Alyson Richman

Harry Widener is a wealthy collector of rare books. He takes a trip to England to buy a rare book, promising to keep it close on the voyage home on The Titanic. Unfortunately he and his father perish. In his honor, his mother builds the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library at Harvard to memorialize her son and house his book collection. Current day, Violet is an undergrad at Harvard, recovering from her own loss. She is working as a page at Widener Library when strange things begin to show more happen. She becomes obsessed with finding out why these occurrences are happening.

This is another book I HAD to read. The heartfelt prologue gave me so many emotions that I couldn’t put it down. Dual timelines that seamlessly interacted. Characters so realistic and relatable you couldn’t help but become part of their story. Original storyline that was equal parts historical fiction, paranormal and mystery. I have always been fascinated with the Titanic and this story did not disappoint. Adding the paranormal twist was perfect for this time of year. I hated to see this book end. All the feels for this beautifully written book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Union Sq. And Co for this ARC. This is my honest opinion. show less

Released just a few weeks ago, THE MISSING PAGES is absorbing historical fiction combining first love, grief, wealth, secrets, Harvard University and the doomed Titanic. There's even a bit of the supernatural. What more could you want? And it's from one of my favorite authors, Alyson Richman, whose writing just keeps getting better and better.

Chapters in THE MISSING PAGES alternate between two stories, with two timelines, and two distinct narrators:

The first is Harry Elkins Widener show more (1885-1912), a wealthy American businessman with a passion for collecting rare books, who was one of the 1500 people lost on April 15, 1912, when the unsinkable luxury liner, RMS Titanic, hit an iceberg and sank. To memorialize her son and his love of books, Harry's mother, Eleanor Elkins Widener (1861-1937) will eventually spend $2 million to build Harvard University's Widener Library, now the centerpiece of its library system and the permanent home of Harry's collection.

The second narrator is a fictional Harvard University junior, Violet Hutchins, also a book lover. In 1992, she works a part-time job at Widener library that involves transcribing Harry Widener's letters for a researcher. Violet is also a young woman recovering from a traumatic personal loss.

Harry's story reflects all the glamour we associate with the Gilded Age. Coming from wealth and privilege, he is free to pursue his love of books without limits, including expensive trans Atlantic travel. What he doesn't expect though in this last journey is finding romance.

Violet's story shows her discovering the power of her own intelligence, curiosity, and diligence. Together, they lead her to a remarkable and long lost secret. Work that helps her heal from a recent personal tragedy.

I don't want to say more about the plot so you can fully enjoy its delicious unfolding. Alyson Richman is one of the more intelligent and gifted writers I've come across. If you haven't read her, you're in for a treat. Because in this book, she has created a compelling plot through skillful blending of historic fact and her own rich imagination.

Richman maintains equal drama and tension in both unfolding storylines. Her characters are smart, complex, and deeply human. By the end of the book, I wanted everything the author imagined to be real. THE MISSING PAGES demonstrates that it IS possible to write a novel with multiple timeframes, without being formulaic, heavy-handed or clumsy. It just takes the right writer.

I can't wait for Richman's next offering because, whatever the topic, I know it will be well executed and completely captivating. show less

This is a beautiful story, slowly revealed with each page turn - and richly enhanced by Allison Richman's exceptional use with language.

During a period of just six months, in 1943 in Italy, you have the opportunity to observe a handful of characters whose small acts of bravery demonstrate the power love has to outweigh the terrors of war. More than that, Richman shows how we humans are able to nurture love, even when the threat of death is always present.

The drama begins on page one with a show more terrified girl, holding forged identification papers, facing a Nazi officer. Suddenly, a complete stranger appears out of the crowd, claims the girl as a cousin, and thereby rescues her from further scrutiny. This is how we first meet Elodie, a brilliant cellist, and Alfredo, a young doctor whose deep-rooted compassion leads him to treat patients from both sides of the conflict. Both of these two main characters have powerful back stories that brought them to this chance encounter. And it's a real treat to move back and forth in time, slowly uncovering their stories.

As each story unfolds, you also get to meet an interesting collection of secondary characters who together illustrate different aspects of war and its consequences. Like a music teacher who suffers brutal payback after a minor anti-Nazi infraction, a bookseller secretly using a room in his store to support the Resistance, and a young woman fighter determined to treat injuries, even with no medical training.

As I became deeply emotionally involved with Richman's characters, and grew to care for them, the book became increasingly suspenseful. And I wasn't able to put it down until I found out what happened to each one. This is a great read! And leaves you feeling good about people. Be sure NOT to skip the author's afterword, where she reveals which of the characters are based on actual historical figures. show less

I just... I'm in mourning, I think. I am mourning the end of my journey alongside Lenka and Josef. Though I'm overjoyed at the ending of my time in a concentration camp, I am mourning living inside of Lenka's memories and Josef's experiences. This book was riveting from beginning to end, and I'm pretty sure my quarterly review at work next week will reflect my utter disinterest in my job for the two days I was reading this. Oh well, totally worth it.