Naomi Weisman is a Canadian-Australian and mother of three who loves to Ramble with her dog, cook for family and friends, and laugh whenever possible.
Every once in a while, a novel comes along that reminds me exactly why I love being part of a book club—why stories matter, why they linger, and why they invite us not just to read, but to feel. The Echo of Old Books is that kind of book.
Barbara Davis sweeps us into a world where books breathe, bruise, and remember. Our protagonist, Ashlyn Greer, is a rare-book dealer with an extraordinary gift: she can sense the emotional imprints left behind by previous owners. As someone who has always believed that books are living things—carrying a quiet catalogue of all who have touched them—this premise absolutely hooked me.
When two unpublished manuscripts land in Ashlyn’s hands, she’s pulled into a long-buried love story that left me turning pages long past bedtime. These intertwined narratives—Ashlyn’s present-day search for truth, and Belle and Hemi’s doomed 1941 romance—create a story that feels lush, layered, and deeply human.
One of the most fascinating elements for many readers was Ashlyn’s psychometric intuition. This idea that emotions linger inside objects—especially beloved books—brought up so many conversations about empathy, intuition, and the stories we carry without even realizing it. Her gift is beautiful, but it’s also heavy, echoing the way real emotional inheritance works in families and relationships.
The dual timelines in this book are seamless. Readers shared how addictive it felt to move from Ashlyn’s quiet present to Hemi and Belle’s charged past—you finish a chapter eager for the next, no matter which storyline you land in. And with each shift, Davis asks us to consider what gets passed down: love, secrets, trauma, silence, hope.
While The Echo of Old Books is anchored in romance, it doesn’t shy away from darker themes. The 1940s storyline brushes against anti-Semitism, power, and the suffocating expectations placed on young women. These threads never overwhelm the story; instead, they deepen it. They remind us that love stories unfolding in difficult times are often the ones that stay with us the most.
Ashlyn’s own healing—through her inherited bookstore, her connection with Ethan, and the echoes she can’t quite escape—mirrors these generational patterns. This is where Davis shines: showing that love can be redemptive, but not without honesty.
Readers in the SSR Book Club Challenge repeatedly described this novel as “three books in one”—a historical love story, a contemporary mystery, and a gentle modern romance. It’s a delicious blend. The literary sleuthing around the mysterious manuscripts added a surprising twist that gave many of us that “just one more chapter” feeling.
For anyone who loves historical fiction, literary mystery, or a touch of magical realism, The Echo of Old Books is a treasure. It’s a book about love found and lost, about the stories we inherit, and about how sometimes, the truths we uncover—whether in old pages or in ourselves—arrive exactly when we’re ready for them.
A heartfelt, immersive read that I think many of you will remember long after you close the final page.
⭐⭐⭐⭐Nomi’s Verdict:
A beautifully woven, emotionally resonant novel that reminds us of the alchemy between reader and story. Highly recommended.
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