For our June issue the theme is romance, and I wanted a book that celebrates romance.
I’m so glad I found The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis.
Davis gave up a career in the jewelry industry to become a women’s fiction author. She’s originally from New Jersey, but was raised in the South. Now, she lives and writes in New England. She credits her husband with setting the bar high for her male characters. When I read that, I knew I had to check out her books.
Ashlyn owns the bookstore that was her refuge during some of the most difficult years of her life. In Frank Atwater’s store, she learned to love and restore old books. It has become her solace in a world that doesn’t play fair. While examining some old books at a vintage boutique, she finds two books with identical bindings, but no author names or publication information. Curious, she adds them to the pile she’ll be buying.
When she was twelve, Ashlyn discovered she had the ability to feel vibrations associated with the emotions of the people who read a book when she held it in her hands. The phenomenon was labeled Psychometry by a doctor in the 1800s. The condition is rare, and few believe it exists. The feelings from these particular books are strong, but confusing. She senses deep love and heartache, but also a mystery. There’s something the previous owners of these books didn’t know that would have changed the course of their lives, but what?
When she calls Ethan Hillard, the man who sold the books to the vintage boutique, he seems distracted and uninterested. He’s been cleaning out his late father’s studio and the books were among many he didn’t recognize.
The first book, Regretting Belle, carries a simple inscription, “How Belle? After everything… how could you do it?”
The second book, Forever and Other Lies, is presumably Belle’s response to the first book written by someone known as Hemi. “How??? After everything – you can ask that of me?” is its inscription.
Belle and Hemi meet at her engagement party and the nicknames are a result of their not so innocent flirtation. She is engaged to be married. He’s an English journalist hired by a New York publisher to investigate wealthy Americans who are sympathetic to fascism.
It should have ended there, but it didn’t. They begin an affair that blossoms into a deep love, but something happens to keep them apart. Each blames the other, but they don’t know what happened.
Belle and Hemi’s story is interwoven with World War II, Hitler’s hatred of the Jews, and a woman’s place in a man’s world. The choices Belle is forced to make have always been dictated by her station in life and her family obligations. Hemi doesn’t come from money, so he’s never been burdened in that way. His choices have always been tied to the pursuit of truth and justice – even if he has to deceive people to get at the truth.
Ashlyn hasn’t been able to establish the true identities of Belle and Hemi, but if they are still alive, she believes they need closure. She becomes convinced Ethan must know more than he realizes. After some prompting, he becomes curious about the true identities of Belle and Hemi, and they decide to join forces to solve the mystery.
As they investigate, Ashlyn and Ethan begin to have feelings for each other, but both have been hurt by failed marriages. Can they learn to trust each other and help each other heal?
Davis has created two beautiful love stories told in a unique fashion. As someone who loves books, I was hooked by the idea of two people writing to each other about their recollections of their relationship. He said. She said. I loved reading about how they each felt about being in love. No spoiler alerts here, but if you love romance and a great mystery, this is the book for you.
Other Books by Barbara Davis:
The Secrets She Carried
The Wishing Tide
Summer at Hideaway Key
Love, Alice
When Never Comes
The Last of the Moon Girls
The Keeper of Happy Endings
The Garden of Happy Endings
Nightfall in the Garden of Deep Time
This Place of Wonder
Precious Angels
Parables of Light: Bringing Light to a Troubled Sea
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