The Medallion

Every book is a doorway. Would you dare to step through? Elliot has always preferred the company of books to people. As the quiet head archivist of a university library, he spends his days cataloging dusty donations and dreaming of other times and places. But when he discovers a strange bronze medallion hidden in a box of estate papers, Elliot stumbles upon a secret that defies imagination: when he opens a leather-bound book while holding the medallion, he is transported into its world, able to walk the streets, breathe the air, and experience history as if he truly belonged there. Venice in the Renaissance. California’s sun-drenched orchards. London during the Blitz. Each journey feels more intoxicating than the last, and Elliot finds it harder to resist the call of these worlds. But when a colleague learns of his discovery and tips off the government, Elliot’s secret becomes a prize to be exploited. The medallion’s power is too great, too dangerous, and too tempting for those who see only its potential for control. Now hunted by agents who will stop at nothing, Elliot and his friend Clara must decide how far they’re willing to go to protect the medallion, and themselves. Do they destroy the only escape they’ve ever known? Or do they flee into the pages of a book, never to return? Beautifully written and richly evocative, The Medallion is a timeless story of love, loyalty, and the dangerous power of stories to shape lives and change the course of history.