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A Brilliant Idea for Publishers: The Novel, The Echo of Old Books
Dueling Viewpoints by Barbara Davis
The Appeal of The Echo of Old Books
A true bibliophile, I am often drawn to novels that focus on books. No surprise that I had to check out a novel by Barbara Davis titled The Echo of Old Books. The title hooked me, but so did the book blurb which teased me with the premise that some people can sense the emotional imprint of the book’s previous owner. Ashlyn Greer, a rare book dealer, has that ability.
“What a cool ability,” I thought. “How fascinating to feel what others felt when touching the pages of a book,” I mused as I read how Ashlyn Greer reacted to the “echoes” and emotions lingering on the pages of old books.
Of course, I had to suspend my disbelief for a bit. As a former business owner, my first thought was that no one could make a living by selling rare books as Ashlyn was doing, but given that this book takes place in Boston near elite universities and in communities of people who have money in the 1980s, I let that doubt go. Once I let my worry about Ashlyn’s income go and got into the real storyline, I was undeniably hooked.
