In her foreword, author Alyson Richman writes 'The Missing Pages' was inspired by her daughter's visit to Harvard University, where the tour guide told a story about the school's Widener Library.
Background: When the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, one victim of the tragedy was 27-year-old Harry Elkins Widener, a wealthy American businessman and bibliophile. Harry and his parents, Eleanor and George Widener, were returning from a trip to England, and Harry and his father went down with the ship.
Harry Elkins Widener
Eleanor and George Widener
Harry's mother Eleanor was consumed with grief, and decided to honor Harry's memory by creating the 'Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library' at Harry's alma mater, Harvard University.
The Widener Library at Harvard University
The center of the Widener Library features the 'Widener Memorial Room', a faithful re-creation of Harry's home study, containing his book collection.
The Harry Elkins Widener room at the Widener Library
This novel creates a history for Harry, and intertwines it with the fictional tale of Violet Hutchins, a junior at Harvard in 1992.
*****
This is my review of 'The Missing Pages', a historical fiction novel.
Violet Hutchins, a third-year student at Harvard University, is mourning the recent death of her boyfriend Hugo, who died in a tragic swimming accident.
Violet's job as a library page for Harvard's rare book and manuscript collection provides some comfort, because Violet loves literature and books.
In addition to shepherding rare tomes from the stacks for students and scholars that request them, Violet is given extra responsibilities. Madeline Singer, the curator for the Harry Widener Room.....
......explains that Eleanor Widener requested fresh flowers be placed on Harry's desk every week.
Madeline asks Violet to choose and order the flowers, and put them in the Widener Room every Wednesday.
Madeline, who's writing a paper about Harry Widener's booksellers, also asks Violet to transcribe letters between Harry Widener.....
.....and two well-known booksellers: A.S.W. Rosenbach in Philadelphia and Bernard Alfred Quaritch in London.
A.S.W. Rosenbach (left) and Bernard Alfred Quaritch
Unknown to historians and archivists, Harry's correspondence with Quaritch's bookshop led to a secret friendship between Harry and Quaritch's assistant, Ada Lippoldt. Ada was intelligent, refined, and well-educated, but she would have been considered 'below' the Wideners' social class.
As Violet 'gets to know' Harry through his letters, she starts to feel his presence in the Widener Library.....
.....and indeed Harry's ghost is present and watching.
More than that, Harry communicates with Violet by dislodging a gilded laurel leaf that frames his portrait in the Widener Room, tipping books off shelves, and performing other supernatural deeds.
Violet realizes Harry is trying to communicate something, and she intuits Harry wants her to know he was in love. Knowledge of this would be a breakthrough, because during his life, Harry was never associated with a romantic interest.
Harry's feelings resonate with Violet, because she's still bereft about losing Hugo, who was very important in her life.
The novel toggles among three POVs: Violet, Harry, and Ada.
In Violet's chapters, we learn about her relationship with Hugo and her current life: Violet misses Hugo, who rowed crew and (unlike Violet) came from a wealthy family; in her grief, Violet can't bear to go to social functions; she's majoring in literature studies; she has a compassionate suitemate named Sylvia; she's friendly with Hugo's crewmate Theo, who understands her bereavement; and more. 
In Harry's sections, he talks about his time at Harvard; the books he loved and collected; his regard for his parents, especially his mother; his relationship with Ada Lippoldt; his journey on the doomed Titanic - a ship that sounds like a floating hotel with every possible luxury, even a bowling alley; and so on.
In Ada's parts, we see the relationship with Harry from her perspective.
The book has a tangential storyline (based on a true story) about sabotage at the Widener Library. Someone is stealing and damaging rare books, and Violet's 'odd behavior and interest in ghosts' makes her a suspect.
All this leads to a satisfying climax, which is assembled bit by bit throughout the story.
Note: The bejeweled copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam described in the book REALLY WAS lost on the Titanic.
I almost never read romance novels, but I enjoyed this book, which is more of an intellectual romance than a torrid love story. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley, Alyson Richman, and Union Square & Co. for an ARC of the book.
Rating: 4 stars
