The Echo of Old Books: A Novel

The Echo of Old Books is set across two timelines, one of which takes place in 1940s America, in the midst of World War II. While the book is focused on Belle and Hemi’s romance, the historical context has significant bearing on the plot.

Hemi first meets Belle at the latter’s engagement party, which he is attending to find information about Belle’s father, Martin Manning. As the story progresses, Davis reveals that Hemi’s purpose for moving to the United States is to write an exposé on Martin and his antisemitic, pro-Nazi dealings. The article is finally published to expose Martin’s political affiliations and attitudes, although Hemi is not the author and the focus is on Helene’s death.

Martin’s story is not unusual, especially during the early 20th century in America. Fascism and antisemitism were slowly on the rise, and one of the most vocal advocates was Henry Ford. In a newspaper Ford purchased, he published articles claiming that Jewish people were responsible for much of America’s misfortunes. These articles were eventually bound and distributed as volumes titled, “The International Jew” (“Ford’s Anti-Semitism.” PBS, 2012). A discussion on this topic at one of Martin’s dinner parties triggers Helene’s breakdown and subsequent banishment to the asylum.

The 1930s and 1940s saw an increase in antisemitic sentiment, and the emergence of pro-Nazi American organizations, such as the German-American Bund. The organization aimed to create an American counterpart to the German Nazi Party, and its work culminated in a rally at Madison Square Garden in 1939, attended by thousands of members (Foreman, Adam, and Dalya Meyer. “American Nazism and Madison Square Garden.” The National WWII Museum, 2021). While the Bund was dissolved later that year after the Nazi invasion of Poland, other, similarly minded organizations continued, the most prominent of which was the America First Committee. As the spokesperson, Charles Lindbergh spread anti-war messages rooted in white supremacist ideology (Foreman).

Lindbergh’s views escalated in a personal battle with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, whom he blamed—along with the American Jews—for pushing America toward war (Dixon, Letricia. “Charles Lindbergh - Germany and the America First Movement.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2019). The Mannings and their entire social circle clearly agreed with Lindbergh, as evidenced by the Roosevelts’ conspicuous absence from Belle’s engagement party, as well as the heated conversation Teddy has with Hemi about politics. Lindbergh’s assertion that “the British, the Jewish, and the Roosevelt administration[s]” are spreading pro-war propaganda (Dixon) further explains Cee-Cee’s initial suspicions when she meets Hemi, a Britisher who has traveled to the States at this time.

Lindbergh had a speech scheduled for December of 1941, but after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he and the America First Committee lost public favor. Supporters of the association believed that the bombing was orchestrated as a way for Roosevelt to take the country to war (Dixon). Cee-Cee presents this opinion when she first tells Belle about Pearl Harbor. However, following the United States’ entry into the war, the America First Committee was dissolved. Thus, when the article about the Mannings hits the press, Martin’s antisemitic and pro-Nazi associations receives widespread criticism, and the scandal does irrevocable damage to the family. In these ways, Davis weaves historical details into the plot, bringing contextually relevant tensions into the lives and conversations of her characters.