The echo of old books : a novel

The echo of old books A novel

Barbara Davis, 1961-

Book - 2023

"Rare-book dealer Ashlyn Greer's affinity for books extends beyond the intoxicating scent of old paper, ink, and leather. She can feel the echoes of the books' previous owners--an emotional fingerprint only she can read. When Ashlyn discovers a pair of beautifully bound volumes that appear to have never been published, her gift quickly becomes an obsession. Not only is each inscribed with a startling incrimination, but the authors, Hemi and Belle, tell conflicting sides of a tragic romance. With no trace of how these mysterious books came into the world, Ashlyn is caught up in a decades-old literary mystery, beckoned by two hearts in ruins, whoever they were, wherever they are. Determined to learn the truth behind the doomed ...lovers' tale, she reads on, following a trail of broken promises and seemingly unforgivable betrayals. The more Ashlyn learns about Hemi and Belle, the nearer she comes to bringing closure to their love story--and to the unfinished chapters of her own life"--Book jacket flap.

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FICTION/Davis Barbara
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Location Call Number   Status
1st Floor FICTION/Davis Barbara Due Dec 24, 2024
Subjects
Antiquarian booksellers > Fiction.
Authors > Fiction.
Man-woman relationships > Fiction.
Historical fiction.
Romance fiction.
Detective and mystery fiction.
Genres
Historical fiction
Romance fiction
Detective and mystery fiction
Published
[Seattle, WA] : Lake Union Publishing [2023]
Language
English
Main Author
Barbara Davis, 1961- (author)
Edition
First edition
Item Description
Includes discussion questions.
Physical Description
425 pages ; 23 cm
ISBN
9781662511608
9781542038164
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

As a skilled bookbinder and the owner of a used bookstore, Ashlyn has lovingly touched, shelved, or sold books of all types and genres, in every kind of condition. She feels a kinship with old books, preternaturally aware of their histories. When Ethan Hillard donates a pair of books bound in a similar fashion, but lacking any author information or publisher's data, Ashlyn can't shake her curiosity. Ethan is skeptical, but the two ultimately uncover a love story for the ages, complete with a tragically unresolved ending. But the end of the book doesn't always mean the end of the story. Davis (The Keeper of Happy Endings, 2021) unspools a decades-long romance, as two young lovers are pushed and pulled apart by political agendas, social status, and undeniable attraction. Davis alternates Ashlyn and Ethan's storyline with chapters from the two mysterious books, set more than 40 years in the past. These dueling timelines, packed with twists and turns, should appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson's Life After Life (2014) and Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (2018).

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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