Ann Hood
Author of The Knitting Circle
About the Author
Ann Hood was born on December 9, 1956, in West Warwick, R.I. She attended the University of Rhode Island and New York University. For several years, she worked as a flight attendant before pursuing her dream of becoming a writer. Ann Hood had a dream of writing ever since her first "novel" at the show more age of 11. It was not until 1987, with the publication of Somewhere off the Coast of Maine that she received the recognition she had been longing for. Set in the period from the 1960s to the 1980s, the story deals with the lives of three women of the Vietnam era and their children. Strong on emotion and personal growth, Hood's writing frequently examines the intricacies of various levels of relationships. Other works include Something Blue, which also involves the association between three friends. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24558.Ann_Hood
Series
Works by Ann Hood
Life's Short, Talk Fast: Fifteen Writers on Why We Can't Stop Watching Gilmore Girls (2024) 5 copies
Strikkesirkelen 1 copy
L'amante perduto 1 copy
Associated Works
My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop (2012) — Contributor — 574 copies, 15 reviews
The Friend Who Got Away: Twenty Women's True Life Tales of Friendships that Blew Up, Burned Out or Faded Away (2005) — Contributor — 203 copies, 8 reviews
What My Mother Gave Me: Thirty-one Women on the Gifts That Mattered Most (2013) — Contributor — 99 copies, 18 reviews
Choice: True Stories of Birth, Contraception, Infertility, Adoption, Single Parenthood, and Abortion (2007) — Contributor — 94 copies, 4 reviews
The Artists' and Writers' Cookbook: A Collection of Stories with Recipes (2016) — Contributor — 18 copies
Wanting a Child: Twenty-Two Writers on Their Difficult but Mostly Successful Quests for Parenthood in a High-Tech Age (1998) — Contributor — 17 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 20th century
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- West Warwick, Rhode Island, USA
- Places of residence
- West Warwick, Rhode Island, USA
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
New York City, New York, USA - Education
- University of Rhode Island
- Occupations
- flight attendant
- Relationships
- Ruhlman, Michael (husband)
Members
Reviews
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 42
- Also by
- 16
- Members
- 5,286
- Popularity
- #4,710
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 292
- ISBNs
- 244
- Languages
- 8
- Favorited
- 5
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)