What Becomes Us, by Micah Perks

What a stirring, delightfully unique novel! Evie, ten weeks pregnant with twins (who serve as our quirky narrators), leaves her controlling husband and moves clear across the country to upstate New York, settling amidst a tight-knit, complex group of people. Her substitute teaching job puts the store of Mary Rowlandson in her hands, and as she reads the words of the first English-speaking woman in North America to write a book - which describes her kidnapping and captivity by Native Americans - her life becomes entwined with Mary's and takes on new depths of complexity, echoing the babies' growth within her.

Evie is a character that quickly grows on you, and the people surrounding her are so interesting and well-drawn you can't help but become invested in their lives. It's a beautiful book that also sheds light on a little-remembered personage of our early history, and I foresee a significant up-tick in Google searches for Mary Rowlandson as a result. Bravo, Micah Perks, on a really enjoyable read!