The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Davis, Barbara. The Echo of Old Books. Lake Union, 2023.

In 1984, Ashlyn Greer sorted through a box of books for her bookstore. She ruminated on her ability to feel the emotions (or echoes) of each book’s previous readers. She discovered Regretting Belle, an authorless novel emitting echoes of betrayal. She read it that night.

In 1941, Regretting Belle’s narrator attends an engagement party for a woman whom he nicknames “Belle.” Belle and the narrator chat briefly before parting ways.

A week later, the narrator and Belle meet again, flirting heavily before Belle asks him to meet the following day.

Kevin, who gave Ashlyn the box of books, arrived to give her a companion to Regretting Belle: Forever, and Other Lies. It emitted the same betrayed echoes and was also set in 1941. It begins at Belle’s engagement party, where she narrates the story and discusses her arranged marriage to Teddy before meeting Regretting Belle’s narrator.

Belle and the narrator meet a week later. Belle invites him to visit the next day.

Kevin called Ashlyn with contact information for the man who donated the books, Ethan Hillard. Ashlyn called him for information, but he had no answers.

In Belle’s story, she meets the man from Regretting Belle. She nicknames him Hemi, short for Hemingway. He asks her questions about her family. They kiss before they leave.

In Regretting Belle, Hemi questions Belle about her mother. Belle confesses that her mother died in a psychiatric hospital. Hemi presses her about her father, causing Belle to ask if he is writing a story about her family.

Ethan arrived at Ashlyn’s bookstore. He believed Belle was his great-aunt Marian. To learn more, he read the books with Ashlyn at the store. He confirmed that Belle was Marian but he did not recognize Hemi.

Ashlyn obtained copies of news articles about Hemi’s editor, Goldie. Goldie had a relationship with journalist Steven Schwab, prompting Ashlyn to wonder if he was Hemi.

In Belle’s story, Hemi and Belle attend a party where her father invites him to smoke cigars. Belle realizes that Hemi was using her to obtain information for a story. She confronts Hemi, but he leaves.

Belle and Hemi go to his apartment the following day to talk. Hemi admits he is working on a story about her father and was initially interested in her for information. Belle asks how he could do that to her knowing she loved him. Hemi confesses that he loves her, too, and they kiss.

In Belle’s story, she sleeps with Hemi.

Ashlyn went to Ethan’s house with more questions. Ethan was irritated but invited her inside. He regained interest in the novels after further discussion. Ashlyn gave him Belle’s book to read.

In Regretting Belle, Hemi questions if Belle truly loves him. Hemi says they should abandon everything - the story, the newspaper, and Teddy - and get married. Belle accepts.

Hemi tells Goldie he cannot publish the story and returns to his apartment, excited to run away with Belle. Belle finds his notes about her mother’s death, including her father’s involvement in it. Hemi insists he was not going to publish the story, but Belle leaves.

Ashlyn had dinner with Ethan. He relayed that he reached out to Marian’s son, Zachary. Before she left, Ethan confessed his feelings for her.

After reading more of Forever, and Other Lies, Ethan called Ashlyn to discuss the truth about Belle’s father: Ethan’s great-grandfather was a Nazi sympathizer who sent his Jewish wife to a psychiatric hospital.

In Belle’s story, her sister, Cee-Cee, confirms that Hemi’s notes are accurate while berating Belle for her affair with Hemi. She later apologizes to Belle as Belle writes letters, presumably to Teddy and Hemi.

In Regretting Belle, Hemi waits at Penn Station for Belle, who never arrives. He returns to his apartment where Cee-Cee’s son, Dickey, gives him Belle’s letter.

In Belle’s story, she leaves the following morning to meet Hemi. Ready to run away with him, Belle explains that she wrote him a letter to tell him that she wanted to marry him since Cee-Cee monitors her phone calls. She finds his apartment empty. Soon after, she sees the front page of the newspaper plastered with headlines about her family, breaking her heart.

As Ashlyn and Ethan tried to parse what happened with Belle and Hemi, she confessed her ability to feel the books’ echoes. Ethan, touched at her confession, kissed her. Zachary then called to tell Ethan that Marian lives in New England, not far from Ashlyn and Ethan.

Marian called days later to ask Ethan and Ashlyn to visit her and bring the books. They arrived at Marian’s house later that week where she showed them photos of her adopted children. Marian admitted she was livid about the article Hemi wrote under a pseudonym. Ashlyn informed her that its author, Steven Schwab, was real. Marian realized that she mistakenly blamed Hemi, revealing that he was famed novelist Hugh Garret.

Ethan and Ashlyn returned home. The next day, they looked for Hugh Garret’s novels. Ashlyn saw Hugh’s photograph in a book and realized that he was almost identical to Zachary, making him Zachary’s father.

Ethan and Ashlyn met Marian for dinner, as well as her daughter and granddaughters, before she received a lifetime achievement award. After Ethan left to help get the children to bed, Marian asked Ashlyn how much she knew about Zachary’s parentage, realizing that she had learned the truth.

Hemi approaches Marian after she accepts her award, surprising her. They finally talk, and Hemi procures the letter she wrote him. Marian recognizes it as the break-up letter she wrote to Teddy, realizing Cee-Cee switched the letters.

The next morning, Hemi and Marian leave to confront Cee-Cee. When they see her, Cee-Cee confesses that she switched the letters.

At Marian’s house, Hemi admits he still loves her. They kiss, but Marian tells him about Zachary. Hemi leaves, heartbroken.

As Marian grieves, she sees Hemi sitting on the beach. She invites him inside, where he admits he wants a life together before they kiss.

A year later, Ethan and Ashlyn celebrate Hanukkah with Hemi and Marian, now married.