At once an engaging love story and a gripping tale of deceit, revenge and despair, A Novel Bookstore is above all a love letter to the vitality and endurance of great literature.
No one ever keeps a good book to themselves, and Ivan and Francesca know good books. It is this impulse which leads them--Ivan, a one-time world traveler, and Francesca, an Italian heiress--to open 'The Good Novel, ' a store devoted solely to good literature. Fiercely opposed to big book business and envisioning a true literary paradise, they offer their store's clientele a selection of literary masterpieces chosen by a top-secret committee of likeminded literary connoisseurs.
To their amazement, after only a few months their vision proves a success. Tucked away in a corner of Paris, the bookstore quickly becomes a haven for bibliophiles seeking a brief respite from the world outside. What neither of them anticipate is the reaction among the publishing elite and literati who, until now, have been the key players in deciding what people read. The Good Novel's narrow and exclusive definition of 'good literature' has unleashed a torrent of derision, envy and contempt from within the publishing industry itself. As the store's success grows and grows, venomous comments begin circulating on the Internet and the owners become the target of vicious editorials penned by anonymous academics.
At first, Ivan and Francesca shrug off the mysterious threats that come their way, but when three members of the supposedly secret committee are attacked, they can no longer ignore the danger. One by one, the pieces of the puzzle fall ominously into place, as it becomes increasingly evident that Ivan and Francesca's dreams will be answered with pettiness, envy and violence.
Love affairs, secret plots, big business scandals--A Novel Bookstore blends all these elements, but above all the book concerns literature itself: its importance, its place in our lives, and the necessity of championing it in our modern world.
