Hi! Im not sure if this is the right place to put this, but I would appreciate if you all could help!
I'm writing a novel set in the 1970s about a young girl who moves to Zurich for a study abroad program and an internship at a fashion magazine. Her older brother, obsessed with perfection and relentless sacrifice, takes his life, leaving her his journal filled with joys, thoughts, and regrets. She becomes fixated on avoiding his mistakes but meets an old man at a local bookstore who reminds her of her brother before his obsession. He helps her pursue her passion for investigative journalism, combating government censorship in 1970s Zurich, and teaches her to follow her own interests and joys instead of succumbing to the pressures of success.
I know this story is very grounded in realism, but I had the idea that I could add a more magical realism element to the story.
The other direction I could take the book is that, in the bookstore where she meets the family, she discovers a collection of books that all have publishing dates in the future. Books written in the 1980s, 90s, and 2000s that she finds in this small 1970s bookstore. The old man who runs the bookstore who used to work in investigative journalism helps her use these stories to both collect information and fight against Zurich's censorship during this time, but to also show her that there are many wonderful ways in which life can diverge in the future, and she should loose the mindset her brother gave her that a life that is overcontrolled and planned is the best way to live.
Which version of this story would you all be more interested in reading? I really appreciate it!
by Lopsided_Daikon_6496