The Library of Leaving
Will be published approx. on 27. August 2026
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-0-00-869564-4 (ISBN)
Description
'Maybe it shouldn't surprise me that August became a writer. He'd told me all kinds of stories - 'I love you' for one ...'
Switzerland, 1926. Helen Fox lives a secluded life at the American Library of Geneva, passing her days cataloguing books left as bequests and combing through their pages to glean details about their deceased owners. It's a quiet existence, but it's work she loves.
That is, until Helen receives a mysterious package containing the first chapter of a novel written by August Hegland - an ex-soldier turned writer and the man she once loved. Though he claims his new book is fiction, Helen immediately recognises herself in his story ... along with the threat simmering in the ink: that August may expose the truth of her colourful wartime past. But just how much does August intend to reveal? And what will happen to Helen if the answer is everything?
The Library of Leaving is a gripping historical mystery, a sweeping story of love and betrayal, and a poignant meditation on how the stories we tell can reveal - or rewrite - the truth of a life.
Switzerland, 1926. Helen Fox lives a secluded life at the American Library of Geneva, passing her days cataloguing books left as bequests and combing through their pages to glean details about their deceased owners. It's a quiet existence, but it's work she loves.
That is, until Helen receives a mysterious package containing the first chapter of a novel written by August Hegland - an ex-soldier turned writer and the man she once loved. Though he claims his new book is fiction, Helen immediately recognises herself in his story ... along with the threat simmering in the ink: that August may expose the truth of her colourful wartime past. But just how much does August intend to reveal? And what will happen to Helen if the answer is everything?
The Library of Leaving is a gripping historical mystery, a sweeping story of love and betrayal, and a poignant meditation on how the stories we tell can reveal - or rewrite - the truth of a life.
Reviews / Votes
Praise for Emily Dunlay...'Darkly glamorous' Sunday Times Style
'Glamorous, exuberant, propulsive' Daisy Buchanan
'Mad Men meets White Lotus' Red
'Stylish and twisting' The Times
'Glitteringly glamorous and gossipy' Ellery Lloyd
'The most stylish and compulsive read of the year' Jennie Godfrey
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 141 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
270 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-869564-4 (9780008695644)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Emily Dunlay studied English literature and creative writing at Princeton University and later trained and worked as a specialist librarian for antiquarian books in New York and Abu Dhabi. She currently lives in California.