Welcome to the first Lockup Library Book Club. We’re reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. First published in June 2005. Its her first book. And, it’s my first reading of this book.

The Historian; chapters 1-20

I’m really enjoying the book. It’s a slow burn for sure, but so much information so far to process.

The book starts off in 1972 with a young girl finding a book and papers in her fathers library. Her dad is a diplomat, and is away a lot of time time.

My dear and unfortunate successor

This is the introduction to the world of 1930. She reads a fantastical letter on how the writer believes that Vlad Tepes or Dracula is still alive.

From there, she’s asks that her father take her on his trips into Europe, so he can tell her how he got these papers, and how, back in 1930, he went to find out if what he read is true.

The book switches back and forth from her fathers time (1930) and her time, 1972. He father is almost nervous and afraid to be relaying this information to his daughter, but he does. And at one point, requests that she wrote down what he’s telling her. I believe that this is his way of passing the the book, and the letters from the 30s to her and a new era of exploration.

The writer, Elizabeth Kostova, really draws you in to the world that she describes. I do however, find myself wanting more of the story. She can really build up the suspense as she unfolds the father telling his story.

So far, I’m totally into this novel. What about you guys? What parts have you enjoyed so far?