"I tell this with the authority of memory."

Our narrator, Lizzy, says this on the book's first page, as she launches into her story, beginning with her being hit by a car as she jogs on a moonless Maine night.

But as we'll soon see, the authority of memory is elusive, and perhaps not as authoritative as Lizzy -- or anyone -- believes.

That sentence also stuck with me as I began this book; for me, this is the second time I'll be reading it. I read "Any Bitter Thing" a few years ago, and when we selected it for this round, I thought I remembered it well. But I'm already seeing instances where my memory has played tricks, or failed me. I'm looking forward to testing my recall and seeing if the book strikes me the same ways after some distance and time.

Wood has chosen to call the book's first section, "Invitatory," a call to prayer, literally Psalm 95. As we'll see, the liturgical themes continue through the book's sections.

Let's get some housekeeping out of the way first, shall we?

For pacing purposes, Andi, Sarah and I are planning to try to divide the book roughly in thirds. So this week -- now through March 15 -- we'll focus on the first 11 chapters.

For March 16-22, we'll focus on chapters 12 through 26.

And then, we'll spend the month's final week wrapping up the story.

Thanks for joining in; we hope you'll jump in to offer your thoughts, and that you'll have as much fun as we do.

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