No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister - I finished this book right after Christmas but didn't get around to writing my thoughts about it until today. The rave reviews were right about the fact that this is a really special book, thugh I had trouble deciding what tags to give it ― it's sort of a series of short stories that are all tied together, and though there are some romances and some heartbreaks, and there are characters of many backgrounds and ages, what connects them all is a story. So it's a story about how one writer's personal story affected the story she wrote, and how that story touched its readers and the stories they were living.
Alice is the talented debut novelist, and we're introduced to her in the first section. She discovers words and stories and writing at an early age and dreams of writing her own stories. A family tragedy derails her education and her motivation to write for a time, but eventually she completes the novel and submits it.
Then, in a series of stories, Alice's novel touches the lives of several others. First, it is read by a struggling editor's assistant who gives it a push towards publication. It is read by an actor who has become a recluse, and he transforms it into an audiobook. It deeply affects him and he gives it a voice that allows it to touch others as well. Other readers include a free diver who has pushed his own limits too far in his attempt to deal with the pain from his childhood; a homeless teenager just hanging on until she can graduate high school; a young man working in a bookstore and navigating a difficult relationship; a widower trying to cope with his grief and regrets; and a literary agent facing her own mortality. Each reader of the book has their own set of painful circumstances, past traumas, and difficult relationships; and each one connects with the story's character in a different but meaningful way. It's implied that Alice's writing style and use of words and phrases was beautiful to read and to hear, but also that it was the story itself that touched a nerve in readers.
The book was a delight to read, and had such a satisfactory―yet open-ended―conclusion that came full circle and was an almost bittersweet celebration of how stories can touch our hearts and help us feel connected and heard and understood.
From the publisher:
One book. Nine readers. Ten changed lives. New York Times bestselling author Erica Bauermeister's No Two Persons is "a gloriously original celebration of fiction, and the ways it deepens our lives."
That was the beauty of books, wasn't it? They took you places you didn't know you needed to go . . .
Alice has always wanted to be a writer. Her talent is innate, but her stories remain safe and detached, until a devastating event breaks her heart open, and she creates a stunning debut novel. Her words, in turn, find their way to readers, from a teenager hiding her homelessness, to a free diver pushing himself beyond endurance, an artist furious at the world around her, a bookseller in search of love, a widower rent by grief. Each one is drawn into Alice's novel; each one discovers something different that alters their perspective, and presents new pathways forward for their lives.
Together, their stories reveal how books can affect us in the most beautiful and unexpected of ways―and how we are all more closely connected to one another than we might think.
This is a title that begins with the letter N (#4) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.
#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025
This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot.
This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
