Garnering the top spot on the Readers' Forum bestseller list is a book
that can be purchased only at this Wayne, Pa., retailer. Written and published by store co-owner Ed Luoma, Without Knowing It has sold
some 800 copies since it went on sale May 18. The memoir has even
outpaced Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which is the store's No.
2 seller for the week ending Friday, August 3.
Luoma described Without Knowing It as part "psychological mystery" and
part "quirky romantic comedy with some unexpected twists." Without
Knowing It encompasses themes of friendship, loss and hope and is told
in both epistolary form and first-person narrative. Along with
endeavoring to make sense of the suicide of a close friend, Luoma
reveals what ensues when he finds himself inexplicably drawn to a
bookshop customer.
Without Knowing It has proven popular with Readers' Forum customers,
many of whom were eagerly anticipating the book's arrival. "I sold six
copies before the truck was unloaded," said Luoma, who made the
decision to take on the role of publisher after Without Knowing It was
enthusiastically received by several editors but ultimately turned
down.
For the book's cover, Luoma chose an image of the painting Summer
Night's Dream by Edvard Munch, and the title comes from a phrase in
Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet. Throughout the narrative are
references to literary works and writers. For example, a bookstore customer ambitiously chooses Marcel Proust's Remembrance of Things Past as the inaugural selection of a
reading group, which sets in motion some of the story's
events.
Much of Without Knowing It takes place in Readers'
Forum, re-named Bound Matters in the book. The local setting, noted
Luoma, appeals to the store's clientele, who have also made the tomes
Water for Elephants, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Eat, Pray, Love
among the retailer's top five bestsellers. Customers "recognize
characters in it, but at the same time you don't have to be familiar
with the neighborhood to enjoy it," said Luoma. "It should appeal to
people who love books no matter where they are because it is, in large
part, about the love of language and a good story, and in a way it's
about the book business."
The business of selling this particular book has been rewarding for
Readers' Forum. Some 10% of the first printing of 5,000 copies sold
within a month, and it continues to sell an average of 8-10 copies per
day during what is typically the store's slowest summer period.
Without Knowing It is featured on a display table as well as in
the store's front window and has been designated a discussion pick by
several area reading groups. The book's exploration of such topics as
depressive disorders, alcoholism, sexual orientation, friendship and
the notions of what constitutes a family, commented Luoma, provide
plenty of fodder for discussion.
Luoma is undecided about future self-publishing ventures, but he might not want to disappoint the growing audience for Without Knowing It. Already some readers have asked for a sequel.--Shannon McKenna
Readers' Forum is located at 116 N. Wayne Avenue, Wayne, Pa. 19087; 610-254-9040; www.readers-forum.com.
