Synopses & Reviews
A mesmerizingly powerful debut novel about the ways in which past choices can irrevocably define the present—and the bittersweet confrontation of what might have been
1962: It may be the Swinging Sixties in New York, but in Denver it's different: being a single gal over thirty in this city is almost bohemian. Still, thirty-eight-year-old Kitty Miller has come to terms with her unconventional single life. She was involved, once—with a doctor named Kevin—but when things didn't work out the way she had hoped, she decided to chart her own path. Now she dedicates herself to the bookstore she runs with her best friend, Frieda, returning home each evening to her cozy apartment. Without a husband expecting dinner, she can enjoy last-minute drinks after work with her friends; without children who need to get ready for school, she can stay up all night reading with her beloved cat, Aslan, by her side.
Then the dreams begin.
1963: Katharyn Andersson is married to Lars, the love of her life. They live in a picture-perfect home in a suburban area of Denver, close to their circle of friends. It's the ideal place in which to raise their children. Katharyn's world is exactly what Kitty once believed she wanted . . . but it exists only when she sleeps.
At first, Kitty enjoys her nighttime forays into this alternate world. Even though there is no Frieda, no bookstore, no other familiar face, Kitty becomes increasingly reluctant to open her eyes and abandon Katharyn's alluring life.
But with each visit to her dreamworld, it grows more real. As the lines between the two worlds begin to blur, Kitty faces an uncertain future. What price must she pay to stay? What is the cost of letting go?
Review
“Cynthia Swansons The Bookseller is both a delightful and haunting exploration of identity, love and loss. With great style and compassion, the author asks the age-old question: ‘What if my life were different? The answers in this affecting debut novel are truly surprising.” Joanna Hershon, author of < em=""> A Dual Inheritance < m="">
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“I inhaled The Bookseller. I loved both of Kittys worlds, and refused to put the book down until I saw how the tension between the two worlds resolved. A deeply satisfying read.” Ann Napolitano, author of < em=""> A Good Hard Look < m="">
Review
“What if? These words tantalize and haunt us. In The Bookseller, writing with a sharp-tinged empathic pen, Cynthia Swanson takes us on a startling journey where a woman is thrust into the alternative world that might have been, had she made different choices.” Randy Susan Meyers, author of < em=""> Accidents of Marriage < m="">
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“Dexterously traversing past and present, fact and fiction, Swansons clever first novel ingeniously explores the inventive ways the human spirit copes with trauma.” < em=""> Booklist < m="">
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“Swanson masterfully crafts both Kittys and Katharyns worlds, leaving open the question of which of them is real until the final pages. Swansons evocative novel freshly considers the timeless question, ‘What if? ” < em=""> Publishers Weekly < m="">
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“Swansons debut novel is slightly mysterious and thoroughly engrossing, one of those books that will stay with the reader long after it is complete.” < em=""> Romantic Times < m="">
Review
“This is a stunner of a debut novel, astonishingly tight and fast paced. The 1960s tone is elegant and even, and Kitty/Katharyns journey is intriguing…. This will especially resonate with fans of the movie Sliding Doors and the authors Anna Quindlen and Anita Shreve.” < em=""> Library Journal < m=""> (starred review)
Review
“. . . An accomplished first novel. It is interesting, intriguing, and ultimately satisfying.” New York Journal of Books
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“This is the story of a woman coming to terms with who she is; both woman and novel are beautiful.” < em=""> Shelf Awareness < m="">
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“The novel delivers on its fantasy scenario like a modern-day fairy tale…. proves highly satisfying.” < em=""> USA Today < m="">
Review
“Cynthia Swansons novel will make you think about the paths you could have takenbut even more so, what you can learn from them to make your reality richer.” < em=""> Redbook < m=""> Magazine
Synopsis
A provocative and hauntingly powerful debut novel reminiscent of
Sliding Doors, The Bookseller follows a woman in the 1960s who must reconcile her reality with the tantalizing alternate world of her dreams.
Nothing is as permanent as it appears . . .
Denver, 1962: Kitty Miller has come to terms with her unconventional single life. She loves the bookshop she runs with her best friend, Frieda, and enjoys complete control over her day-to-day existence. She can come and go as she pleases, answering to no one. There was a man once, a doctor named Kevin, but it didnt quite work out the way Kitty had hoped.
Then the dreams begin.
Denver, 1963: Katharyn Andersson is married to Lars, the love of her life. They have beautiful children, an elegant home, and good friends. Its everything Kitty Miller once believed she wanted—but it only exists when she sleeps.
Convinced that these dreams are simply due to her overactive imagination, Kitty enjoys her nighttime forays into this alternate world. But with each visit, the more irresistibly real Katharyns life becomes. Can she choose which life she wants? If so, what is the cost of staying Kitty, or becoming Katharyn?
As the lines between her worlds begin to blur, Kitty must figure out what is real and what is imagined. And how do we know where that boundary lies in our own lives?
About the Author
Cynthia Swanson is a writer and a designer of the midcentury modern style. She has published short fiction in 13th Moon, Kalliope, Sojourner, and other periodicals; her story in 13th Moon was a Pushcart Prize nominee. She lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and three children. The Bookseller is her first novel.