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, … 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 didn’t 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. It’s 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 Katharyn’s 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?
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The story of The Bookseller is not a new one. It’s merely a variation on the old, ‘how different would your life be if you turned right instead of left?’
It’s 1962 and in one “world” Kitty Miller is a 38 year old single business owner who lives a quiet and simple life in Denver running a bookstore with her best friend Frieda who is also single …
I liked the whole plot, and drifting from one life (real) to a dream, was entertaining at first. Then I could see things change, and it was suspenseful.
Had high hopes for this book as it’s opening pages held much promise. Unfortunately, as it went along the poor character development, motivation, and weak stabs at time stamping and picture painting just became a boring mess. Struggled to the end where the author seemed to have totally lost her way as she ran a laundry list of activities for a …
Swanson does a wonderful job of painting the Denver of the 60s with such artistry that I wanted to be there, to visit Kitty’s bookstore, to ride the streetcar, to watch the seasons change. The Bookseller is an insightful, thought-provoking, emotional foray into the perception of consciousness. Not only do we venture into Kitty’s dreams but …
I couldn’t put this book down! It keeps you guessing until the end!
I enjoyed this book and the way it alternated between different decades. It really was full of surprising twists.
It gave good glimpses into how we see ourselves and others, and how wrong we may be.
I Read this book a few years ago and just loved! Can you just imagine living in two different decades? Will the choices you make in one, affect you in another? Will you get stuck in one the you don’t want? Read this terrific story and find out!
I liked this book because it has an unusual premise and kept me interested trying to find/figure out what was going on.
It was a surprise how the story unfolded and the conclusion. What is real and what our psyche does to allow us to cope with reality. You
It was more fun reading the first half, before you figure out what’s happening (or at least have a good inkling). That being said, I enjoyed the writing style and the flow. (But what boring questions in the “reading group” section!)
This was unexpected, original, and very well written.
I really enjoyed Kitty’s two lives. It was interesting trying to determine who was the “real Kitty”. The author did a good job of creating both worlds with a realistic brush. Its a light, easy read but yet does make you stop and think about how the decisions we make impact our future lives and the lives of others.
This had me wondering which of her lives were real and which was imagined.
Interesting premise, but hard to really get behind the main character.
I read The Glass Forest by the same author and adored it. I had bought this book, read a little, and put it aside. When I discovered the author of The Glass Forest had written The Bookseller, it rang a bell. I am glad completed The Bookseller. It is not as masterfully written as The Glass Forest. The characters here are well drawn and the action …
Katharyn (Kitty) is having dreams of a different life, one in which she is married with children. In her wide awake life she is a single woman who owns and runs a bookshop with her best friend. The dream life becomes more and more real but there is conflict in both worlds that she doesn’t understand. Eventually she discovers which is her real …
Loved it!
Predictable ending, but a good read, nonetheless.
Kept me interested from the start, with well developed characters and good plot line.
It was a bit strange, but I enjoyed it.