No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister

 

The title of this book comes from the saying no two persons read the same book, a truism any member of a book club can attest to.  Alice writes a book about a boy growing up in a loveless family and it becomes a hit.  She is shocked by her fame and dismayed by it and retreats to a small town where she is a bit of a recluse.  But her book sallies forth into the world and we read in succeeding chapters how it affects different readers.

There is the actor whose gorgeous looks are wiped out and who becomes an audiobook reader.  The artist on an island who uses the book as material for her masterpiece sculptor.  The bookstore worker who is about to marry a scientist until he realizes that she has disdain for reading and those who love it.  A deep sea diver who pushes things too far until he damages himself.  Each has their own reaction to  Alice's novel.

Erica Bauermeister has written five novels, all of which have been chosen as Indie Reads.  Her ability to discern how Alice's novel affects such different people in ways that are only similar in that they change lives is fascinating and each reader will probably relate most to a different story.  Underneath it, she relates the truth that reading is a valuable activity that can change or validate lives in many ways.  This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.