The Echo of Old Books: A Novel

Hemi relives the joy of his and Belle’s first kiss. They begin meeting often in secret and discuss each other’s childhoods. Hemi is in search of a “pulse” for his writing, something his father claimed that all good writing contains. Belle envies Hemi’s upbringing, which was filled with warmth and family love, while Hemi points out the privileges Belle grew up with because of her family’s wealth.

Hemi asks about Belle’s mother, Helene. Belle’s father never forgave for her poor mental health, the secrets she shared with Belle, or the fact that she was French. Belle describes how her father sent Helene away to a sanitarium after she had a breakdown at one of their parties; she died there a year later. Belle was devastated at losing her mother so young, while her 17-year-old sister Cee-Cee promptly took over all duties of the lady of the house.

As Hemi prods further, Belle closes up, asserting that privacy is extremely important to her family, and that there are people who would love to knock her father down. She reveals there have been unsavory rumors about him in the past. Hemi feels Belle’s distrust, though he reassures her that he is only interested in her family because he wants to know her better, not because of his job working for the newspapers.

Belle bitterly remembers the conversations with Hemi about her mother, sure that his questions were calculated to extract details for the newspaper. She reminisces about details she didn’t share with him, like the photo album with captions in a strange language that Helene used to look through only with Belle. The album went missing after Helene’s death, with Cee-Cee claiming she’d never seen it.

Helene’s depression worsened over time. Belle’s father had no patience for it, prompting explosive fights and accusations that Helene was disgracing his family. Despite doctor visits and prescribed pills, she had a breakdown at one of their parties, “in the middle of a discussion on Henry Ford’s newspaper, the Michigan Independent, and its revived crusade against the international Jew” (114). Helene was dragged away, and Belle was distraught to see her mother so shattered; Cee-Cee, on the other hand, was almost gleeful.

Helene was sent away the next day, and the girls were never taken to visit her. A year later, they received news that she died because of an accident with a knife, although everyone knew that it was suicide. Belle didn’t tell Hemi this, though she knows he has other means of finding the information.

Ashlyn is shaken by the mention of suicide, reflecting on how, like her own parents, Helene had chosen to end her life. She feels shame at the idea that was not good enough for her parents to hang onto life for. However, Ashlyn acknowledges things were probably different for Helene than her own parents, as the former had clearly been struggling with her mental health.

Ashlyn wonders about the treachery and betrayal Hemi and Belle feel. She thinks about Daniel, her ex-husband; he was a teacher’s assistant for one of her classes at the university. Their relationship progressed quickly, and they were married mere months after meeting. At his urging, she quit school and began a full-time job with Frank, so Daniel could focus on his writing. However, Daniel’s manuscript never sold, and he began to see other women, blaming Ashlyn for his failures and indiscretions. After Ashlyn walked in on him with one of his students, she finally left him.

As Ashlyn begins to lock up the shop at the end of the day, a man arrives, introducing himself as Ethan Hillard. He asks to see the books, stating he recently remembered that one of his great-aunts, Marian, was sometimes referred to as Belle by his parents. Excited, Ashlyn quotes other details from the books. While Ethan doesn’t recognize more names, he suggests the events sound like things that would happen to the Mannings and the Hillards—his father and paternal grandmother’s families, respectively.

Ashlyn invites Ethan to read the books at the shop. Ethan is merely curious about whether Marian did, in fact, write one of the books; he doesn’t want to take the books back or take any further action. He never actually met Marian, and the only family that mattered to him were his parents. While Marian and Richard were once close, they had a falling out many years ago and stopped communicating. Ashlyn shows Ethan the inscriptions in the books as he begins to read.

Hemi recounts when things began to change for him and Belle. During one of their secret meetings, Belle insists she must get home early for a dinner her father is hosting. Hemi rants about her father’s social circle, in line with his antisemitic views and politics. Hemi asserts there are Nazis within the United States who do not want their country to join the war against Hitler. He urges Belle to take a stand on the issue, even as she dismisses the topic.

Angry, Hemi makes insinuations about the evening’s guest list; he even mentions Teddy, a taboo subject between him and Belle. Belle unexpectedly invites Hemi to attend, but he gets defensive, accusing Belle of “slumming” with someone of a much lower social standing than herself. Angry and upset, Belle asserts she just wants Hemi there because she is tired of only meeting him in secret, and his presence will gladden her. She urges Hemi to take her back home, asserting she will have a place card ready for him at dinner, whether or not he decides to attend.

Hemi attends the dinner, and Belle introduces him to her father as one of Teddy’s friends. A suspicious Cee-Cee comes over and questions Hemi on his travels to the States, especially during such a turbulent time back home in Europe. Hemi pretends that he left to avoid fighting in the war, and Cee-Cee delightedly believes Hemi and her share the same political opinions. To Belle’s annoyance, Cee-Cee takes charge of Hemi for the rest of the evening, instructing Belle to socialize with the other guests.

Ethan is sure that Belle is Marian; he remembers his father mentioning growing up in Rose Hollow. He also believes the name Cee-Cee refers to his grandmother, Corinne Manning. Martin Manning, Corinne and Marian’s father, was a rich and unpleasant man who died shortly after Ethan was born. However, Ethan doesn’t recognize Teddy or Hemi, as Marian never married. She did, however, adopt a boy and a girl who were war orphans.

To Ashlyn’s surprise, Ethan isn’t interested in learning any more about Belle and Hemi. He prepares to head home, quoting an early class the next morning at UNH, where he teaches political science. He gently rebuffs Ashlyn’s request that she contact him if she has any further questions and advises her not to look for a happy ending: “They don’t run in the Manning side of the family. Or the Hillard side, for that matter” (144).

The day after Ethan’s visit, Ruth calls Ashlyn back with information about Goldie’s true identity: Geraldine Evelyn Spencer, an heiress who inherited her father’s coal fortune and string of newspapers after her parents passed away in a shipwreck. She took over the papers and wrote about the difficult social issues of the day, including the war and the antisemitic sentiment brewing at home in the United States. She also had a reputation as a party girl, and though she never married, her numerous affairs slowed down after a man named Steven Schwab entered her life. Steven was a writer and aspiring novelist who lived with Goldie for 10 years; he inherited a good portion of her fortune when she died, but he passed away a couple of years later.

Ruth drops off a number of old articles that detail these events from Geraldine “Goldie” Spencer’s life, as well as some of her journalistic pieces on American Nazis and abortion rights, and a memorial piece published after her death hailing her as “A Feminist Legacy” (153). Ashlyn studies pictures of Goldie and Steven Schwab beside each other, wondering if the latter was Hemi. Despite Ethan’s professed reluctance to answer questions, Ashlyn leaves him a couple of messages on his answering machine, asking if he has heard of Schwab. Ethan doesn’t return Ashlyn’s calls, and she decides to give him a couple of days to respond while she reads ahead.

Belle watches as Cee-Cee takes Hemi away at the dinner party. Her irritation grows as Hemi socializes with the rest of the guests, ignoring her the entire evening. After dinner, Belle’s father invites Hemi to join him and the other men in the study for cigars. Stuck drinking sherry with the ladies, Belle believes this was Hemi’s intention all along.

Feigning a headache, Belle decides to retire early despite Cee-Cee’s disapproval, but then she runs into Hemi in the hallway, who is also leaving early. He is tired of the evening and accuses Belle of playing games with him, inviting him to dinner then pretending to barely know him. The next day, Belle tries unsuccessfully to reach Hemi, even trying his workplace; she speaks to Goldie, who scathingly reveals she knows of their affair. Desperate, Belle heads to the newspaper offices and waits outside until Hemi arrives, asserting they need to talk. Hemi takes Belle to his place.

At his new apartment, Hemi reveals he moved out of Goldie’s place that morning, as they had a big disagreement about his relationship with Belle: Goldie believed Hemi lost his sense of perspective with Belle, and he agreed, suggesting they end their affair. Hemi asserts they both knew their entanglement had to end. Furthermore, he is finding it increasingly difficult to separate his personal life from his work, especially as he is working on a story about Belle’s father.

Hemi details the stories and rumors about her father: He made his money through illegal means by smuggling in alcohol, and bribed, threatened, and extorted his way to success, making dangerous and powerful allies along the way. Last night, Belle’s father requested Hemi to do a public relations piece that praises him, but Hemi has decided to write the truth and worries about what will happen if Belle’s father discovers their affair.

Hemi reveals that their entire affair was a way for him to get an in and collect information for his story. A teary Belle asks Hemi why he is betraying her when he knows she loves him, and Hemi is unable to pretend anymore that he doesn’t feel the same way. He confesses his love for her and pulls her into his arms, even as he knows that not walking away from Belle is a mistake.