About The Bookseller
• Print Length: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harper (March 3, 2015)
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?
Purchase Links
Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
About Cynthia Swanson
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.
Find out more about Cynthia at her website and connect with her on Facebook.
Cynthia’s Tour Stops
Tuesday, April 7th: Bibliotica
Wednesday, April 8th: The Discerning Reader
Thursday, April 9th: A Chick Who Reads
Friday, April 10th: 5 Minutes For Books
Monday, April 13th: West Metro Mommy
Tuesday, April 14th: Reading Reality
Wednesday, April 15th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Thursday, April 16th: Kritters Ramblings
Wednesday, April 22nd: Vox Libris
Thursday, April 23rd: Read. Write. Repeat.
Friday, April 24th: Always With a Book
Monday, April 27th: Patricia’s Wisdom
Tuesday, April 28th: A Bookish Way of Life
Thursday, April 30th: Bookshelf Fantasies
Saturday, May 2nd: Bibliophiliac
Wednesday, May 6th: Ms. Nose in a Book
Thursday, May 7th: Readers’ Oasis