Book Club Questions & Deep Dive: The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis – Themes, Analysis, and Discussion Guide

Did you love the Echo of Old Books as much as I did? I think it would be a perfect bookclub choice. Here are 10 discussion points for your book club’s meeting on The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis:

Discussion Points

1. How does Ashlyn’s unique ability to sense the emotional echoes of old books shape the story, and what do you think it symbolizes in terms of memory and personal history?
2. The novel features two intertwined stories—those of Hemi and Belle, each telling a different version of their tragic romance. How did this dual narrative affect your understanding of truth and perspective in storytelling?
3. In what ways does the era of 1941 New York City, including the historical context and social issues like anti-Semitism, influence the events and relationships in the nove
4. The mysterious unpublished volumes become an obsession for Ashlyn. What do you think draws her in so deeply, and how does her investigation affect her own journey of healing and closure?
5. Discuss the idea of “books within books”—how did the inclusion of these fictional manuscripts enrich or complicate your reading experience?
6. The characters of Hemi and Belle both narrate their experiences with love, betrayal, and loss. How did your perceptions of these characters shift as the story unfolded?
7. The motif of broken promises and unforgivable betrayals recurs throughout the novel. How are forgiveness and redemption portrayed among the different characters?
8. Ashlyn’s search for the truth behind the doomed lovers’ tale parallels her own quest for closure. In what ways do the past and present mirror each other, and how do old wounds impact new beginnings?
9. What role does the magical realism of Ashlyn’s “gift” play in the discovery of secrets and the resolution of the narrative?
10. Were there particular images, scenes, or themes that stayed with you long after finishing the book? 

These questions should spark insightful conversation and encourage club members to think deeply about the novel’s themes, characters, and structure.