Publication Date: August 15, 2023
Within the margins of an antique book, a timeless love waits for a young woman on the precipice of a terrible mistake in this enthralling exploration of fate and independence from the acclaimed author of Some of It Was Real.
Constance Sparks always says yes…when her capricious best friend needs money; when her boss gives her more responsibility without a raise; and when her boyfriend, Hayden, who is very kind but also secretive, asks her to marry him.
While planning their wedding—and struggling with anxiety about the right course for her future—Constance researches the history of her antique engagement ring and unearths the name of a man who might be connected to it, plus his tragic love story. When she finds a book of letters in her library’s old manuscript section written by the long-dead man, Constance is deeply touched by his words and leaves a note for him confessing her uncertainty and doubts. She’s shocked days later to find a response tucked among the pages.
As the notes continue to arrive, Constance finds herself quickly falling in love with a ghost and putting her real-life relationship in jeopardy. Will a bond based on letters impossibly sent from the past derail her future? Or will Constance discover her voice and risk everything for the chance to somehow connect with her true soul mate?
You may think you have seen enough Rom-Coms to predict how the girl finds “Her Person,” but you’re in for a surprise! In beginning Nan Fischer’s The Book of Silver Linings, one immediately enjoys the opposite personalities of best friends Constance and Mars as they attend speed yoga dating in San Francisco. The author cleverly allows glimpses of Constance’s shameful childhood during this modern meetup. This sets up the expectation that Constance will struggle to find someone who gives her comfort, stability, and the complete honesty she expects.
Constance is a giver. She volunteers at a local animal shelter, she cares for her grandfather, who suffers from dementia, and she even allows her career to be sidetracked so she can pay for legal expenses for her dad, who was imprisoned for murder. But how much can one person give of themselves? That is a central theme, along with examining the belief that honesty is the best policy.
Soon Constance falls for someone and is given a gift that leads to a search for its original owner. Curiosity to find the origin of her gifted ring leads her to the public library special collections room and a book between sweethearts from World War I. Constance cannot seem to put that long-ago love story out of her mind as she resolves what she wants from the relationship with her new fiancé.
The development of Fischer’s main character in this book through her life experiences of job woes, love, loss, befriending strangers, and the need to confess her innermost thoughts, leads the reader on a unique and unexpected journey, unlike any previous Rom-Com with a little mysterious, dramatic flair The additional storyline of a long-ago love found in the pages of a book, adds an enigmatic character that contacts Constance and helps her prioritize her needs.
Constance considers how (and if) she likes the truth told. She isn’t only soul-searching her current relationship but getting advice through the pages of a book that directly speaks to her from over a hundred years ago.
The Book of Silver Linings may have you rethinking your assumptions, not to mention believing in ghosts.
Nan Fischer is a two-time Oregon Book Award finalist for her novels, When Elephants Fly and The Speed of Falling Objects. Additional author credits include coauthored sport autobiographies for elite athletes, and a Star Wars trilogy for Lucasfilm. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their vizsla, Boone.
