The bookseller cover

The bookseller

by Cynthia Swanson

"A woman in the 1960s wrestles to reconcile her daily life as a single bookstore owner with the alternate reality she suddenly begins to dream about each night, in which she is a happily married wife and mother"-- Denver, 1961. Kitty Miller has come to terms with her unconventional single life, running a bookshop she runs with her best friend, Frieda; coming and going as she pleases. There was a man once, a doctor named Kevin, but it didn't quite work out the way Kitty had hoped. Then the dreams begin.... Denver, 1963: Katharyn Andersson is married to Lars; they have beautiful children, an elegant home, and good friends-- but it only exists when she sleeps. And with each visit, the more irresistibly real her "dream" life becomes. Can she choose which life she wants... as the lines between her worlds begin to blur... ?

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?