From internationally bestselling author Alyson Richman comes a love story, a ghost story, and an elegy to the healing power of books

Harry Widener boards the Titanic holding tight to a priceless book he just purchased in London. After mayhem strikes the ship, Harry’s last known words are that he must return to his cabin for his treasure. Neither the young man nor the book will ever be seen again. In his honour, his mother builds the Harry Widener Memorial Library at Harvard to memorialize her son and house his extensive book collection.

Decades later, Violet Hutchins, a Harvard sophomore recovering from her own great loss, is working as a page at the Widener Library. When strange things begin happening at the library—books falling off shelves or opening to random pages—Violet wonders if Harry Widener’s ghost is trying to communicate the missing pieces of his story from beyond the grave.  

This powerful and haunting novel is perfect for readers of Marie Benedict’s The Personal Librarian and Sulari Gentill’s The Woman in the Library.

ISBN: 9781443476263
Imprint: HarperCollins Publishers
On Sale: Oct 14, 2025
List price: $25.99
No of pages: 416
Trim Size: 4.710 in (w) x 7.170 in (h) x 1.040 in (d)
BISAC 1: FICTION / Historical / General
BISAC 2: FICTION / Ghost
BISAC 3: FICTION / Literary

Alyson Richman

Biography

ALYSON RICHMAN graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in art history and Japanese studies. She is an accomplished painter, and her novels combine her deep love of art, historical research, and travel. Alyson’s novels have been published in twenty-five languages and have reached the bestseller lists both in the United States and abroad. She lives with her husband and two children on Long Island, where she is currently at work on her next novel.

From internationally bestselling author Alyson Richman comes a love story, a ghost story, and an elegy to the healing power of books

Harry Widener boards the Titanic holding tight to a priceless book he just purchased in London. After mayhem strikes the ship, Harry’s last known words are that he must return to his cabin for his treasure. Neither the young man nor the book will ever be seen again. In his honour, his mother builds the Harry Widener Memorial Library at Harvard to memorialize her son and house his extensive book collection.

Decades later, Violet Hutchins, a Harvard sophomore recovering from her own great loss, is working as a page at the Widener Library. When strange things begin happening at the library—books falling off shelves or opening to random pages—Violet wonders if Harry Widener’s ghost is trying to communicate the missing pieces of his story from beyond the grave.  

This powerful and haunting novel is perfect for readers of Marie Benedict’s The Personal Librarian and Sulari Gentill’s The Woman in the Library.

ISBN: 9781443476263
Imprint: HarperCollins Publishers
On Sale: Oct 14, 2025
List price: $25.99
No of pages: 416
Trim Size: 4.710 in (w) x 7.170 in (h) x 1.040 in (d)
BISAC 1: FICTION / Historical / General
BISAC 2: FICTION / Ghost
BISAC 3: FICTION / Literary

Alyson Richman

Biography

ALYSON RICHMAN graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in art history and Japanese studies. She is an accomplished painter, and her novels combine her deep love of art, historical research, and travel. Alyson’s novels have been published in twenty-five languages and have reached the bestseller lists both in the United States and abroad. She lives with her husband and two children on Long Island, where she is currently at work on her next novel.