The Echo of Old Books
The Echo of Old Books written by Barbara Davis is a wonderfully written story that pulls the reader back in time through an intriguing and mysterious journey of discovery.
Rare-book dealer Ashlyn Greer has always loved books, yet through the uncanny familiarity she experiences with just a touch, her interest extends beyond the draw of the story, scent of old paper, ink, and leather; Ashlyn can feel the echoes of the books’ previous owners.
After discovering a pair of beautifully bound volumes that appear to have never been published, her gift compels her to read in an attempt to discover the source of her strong feelings. Each volume is penned by either Hemmi or Belle who separately tell their story through what reads like letters. Her gift quickly becomes an obsession to untangle the conflicting sides of what appears to be a tragic romance.
Barbara Davis seamlessly winds the story of Ashlyn in the ‘present’-1984, with the two other stories written by Belle and Hemme in 1941. Through flashbacks, memories and discovery, the settings fluctuate between New Hampshire, Massachusetts, London and NY all depending on whose story you’re reading.
With no trace of how these mysterious books came into the world, Ashlyn relies on some creative detective work to discover their origins. Eventually locating a distant, yet resistant, relative of one of the authors, and gets some much-needed assistance. Completely caught up in this decades-old literary mystery, Ashlyn is determined to unveil the truth of the two hearts in ruins, whoever they were. Following a trail of broken promises and unforgivable betrayals, she refuses to give up as she searches to bring closure to their love story―as well as to the unfinished chapters of her own life.
