Cynthia Swanson

A mesmerizingly powerful debut novel about the ways in which past choices can irrevocably define the present—and the bittersweet confrontation of what might have been 1962: It may be the Swinging Sixties in New York, but in Denver it's different: being a single gal over thirty in this city is almost bohemian. Still, thirty-eight-year-old Kitty Miller has come to terms with her unconventional single life. She was involved, once—with a doctor named Kevin—but when things didn't work out the way she had hoped, she decided to chart her own path. Now she dedicates herself to the bookstore she runs with her best friend, Frieda, returning home each evening to her cozy apartment. Without a husband expecting dinner, she can enjoy last-minute drinks after work with her friends; without children who need to get ready for school, she can stay up all night reading with her beloved cat, Aslan, by her side. Then the dreams begin. 1963: Katharyn Andersson is married to Lars, the love of her life. They live in a picture-perfect home in a suburban area of Denver, close to their circle of friends. It's the ideal place in which to raise their children. Katharyn's world is exactly what Kitty once believed she wanted . . . but it exists only when she sleeps. At first, Kitty enjoys her nighttime forays into this alternate world. Even though there is no Frieda, no bookstore, no other familiar face, Kitty becomes increasingly reluctant to open her eyes and abandon Katharyn's alluring life. But with each visit to her dreamworld, it grows more real. As the lines between the two worlds begin to blur, Kitty faces an uncertain future. What price must she pay to stay? What is the cost of letting go?

A Novel

The Bookseller

“[A] triumph. Swanson is a name to be considered among the likes of Gillian Flynn, Chris Pavone, and Laura Lippman” (Library Journal, starred review). From the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookseller comes a gripping literary suspense novel set in the 1960s about a deeply troubled family and three women who will reveal its dark truths. In the autumn of 1960, Angie Glass is living an idyllic life in her Wisconsin hometown. At twenty-one, she’s married to charming, handsome Paul, and has just given birth to a baby boy. But one phone call changes her life forever. When Paul’s niece, Ruby, reports that her father, Henry, has committed suicide, and that her mother, Silja, is missing, Angie and Paul drop everything and fly to the small upstate town of Stonekill, New York to be by Ruby’s side. Angie thinks they’re coming to the rescue of Paul’s grief-stricken young niece, but Ruby is a composed and enigmatic seventeen-year-old who resists Angie’s attempts to nurture her. As Angie learns more about the complicated Glass family, staying in Henry and Silja’s eerie and ultra-modern house on the edge of the woods, she begins to question the very fabric of her own marriage. Through Silja’s flashbacks, Angie’s discovery of astonishing truths, and Ruby’s strategic dissection of her parents’ state of affairs, a story of love, secrets, and ultimate betrayal is revealed.

The Glass Forest

Katharyn führt mit ihrer Freundin Frieda eine Buchhandlung und ist glücklicher Single. Doch dann wacht sie in einem Leben auf, in dem sie einen gut aussehenden Ehemann, reizende Kinder und ein schönes Haus hat. Je öfter sie dort aufwacht, desto weniger weiß sie, welches Leben sie nur träumt.

بائعة الكتب

A vendedora de livros

Sliding Doors Set in a Bookshop

Bookseller

Als ich erwachte

«Una riuscitissima favola moderna. Davvero irresistibile.» USA Today «Con uno stile evocativo e commovente, Cynthia Swanson affronta l’eterna domanda: come sarebbe la mia vita se...?» Publishers Weekly «Un debutto straordinario e appassionato. Una storia di libertà, indipendenza e amicizia.» Library Journal Una libreria da salvare Due vite tra cui scegliere E la felicità come unico traguardo Si dice che la vita sia tutta una questione di scelte: si prende una strada, ma poi si vorrebbe tornare indietro, convinti che tutto avrebbe potuto essere diverso. È quello che sta capitando a Kitty che, a trentotto anni, delusa dall’uomo che credeva essere l’amore della sua vita, ha preferito restare sola e circondarsi di pochi affetti sicuri. La sua unica vera gioia è una piccola libreria che ha aperto insieme all’amica del cuore Frieda. Ora, però, è un momento difficile per gli affari. Kitty lo sa bene ma non ha intenzione di mollare, perché non riesce a immaginarsi una vita diversa da quella in cui si sente al sicuro. Eppure, proprio adesso inizia a sognare di essere la bella Katharyn, una donna che ha fatto altre scelte. Accanto a lei un marito premuroso, tre splendidi figli, di cui fa la mamma a tempo pieno, e uno stuolo di amici che la ammirano e la fanno sentire amata. All’inizio Kitty sembra non dare troppo peso a questi sogni che la visitano quasi ogni notte. Ma più cresce l’incertezza su quel che sarà di lei, più si chiede se non sia arrivato il momento di una svolta. Forse non è un caso che la vita che sogna sia tanto diversa dalla sua. Adesso Kitty non dovrà far altro che ascoltare il suo cuore e capire quali sono i suoi veri desideri. Perché il confine tra ciò che siamo e ciò che vorremmo essere è molto sottile e quando sogno e realtà si mescolano, le conseguenze sono del tutto imprevedibili. Con La rivincita di una libraia, suo romanzo d’esordio, Cynthia Swanson ha subito scalato le classifiche grazie al passaparola entusiasta di lettori e librai. Il suo successo è stato tanto dirompente che ne verrà tratto un film prodotto e interpretato da Julia Roberts. Una storia sulle occasioni della vita e sulla forza di affrontare anche scelte scomode. Perché tutti abbiamo immaginato di vivere una vita diversa, ma non sempre i sogni sono meglio della realtà.

La rivincita di una libraia

Denver enters the Noir Series arena with a wide range of mile-high misgivings and perils. Featuring brand-new stories from: Peter Heller, Barbara Nickless, Cynthia Swanson, Mario Acevedo, Francelia Belton, R. Alan Brooks, D.L. Cordero, Amy Drayer, Twanna LaTrice Hill, Manuel Ramos, Mark Stevens, Mathangi Subramanian, David Heska Wanbli Weiden, and Erika T. Wurth. From the editor's introduction: "Even a city that boasts three hundred days of sunshine a year has its sudden, often violent storms--and writers have long taken advantage of that metaphor. Renowned authors Katherine Anne Porter, Jack Kerouac, Stephen King, Rex Burns, Robert Greer, Michael Connelly, and Kali Fajardo-Anstine--among many others--have brilliantly portrayed this picturesque but often merciless city. Today, Denver is home to a thriving literary scene, with writers of all stripes finding inspiration in its people and streets. The authors and stories featured in Denver Noir are no exception . . . "Editing this collection, working with this talented group of writers, has been one of the highlights of my career. Fans of noir and Denver devotees alike, I invite you into this journey of our Mile High City, our home beside the mountains, our capital of sunshine and darkness, optimism and anguish."

Denver Noir

Denver enters the Noir Series arena with a wide range of mile-high misgivings and perils. "Noir in the mile high city! Just like Denver’s housing market, the city’s crime-writing scene appears to be blowing up, and these stories function as a fascinating guide to the trials and tribulations of a rapidly changing city." —CrimeReads, a Most Anticipated Crime Fiction Book of 2022 Brand-new stories by: Peter Heller, Barbara Nickless, Cynthia Swanson, Mario Acevedo, Francelia Belton, R. Alan Brooks, D.L. Cordero, Amy Drayer, Twanna LaTrice Hill, Manuel Ramos, Mark Stevens, Mathangi Subramanian, David Heska Wanbli Weiden, and Erika T. Wurth. From the Introduction by Cynthia Swanson: "Even a city that boasts three hundred days of sunshine a year has its sudden, often violent storms—and writers have long taken advantage of that metaphor. Renowned authors Katherine Anne Porter, Jack Kerouac, Stephen King, Rex Burns, Robert Greer, Michael Connelly, and Kali Fajardo-Anstine—among many others—have brilliantly portrayed this picturesque but often merciless city. Today, Denver is home to a thriving literary scene, with writers of all stripes finding inspiration in its people and streets. The authors and stories featured in Denver Noir are no exception... "Editing Denver Noir, working with this talented group of writers, has been one of the highlights of my career. Fans of noir and Denver devotees alike, I invite you into this journey of our Mile High City, our home beside the mountains, our capital of sunshine and darkness, optimism and anguish."

Wisconsin, USA, 1960. Angie führt eine glückliche Ehe mit Paul Glass. Doch ein einziger Anruf zerstört ihre heile Welt. Pauls Bruder Henry wurde tot im Wald gefunden, seine Frau Silja ist spurlos verschwunden. Sofort reisen Angie und Paul in das Haus am Waldrand, um ihrer Nichte Ruby beizustehen. Aber die Siebzehnjährige wirkt seltsam gefasst. Was geschah hinter der Fassade der glücklichen Familie? Trauert tatsächlich jeder um den toten Henry? Und kann Angie ihrem Mann vertrauen? Die Frauen der Familie Glass sind von dunklen Geheimnissen umgeben ...

Roman

Im Wald der Lügen

Tajemnica rodziny Glassów Wisconsin, lata 60. Angie Glass ma dwadzieścia jeden lat i wiedzie szczęśliwe, spokojne życie z kochającym mężem Paulem i malutkim synkiem. Jeden telefon zmienia jej życie na zawsze. Siedemnastoletnia bratanica Paula przekazuje im tragiczne wieści. Jej ojciec Henry został znaleziony martwy pod domem, a matka Silja zniknęła bez śladu. Angie i Paul rzucają wszystko i przybywają do małego miasteczka w stanie Nowy Jork, aby zaopiekować się dziewczyną. Wprowadzają się do pięknego i nowoczesnego domu Henry’ego na skraju lasu. Nastoletnia Ruby Glass zachowuje się dziwnie i nie potrafi zaakceptować młodej ciotki, która chce ją wesprzeć w trudnych chwilach. Angie czuje, że rodzina Glassów skrywa mroczne tajemnice. Wkrótce przekona się, jak niewiele wiedziała nie tylko o nich, ale również o mężczyźnie, którego poślubiła.

Cynthia Swanson

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