. His most painful memory comes from when he, Kristy, and her husband, Tom, met with the prosecution lawyer, John Sheeran, who wanted Frank and the family to appear in court to sway the jury to penalize Violet with the maximum sentence. Frank, still in shock from Lorraine’s death, didn’t like the idea. Still, Kristy was angry and vengeful and wanted to follow John’s plan to show the jury that Lorraine was the ideal housewife and elementary teacher, and Violet’s reckless actions stole her life. Frank protested that it was an overkill, and Kristy stormed out of the room. John asked Frank if he wanted Lorraine to die and if that was why he wouldn’t comply. John’s question overwhelmed Frank with guilt because, secretly, their marriage was failing, and on the day of the crash, Lorraine was going to see a divorce lawyer.

Frank isn’t happy that Lorraine died, but he knows he is better off without her. Seeing Violet in the bookstore reawakens his guilt over his complicated feelings about Lorraine’s passing. He also carries guilt for going along with John and Kristy’s wishes, which caused Violet to suffer.

Harriet prepares dinner for Violet, but Sophie is concerned about her aunt having an “inmate” for dinner. Harriet corrects her, saying that Violet is no longer an inmate and that Sophie doesn’t need to protect her. Sophie peppers her aunt with questions about the nature of Violet’s crime, but Harriet remains silent. Sophie had planned to go out with her partner, Luis, but she decides to stay for dinner. Harriet picks up Violet, who gives her jam as a hostess gift. The tone between Sophie and Violet is tense from the beginning as Sophie becomes jealous when she realizes how much Harriet had told the women about her life. Soon, it becomes a competition to vie for Harriet’s attention. Feeling Sophie’s judgmental stares at Violet feels “like having a CO at the table” (81).

Harriet tells Violet that Sophie is leaving for Berkeley and quitting her job as a lab assistant for Dr. Petrov, who studies parrot behavior. Violet explains that she shared a social worker with 80 other women in prison, but the social worker hated her job and never believed the women. Sophie pridefully says she will be an excellent social worker, but Violet finds her disingenuous. Sophie jokes about Harriet being from the 19th century, and Violet says the women used to joke about the same thing. The moment brings a respite to the tension, but when Tabsy the cat jumps in Violet’s lap instead of Sophie’s, she gets jealous again. Harriet packs Violet a to-go plate before offering to drive her home. Sophie feels awful for being so protective of her aunt and apologizes by offering to drive Violet home.

Violet knows that Sophie only tries to protect her aunt because she loves her. Harriet wants Sophie to help Violet get her job when she leaves for Berkeley. Sophie insists it’s a terrible job, but Violet needs the work, and she likes working with animals. Sophie’s tone is still terse and accusatory, and she suggests that Violet might be trying to exploit Harriet’s kindness. Violet says bluntly, “You’re gonna be a shit social worker” (92), and Sophie bursts into tears because she knows it’s true. She says she can’t return now because it’s her chosen path. Violet tells Sophie that she shouldn’t fear or distrust her. She paid the price for her crime and is infinitely sorry for her mistake. Sophie apologetically says she will recommend Violet for the job, but Violet doesn’t want any favors. At her apartment, Violet eats all the leftovers, enjoying the delicious food again and thinking about how much she appreciates Harriet’s kindness.

Harriet is at the prison for Book Club. She brings the homemade poetry books she’s made for their study. Dawna-Lynn shares a poem she wrote about hiking, and Harriet shares a story about hiking with Lou. The women love hearing stories about Harriet’s family. The women all agree they miss Violet, and Harriet tells them she gave Violet a book. She doesn’t tell them about having Violet over for dinner. The women are hesitant about studying poetry, but after Jenny Big reads “When You Are Old“ by William Butler Yeats, the romantic poem instantly captivates them. Harriet teaches them about iambic pentameter and gives them notebooks to practice writing poems. Seeing the women working in their notebooks fills Harriet with an overwhelming love for each one, and she wishes she could take them home and away from prison.

Dorothy shares that her son is graduating from welding school, and she is applying for leave in hopes of attending the ceremony. This launches the women into another game of “When I Get Out First Thing I Do” (100). At the end of Book Club, the women give Harriet a knitted bird they all worked on together. Harriet loves it, but she must first ask for permission from Mr. Flinders, the unit manager, to accept the gift. Harriet rides home and is already planning for their unit of study on Yeats. She takes the bird without asking permission.

Violet begins applying for jobs all over town. However, each time she gets to the part of the application that asks about being convicted of a felony, she knows that she will not get the job. Discouraged, Violet goes to the library but can’t get a card because she doesn’t have a driver’s license or proof of address. Violet spills her story to the kind librarian, who helps her get a card and even shows her to the fiction section, where she can find a copy of Spoon River Anthology. Leaving the library with a stack of books feels like hope, but Violet suddenly remembers that it’s Town Meeting Day in prison, and she is reminded of her friends who are still on the inside. Harriet invites Violet to dinner again, and Sophie comes with Luis, and she is kinder to Violet this time.

After three weeks, Violet still hasn’t heard back from any job applications. Out of the blue, Mikhail Petrov calls and invites Violet to interview for the lab assistant job. She gets lost and is late for her appointment, but when she meets Dr. Petrov, he tells her, “You look like a Violet” (107). He introduces her to Mrs. Rocha, who oversees hiring. She goes through the necessary paperwork but skips over the dreaded question. Mrs. Rocha explains that Violet will be on a probationary period, something she requires of all new employees, and she must prove she can be at work on time and do her job competently. Violet gets a lab coat, and Mrs. Rocha explains her responsibilities, which include cleaning the lab and caring for the African grey parrots.

Dr. Petrov takes Violet to the Bird Lounge behind a locked door. He introduces her to the parrots, Oliver, Bob, and Alan. Dr. Petrov has a rapport with the birds; they talk to him and are willing to sit on his arm. When Violet tries to pet Bob, he bites her. She will have to earn their trust over time. Then, she meets Charlotte, a smaller bird that Violet loves instantly. She tries to teach Charlotte her name without success. Eventually, Charlotte lets Violet pet and hold her, and Violet is amazed that she has the chance to work with such splendid creatures. Dr. Petrov tells her to sing to Charlotte, and Violet sings an old hymn she remembers from church. Dr. Petrov hires her, and as she leaves, she realizes he compared her to a flower.

Frank returns to the bookstore on his birthday to collect his tools, expecting to be fired. Instead, all the young people greet him with open arms, thankful for his return. They tried to contact him in his absence and used the internet to research the accident. They fully understand Frank’s reaction to Violet’s sudden appearance and see Violet as a villain. Frank tries to resign, but they force him to stay. He defends Violet, saying she did her time and paid the price for her crime. Everyone returns to work in the bookstore, and Frank is happy to return to the familiar and comforting environment.

Frank knows he owes Harriet and Violet an apology and enlists Baker’s help in approaching them. Baker tells Frank, “[Y]ou look like a snuffed-out candle” (121), concerned with Frank’s sadness. Baker advises against flowers and instead suggests Frank use his machinist skills to make something. Making art will help him get his spark back. Frank resists initially, but Baker insists that Frank’s machinist creations are art. Inspired, Frank returns to his old job to collect scraps for the project. He intends to make a set of bookends for both Harriet and Violet. Frank enjoys being back in his workplace and catching up with old coworkers.

When he returns home with his supplies, he calls Kristy, who has repeatedly texted him throughout the day. Kristy learned from Felicia, the victim advocate, about Violet’s early release, and she is infuriated, feeling that Violet didn’t finish paying the price for her crime. Exhausted, Frank asks Kristy to calm down and begs her to move on. He says nothing about their encounter at the bookstore. Kristy insists that Violet “robbed” Frank and her of time with Lorraine, but secretly, Frank disagrees, thinking that the only thing he missed out on was the slow dissolution of his marriage. He asks Kristy to sing to him for his birthday, and she sings him a church song, ironically about forgiveness.

Violet purchases a lab coat and reads Dr. Petrov’s published studies to prepare for her job. Eight days into her new job, Mrs. Rocha informs Violet that the graduate assistant has quit, and Dr. Petrov wants Violet to assist in the lab. Dr. Petrov still intimidates Violet, but she is ecstatic about the opportunity to work more closely with the birds. In the lab, she assists Dr. Petrov with observing the birds do tasks related to selecting objects by color, size, and number. When she professes her amazement at Charlotte’s intelligence, Dr. Petrov scolds and reminds her to “observe and record” only.

After watching Charlotte complete her tasks, she asks Dr. Petrov if there is a “trick” to getting her to comply. He becomes angry and asks her to leave the lab. Violet fears he will fire her, but he asks her to return. Dr. Petrov calmly explains that he’s devoted his life to studying the birds in hopes of helping children with disabilities. He left Russia and his family to pursue his studies and his work and wouldn’t have sacrificed so much for a trick. Violet apologizes and assures him that she is invested in the work. He asks her to believe in the work, saying, “You have beautiful eyes. Believe them” (138). Violet leaves work delighted in this new start and the opportunities Dr. Petrov has given her.