The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks

Because I missed most of the meeting, here is my book description:

My book selection is The Sweet Hereafter, by Russell Banks. It takes place in upstate New York in a small town called Sam Dent. There is a bus crash which completely changes the flow of the town and the main question is who deserves the blame: the bus driver, the State of New York, the town highway department, the governor, or multiple people? It is told from four points of view, first the bus driver, then the sole witness, then a lawyer who came from New York City to represent some of the families, then one of the survivors of the crash. This book is an excellent read as it's both engaging and riveting; it is a window into the insights of various people. You see how people cope with the same tragedy in their own ways and how the mentality of the entire town changes because of it. This is a well-written book that is easy to relate to. My brother--who is not a book person--recommended it to me. Because of this, I believe The Sweet Hereafter will be able to reach people who wouldn't normally find the summer reading book appealing.

And it's a terrific book!