This novel introduces readers to Zachary Ezra Rawlins, a graduate student who discovers a mysterious book filled with enchanting stories. He’s entertained by the tales until he recognizes one: It’s a story about his own childhood. Shocked by his discovery, Zachary sets off to uncover how his life came to be recorded in the book. His journey takes him to places he never could’ve imagined, and I will bet your group will love following his adventures and talking about the astounding power of literature.
As a fun bonus, invite your book club to also dive into Morgenstern’s much-beloved first novel The Night Circus!
Purchase your copy here.
Back Club Copy of The Starless Sea:
Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues—a bee, a key, and a sword—that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians—it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose—in both the mysterious book and in his own life.
About Erin Morgenstern:
Erin Morgenstern is the author of The Night Circus, a number-one national best seller that has been sold around the world and translated into thirty-seven languages. She has a degree in theater from Smith College and lives in Massachusetts.
