Bitter in the Mouth is a brilliant, virtuosic novel about a young womans search for identity and the true meaning of family. -What I know about you, little girl, would break you in two- are the prophetic last words that Linda Hammericks grandmother says to her. Growing up in small-town North Carolina in the 1970s and 80s, Linda already knows that she is profoundly different from everyone else, including the members of her own family. She can -taste- words. In this and in other ways, her body is a mystery to her. Lindas awkward girlhood is nonetheless enlivened and emboldened by her dancing great-uncle Harper, and Kelly, her letter-writing best friend. Linda makes her way north to college and then to New York City, trying her best to leave her past behind her like -a pair of shoes that no longer fit.- But when a family tragedy compels her to return home, Linda uncovers the startling secrets of her past. Monique Truongs acclaimed novel questions our assumptions about what it means to be a family and to be a friend, to be foreign and to be familiar, to be connected to and disconnected from our bodies, our histories, ourselves. Look for special features inside.Join the Circle for author chats and more.RandomHouseReadersCircle.com