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The Library of Leaving

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The Library of Leaving

Written by: Emily Dunlay
Narrated by: Imani Jade Powers, Pete Simonelli, George Newbern, Alex Wyndham, Megan Tusing
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Buy Now for ₹1,377.00

Buy Now for ₹1,377.00

‘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.

©2026 Emily Dunlay (P)2026 HarperCollins Publishers 20th Century Epistolary Genre Fiction Historical Literary Fiction Women's Fiction
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Critic Reviews

'This kinetic WWI novel has no shortage of drama' Publishers Weekly
'It’s a case of spy versus spy, of love that is both transactional and romantic, of amorphous identities and ephemeral allegiances. Mired in the elements of tragedy, the novel teems with references to Greek classics, a paean to the power of the written word to change the course of history. Dunlay’s sophomore effort, following Teddy, holds its own against the masters of the literary espionage novel, as intricate in its cat-and-mouse intrigue as any LeCarre thriller' Booklist (starred review)
'The Library of Leaving gives us historical fiction bursting with elegance and sophistication. Emily Dunlay's engrossing prose constructs a literary labyrinth that reveals layers of mystery and intrigue in a vivid 1920s European milieu. A top notch escape into an alluring era' Matthew Pearl, author of The Dante Club
'A twisty story of love, war, and secrets. Dunlay’s extensive research into the roles of various actors in WWI is evident, but an equally resonant theme relates to the power of books to sustain a life of meaning during hardship. A carefully crafted historical puzzle' Kirkus Reviews
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
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