Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: Bird in Hand by Christina Baker Kline

First line: For Alison, these things will always be connected: the moment [...]

Initial thoughts: I have to admit that I’m a sucker for character exploration. In that sense, I’m a voyeur. Sometimes I’ll get into a mood where I just want to read about people–interesting people, mind you–and the choices they make and how it affects their lives. In that regard, Bird in Hand seems like a perfect choice. Plus, I’ve heard so many people raving about its writing that I couldn’t help but resist…and from the first couple of chapters I’ve read, I’d say they are right.

Book description:

It was an accident. It was dark, it was raining, Alison had only had two drinks. And the other car ran the stop sign. But Alison finds herself trapped under the crushing weight of grief and guilt, feeling increasingly estranged from her husband…

Charlie, who has his own burdens. He’s in a job he doesn’t love so that Alison can stay at home with the kids (and why isn’t she more grateful for that?); he has a house in the suburbs and a long commute to and from the city. And the only thing he can focus on these days is his secret, sudden affair with…

Claire, Alison’s best friend. Bold where Alison is reserved, vibrant where Alison is cautious, Claire has just had her first novel published, a thinly veiled retelling of her childhood in North Carolina. But even in the whirlwind of publication, Claire can’t stop wondering if she should leave her husband…

Ben, an ambitious architect who is brilliant, kind, and meticulous. And who wants nothing more than a baby, or two–exactly the kind of life that Charlie and Alison seem to have…

Book Details: 288 pages; William Morrow; Pub. August 11, 2009