The Bookseller: A Novel

As a single woman in her thirties, Kitty Miller is happy to co-own a cozy neighborhood bookstore with her best friend, Frieda. She enjoys her ability to come and go as she pleases, worrying only about her own happiness. Kitty’s life suits her… or so she thinks, until the dreams come.

In her dreams, Katharyn Andersson is married to a wonderful man and has beautiful children. Truly, she is living out her fantasy. Unfortunately, the more she delves into this dream world, the more she realizes that her life here isn’t as perfect as it seems.

With alternating dream sequences and vivid details of life during the 1960s, Cynthia Swanson brings us deep into her heroine’s world in The Bookseller. She creates, within Kitty, a complex character that readers can connect with—her fears, her insecurities, and her questioning of what could’ve been. With the unfolding of events, Swanson demonstrates how each small action and seemingly simple choices can change the course of our lives. As Kitty’s inner turmoil blurs her dreams and her real life, causing pain, distress, and confusion, it brings forth the question: What must she give up for the life she’s always dreamed of?