finished reading...

From the publisher:

Peter Byerly hasn’t been able to get over the death of Amanda, his wife, and he has secluded himself in the English countryside, unable to deal with his grief. On an impulse, he wanders into a rare bookstore, and is shocked to find a portrait of his wife in the pages of an old book. But it was written in Victorian times; it can’t be Amanda. So who is this woman, and why does she so uncannily resemble the woman Peter still loves? That simple question will take Peter across the country and put his life in danger, as a centuries-old mystery comes into play.

This is a book lover's book, with three intertwining story lines. But it wasn't hard to keep track of the narrative's switching stories. I empathized with Peter's desperation without Amanda and his obsession to find out the history of the portrait. I loved the relationship between Amanda and Peter, and how it developed. I loved Peter's love for books and how he developed his skills at refurbishing and repairing them. His quest to discover the story of the books is one I could relate to. When Peter meets Liz, the action picks up. Then the mystery unfolds and that's when I couldn't put the book down. I didn't expect it to be as exciting. And I admit, I had to suspend belief. But it was a great read about literature that I love.

I can't wait for my book group to talk about it together.