It is 1714 and Addie, the only child of a craftsman and his wife in a small French village, is told she must marry, something she has always avoided. But a local man’s wife died and there are small children and…. rather than go through with this, she makes a deal with a mysterious man. He may have her soul, according to terms they negotiate. And Addie then finds that she will live indefinitely but unremembered by those she encounters, whether in a series of intimate encounters or a memorable brush up. The only constant in her life is that the mysterious man shows up annually to see if she is through with her life. She becomes an avid reader to stave off boredom. And she finds a clever way to make a mark in the world when her own ability to actually draw or write anything is taken. Until she meets a man who runs a book store and, for some reason, he remembers her. Why? Is the contract modified? What does this mean.
This is not a short book but it is continuously mesmerizing, entertaining and Addie and the mysterious man are both great characters. Schwab is a genius. The audible version of this novel was unforgettable! Julia Whelan, narrating, is talented and engrossing. When passengers in my car heard snippets before I turned off my book, they were intrigued. Highly recommend.
They Called me Bookworm 