I loved this book. It reads as a book of short stories which all revolve around a single novel, Theo. We start with the author but then follow the book into the world and see how it impacts the lives of various people touching them in such varied ways. A story is never the same for any two people, and this story shows this beautifully.

There are books that are so wonderful that you don’t ever want them to end.

There are books so wonderful, so poignant, so uplifting, that you can only read one chapter at a time because you need and want time to savor and reflect on what you’ve just read, and think about what came before.

And there are books that are so magnificently crafted, where every word is poetry, where something speaks to you on every page.

No Two Persons is one of those remarkable, rare, treats: a literal treasure.

A young woman writes a book. And, just as do many unknown, first-time novelists, she could paper her walls with the rejection letters. Until. Until finally a reader in a literary agency says YES and passes the book on to her boss, a woman named Madeleine.

The book is published, it’s a huge hit, and the author is so happy she does not care if she ever writes another.

The book, called Theo, is a story about a boy; a boy who didn’t have a great story about his growing up. But that’s not what No Two Persons is really about. It’s really about how many people read the book, respond to it from their own hearts and experiences, and each person responds in a way that is theirs alone.

Eventually, we meet up with Madeline again, who is old and nearing the end of her life. Somehow, like an old friend who you’ve almost forgotten, Theo ends up in her hands. “Oh,” she says, “Theo.” And she begins to read it again. And, it will certainly end up in many other readers’s hands, all of whom will find in it what resonates with them alone.

I adored this book, if that’s not already obvious. I look forward to reading more by this author.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommended for readers who want to get lost in their books.

A soulful story of the impact one book has on individuals with sorrows, problems, trauma, and regret. The story in the book weaves its way into their circumstances with each person receiving what they truly need.
I could not put it down as it was extremely captivating and grabbed a hold of me.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

’No two persons ever read the same book, or saw the same pictures.’ - THE WRITINGS OF MADAME SWETCHINE, 1860

This begins in Maine, 2010, as Alice is somewhere in the stages of writing a book, one that she’s been writing for over five years. Many changes in the story have taken place since she wrote that first line, as though the book was the creator, writing the story itself. She is ‘barely twenty-five,’ young in years, perhaps, but with an old soul. A young woman who keeps mostly to herself, avoiding people’s eyes, as if she thought they could read her thoughts. When she was younger, an author came to her class and told them that when she was writing that she lived inside the world of the characters while she was writing their story. It was something that stayed with her, and she knew she wanted to create worlds of her own someday.

This story follows the lives of Alice, the book she writes, the people that it touches, and the way that it affects them. Each one seems profoundly impacted by the story, although each are in different stages of their lives, have different struggles or personal emotional or physical pain they face. Somehow reading this book changes how they view their lives, and how they could have done, or could do, something different.

A beautiful story that literally brought tears to my eyes, and reminded me of the importance of books in our lives, and the power of stories.


Pub Date: 02 May 2023

Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press

I've been a bit burned out lately on fiction. So many are simply the same basic stories told over and over. No Two Persons stands out, having a unique storyline... or multiple storylines. Yes, it could be confusing having a book told from so many different points of view, but it's not. The reader learns how a single book impacts 10 different people's lives, including the author of the book and those in various publishing roles as well as readers.

I love that a single book isn't the same to every reader. We all bring our own life experiences in and often, our enjoyment is also based on timing. Have you ever reread a book you once loved and now don't understand why it was such a hit for you? Bauermeister has used this fact to craft a book that looks at how the book within a book impacts these 10 people and we learn more about Theo's story (the book within a book) as well. I also loved that the author tied the various stories together, though not always immediately and often by thin lines revealed later in another's story.

Books like this are why I am more willing these days to walk away from a book I'm not loving. There are books out there that are a perfect fit for me, right where I am now, and the book in my hands may just be meant for someone else.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

No Two Persons is a heartfelt ode to the stories people experience when they read a book. They are different from what the writer may have intended, and different for each person that reads them. They may experience them differently when read in different moods or different times of their lives. In this book, we see this play out for ten different people, making it more like an interconnected short story collection. The book affects each one in different ways, sometimes profound, sometimes simple, and sometimes as by giving them a fresh perspective on their life. Admittedly, when I started the book I was just rolling along. Then there was a particular person whose experience resonated with me. And somehow that opened the floodgates to being able to appreciate the impact the book had on each person whose story followed, even if I couldn’t relate as strongly, I found that thing I had in common with them. Even though I know it’s not the point, I almost wish I could read the book that serves as the glue to the story, so that not only could I appreciate how it impacted Bauermeister’s characters, but imagine how it could impact me. This is beautifully and thoughtfully done, and I loved it. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this tile via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I have read a few books by Bauermeister previously and all were 4 star reads, especially the Scent Keeper. I was really excited to have the opportunity to read her newest novel. I really enjoyed this. Such an interesting premise of how one story affected so many people from the author to many readers across different times and places. I really enjoyed all of the different storylines and perspectives and how one book wove them all together.

Erica Baurermeisters No Two Persons was a touching and thought provoking novel illustrating the way no two people will get the same thing from reading the same book. We start with our author Alice, and then over time we have chapters, really short stories, involving the assistant, the actor, the artist, the diver, etc. who interact with the book in some way and are changed by it. some people read the book and are immersed, others never finish, and another gets angry at it after the first page, but the book still impacts their life.

The way the author eventually connects some of the characters in the individual stories, especially in the last chapter and the epilogue is masterful, making an ending that I found So satisfying but not sappy, and I cannot wait to recommend this lovely novel to my friends and book club.

Thank you to Net Galley for this preview copy for an unbiased review.

The author weaves ten short stories with a wider theme of how books, and creativity in general, can impact and change our lives. From the eyes of these ten characters, we see how this one book named “Theo” by the author Alice has created so much interconnectedness as well as helped to heal others – from the author herself, to the agent, the agent’s assistant, the audiobook narrator, a bookseller, a student and more.

The characters are plentiful and varied. Many were heartbreaking in the best way, and you easily rooted for them. Even on the rare occasion when one of the characters was more forgettable (the caretaker), the situation surrounding the character was vivid and unique.

The pace was really good. Each story was easily read in a sitting and was thought-provoking as an independent story as well as part of the wider story. Many also brought my own personal experiences to the forefront of my mind and helped me think differently about them. That’s a testament to a very good book.

Were there moments that seemed a bit “too” interconnected and overwrought? Yes. It had almost a Nicholas Sparks level of saccharine sweetness at moments, but that was counteracted by the superb depths that was achieved in the 25-35 pages devoted to each character. Several of these stories moved me. It seems like books about books have had their moment lately, and perhaps these types of books can be seen as pandering to a devoted audience. I can see that, but I think this one is exceptionally good and worth the read because it won’t be easily forgotten.

No Two Persons is a very unique book. When I read the blurb, I knew I had to read it and was lucky enough to be granted an advanced review copy. I was captivated by the first chapter about young Alice and the book she was writing, and I knew I was onto something good. I subsequently became flummoxed as Alice wasn’t in chapter 2 or chapter 3. Where was she? I missed her! I then reread the blurb and was reminded that this book has many chapters, each with a different protagonist. The commonality amongst them is that they all read Alice’s book, and each one is profoundly affected in a starkly different way by what they read.

The various characters are all so different. There is a publisher, a manuscript reader looking for the next great novel, a bookstore employee, a free diver, an intimacy coordinator (who knew these existed?), an actor cum audiobook narrator, a woman who studies “leap seconds”, a widower who takes a job to oversee a ghost town in the dead of winter, an artist, a homeless teen girl. Each one is struggling. Each one in some way ends up with a copy of Alice’s book. Each one finds what they need to move on to a changed and better life. And the beauty of it? No two persons read the book in the same way.

This novel is intricate, far-reaching, full of depth, and inspiring. I loved the way the characters would at times come together in the different chapters. There is a poignant final chapter and an heart-warming epilogue with Alice. There is also an interesting Author’s Note that you don’t want to miss. Overall, I was very impressed with this book. I would even call it a masterpiece, and I rarely do that. I strongly recommend No Two Persons for all book lovers interested in a rewarding reading experience.

Thank you, Ms. Bauermeister. I will be following your work closely.

Thanks also to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
1 like

No Two Persons reads like an anthology of short stories tied together by the recurring theme of a book. I am not the biggest fan of short stories but I enjoyed some of the life stories touched by the book and could have skipped some of them joyfully. The collection does an excellent job of showcasing how a book changes its meaning all the way from the author through each person’s perspective to become what each individual needed from the book. The story was easy to read but I just thought it was an okay book. I’m sure it has its crowd of fans since the book is not the same for any two people. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

This is a nice series of little vignettes about the effects that one book has a number of different people. I really appreciated the strong message about the power of reading.

I have been reading Erica Bauermeister off and on for years. The glow I felt for her books slowly faded after her first book, "The School of Essential Ingredients". All of a sudden characters didn't read as very developed and I would be totally lost as I was going through the book. I missed the closeness I felt while reading that first book. I recall reading "The School of Essential Ingredients" and my brain shut off and I just fell into the story. I remember being really annoyed when I realized I needed to go to sleep for work the next day. I just didn't want to finish it. That same feeling came over me as I was reading "No Two Persons." This honestly is a long love letter to book readers and just honestly people who love words. Everything felt thoughtfully written. We follow 10 separate people over a number of years around the writing and publication of a book called "Theo."

The story begins in 2010 in Maine and we follow "The Writer" who is Alice. Alice who has such a complicated history, but love of books and words. From there we follow "The Assistant", "The Actor", "The Artist," "The Diver," "The Teenager," "The Bookseller," "The Caretaker," "The Coordinator," "The Agent", and then the Epilogue which leaves us with Alice again.

The writing is lyrical and haunting at times. What I loved the most is that we begin with Alice and we also end with her. And in between we get all of the stories of the people who were touched by or in one case (annoyed as hell by) her book. For some, the book is a great catalyst to their lives, or something that led to the next big thing for them. Some of the characters have connections to each other so you definitely have to read on in a lot of cases if you want to know what happens to them. There is a question mark about two characters, but I like that the question mark is there. I love that Bauermeister didn't feel the need to show and tell us everything.

I loved that the setting of this book starts off in Maine and ends in New York. And we get to visit other places as well (Florida and Northern California).

The book was lovely to read on a rainy day in Virginia. I got to sit with it while drinking tea and buried under a blanket. It also had me thinking of how much I still want to do, and plan on doing this year and the years ahead. And how when a book comes that is "that book" for you, it stays for a very long time. This is definitely going on my list of favorites for 2023.

I really like how Bauermeister writes. The Scent Keeper is one of my favourite novels and I think about it often. I liked the concept of this novel. A book that impacts nine different readers at distinct periods in their lives. Each story is unique and separate from the other. (A few connect) I think this would be a great novel for book clubs as it would generate alot of discussion about “ that one book” that changes us for the better.
Where I liked this, I felt as though each individual story was too isolated from the other. We also never really get to know the full story of the novel in question “Theo”.

Lovely book that's basically a series of very loosely tied short stories. As with all story collections, there are strong ones in there and ones that don't quite hit the mark (like for me, the older man who lives in a ghost town).

I enjoyed the concept overall. I especially liked the stories that connected not just to the Theo book, but also to other character's perspectives, (like the audio book reader and the intimacy coordinator who had worked together before.) I like to believe that books work this way, connecting humanity in small, subtle ways.

Ultimately this book is a little weird because the story is about people having a profound life-changing experience because of the existence of this work of art--Theo. (Some of the characters don't even read it!) And yet we, the reader, never get to read The. It's only very briefly summarized by other characters.

Characters seemed to be profoundly affected by the feelings the book evokes (rather than specific lines...other than the closing one), but we the reader of "No Two Persons" have to simply imagine what those feeling are. For me personally, that made the story a tad less magical. But that's perhaps a personal issue.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such an interesting book. It tells the the story of a book called Theo and the impacts it’s made on different people, from the writer to the publisher to an out of luck actor. I loved how the storied while not connected still were woven together to show how one persons words can bring people together in a variety of ways. Definitely worth the read!

This one.

I raced through this book in one lovely afternoon. Erica Bauermeister is among my favorite authors, particularly when I want to absolutely fall into a story. This book with interwoven stories centered around the power of stories took my breath away. Stories are a such a large part of what makes us human, that idea of "what if." I will be recommending this novel to everyone, but especially those looking for that "something special " to read for discussion or just to feel that we are all connected.

“No two persons ever read the same book, or saw the same picture.” These words frame the story for Bauermeister’s new novel in linked short stories about a debut novel and how it impacted the lives of eleven people, each in its own way. First we meet Alice, an aspiring writer who struggles to pen a novel called Theo. In subsequent chapters we see how that novel shapes the lives of others: the publisher’s assistant who plucks it from the slush pile, the actor chosen to narrate the audiobook (perhaps my favorite story), the many readers who subsequently stumble upon it at just the right time. A testament to the power of books and reading. We'll be featuring this in our 2023 Modern Mrs Darcy Summer Reading Guide, coming this May.

Bauermeister does it again...another book full of wobder. Words and water flow through the connected stories the way even a passing moment between people do. A love story about the power of a beautiful book.
Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: May 2, 2023

I'm so torn with how I feel about this book- part of me loved the ideas of how a book can meet people where they are in their lives but the other part of me is feeling a little let down.

When I started the book, I was beginning to think "Oh man, I think this may lean towards five star territory". However, as much as I loved seeing the different characters life before the book landed in their lap, I felt no closure to how they changed after getting the book. I think adding this in would have made the book better for me.

I'm clearly in the outliers group because a lot of others loved this book! That is the beauty of what this book tried to show me- I may not have loved it but someone else may.