The Echo of Old Books: A Novel

Product Information

Main characters Belle and Hemi go through a lifetime of romantic angst as told by their books to each other. To read a book is to take a journey, to travel into a vast unknown, to hear the voices of angels both living and dead. —Ashlyn Greer, The Care & Feeding of Old Books”

The Echo of Old Books was absolutely the right book at the right time for this reader, with its combination of historical mystery, tragic romance and historical ambiance both in Belle and Hemi’s 1941 and Ashlyn and Ethan’s “present day” of 1984.

There was so much wrapped into this book. It was one of those books that you SIGH a content sigh at the end and say well.. that was amazing and wonderful. 🥰 THE ECHO OF OLD BOOKS has the imaginative, descriptive, pull-you-in writing style Ms. Davis excels at. Now. To the amazingness that is this book. The book is told from three points of view--a bookstore owner who finds two volumes of a story written by people she can't find names for. There's no author, no publisher, no publication date. Just two stories written--one as a rebuttal to the other. This takes her on a journey of discovery as she learns their stories, tries to sift the truth, and knows when it rings hollow because she's got a little "gift." The ability to sense emotions left behind by the people who handled the books. I only recently found author Barbara Davis a few years ago when I read her last novel, The Keeper Of Happy Endings. “Keeper” was the first Barbara Davis book I read, and that one was a keeper for me too! This book was actually three books in one because you get to read the books from the no-named authors as well as Ashlyn's mystery. It was an intriguing read and it kept me interested to find out what had happened between the two authors. I don't think I've ever read anything like this before. Ashlyn was also an interesting character with her gift and her history. I also like Ethan, the author Ashlyn met while trying to solve her mystery.

Many thanks to @suzyapprovedbooktours, Barbara Davis, and Lake Union Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. There is of course a dual time line with Ashlyn in 1984 and the two mysterious books from the 1940’s. Rare book dealer Ashlyn Greer has a deep love for books that goes well beyond the mere smell of aged paper and leather. There’s something magical about them that only she can sense—the lingering emotions left by their previous owners. It’s as if these books possess an emotional fingerprint that she alone can decipher.What a wonderful story, actually it is two full stories! History lovers will really enjoy these two tales that are woven together perfectly by Barbara Davis. The characters were really well developed and the writing was superb! This will not be my last Barbara Davis book! After dedicating twelve years to the jewelry business, Barbara Davis said goodbye to the corporate world and decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a writer.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I stayed awake, hours past my drop-dead, I mean BEDtime to finish listening to the audio of this book. I couldn't wait until I woke. Nothing. I absolutely loved every part of this book. The Echo Of Old Books – Read, Reread, or Reconsider? The book begins with a bit of mystery regarding exactly what the books are and where they came from.There’s nothing more personal than a book, especially one that’s become an important part of someone’s life.” I wish the past story wasn’t told only in letter format and was told in its entirety because it is the strongest part. I wish someone had sat the author down and said, you have an intriguing story here but you aren’t telling it in an interesting way. So overall, I thought this was fine but fairly mediocre, and it annoyed me because I think it had the potential to be so much more.