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Endpapers

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( 1,377 ratings, 278 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Endpapers by Jennifer Savran Kelly is a compelling narrative that intertwines art, identity, and self-discovery. The protagonist, a book conservator, finds a hidden love letter that ignites a journey through the layers of history and personal introspection. The story beautifully explores themes of belonging and the search for truth amidst personal and historical complexities.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$6100

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate stories where art, personal identity, and history intertwine. Set in 2003, the narrative follows a bookbinder navigating her non-binary identity while uncovering a mysterious love note hidden in an old book, leading to revelations about art, identity, and human connection. The richly layered tale may appeal to those who love explorations of self-discovery and the bonds that connect us across time.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A page-turning, character-driven story set in 2003 New York City about a genderqueer book conservator who feels trapped by her gender presentation, her ill-fitting relationship, and her artistic block, as she discovers a decades-old hidden queer love letter and becomes obsessed with tracking down its author.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

It's 2003, and artist Dawn Levit is stuck. A bookbinder who works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she spends all day repairing old books but hasn't created anything of her own in years. With nothing ready to show at her major gallery debut in six weeks, time is of the essence. What's more, although she doesn't have a word for it yet, Dawn is genderqueer and she's struggling to feel safe expressing herself.

One day at work, Dawn discovers something hidden under the endpapers of an old book: the torn-off corner of a 1950s lesbian pulp novel, with an illustration of a woman looking into a mirror and seeing a man's face. Even more intriguing is the queer love letter written on the back. Dawn becomes obsessed with tracking down the author of the letter, convinced the mysterious writer can help her find a place in the world and also solve the trickiest puzzle of all: how she truly wants to live her life.

A sharply written, evocative debut, Endpapers is both a page-turning bookish mystery and an unforgettable story about the journey toward authenticity and the hard conversations we owe ourselves in pursuit of a world where no one has to hide.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Endpapers by Jennifer Savran Kelly has been praised for its emotional depth and exploration of identity, desire, and the struggle to be authentic in a world filled with constraints. Set in post-9/11 New York, the novel weaves together elements of a mystery, romance, and an artist's coming-of-age story. Reviewers have highlighted its rich character portrayal, its compelling narrative, and the author's empathetic and insightful voice. The book is celebrated as an exploration of queer joy, community, art, and the complex layers of selfhood, urging readers to embrace unpredictability and reject limiting labels.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781643755403

Publisher: Workman Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 December 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: Algonquin Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 208.0mm

Weight: 280g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Jennifer Savran Kelly (she/her/they/them) lives in Ithaca, New York, where she writes, binds books, and works as a production editor at Cornell University Press. Endpapers is her debut novel. In 2018 it won a grant from the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund. In 2019 it was selected as a finalist for the SFWP Literary Awards program and for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship. Her short fiction has appeared in Hobart, Black Warrior Review, Green Mountains Review, Iron Horse Literary Review, Grist: A Journal of the Literary Arts (Online Companion), and elsewhere. In 2014, she was selected to study in the Writer to Writer Mentorship Program of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs.

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