Author, librarian and critic Nancy Pearl will mark the paperback release of her novel “George and Lizzie” with a special appearance at Eagle Harbor Book Company at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2. She will be chatting with another librarian, Bainbridge Island’s own Martha Bayley.

The event is free and open to all.

From America’s librarian and NPR books commentator Pearl comes “an emotionally riveting debut novel” about an unlikely marriage at a crossroads.

George and Lizzie have radically different understandings of what love and marriage should be. George grew up in a warm and loving family — his father an orthodontist, his mother a stay-at-home mom — while Lizzie grew up as the only child of two famous psychologists, who viewed her more as an in-house experiment than a child to love.

Over the course of their marriage, nothing has changed. George is happy; Lizzie remains unfulfilled. When a shameful secret from Lizzie’s past resurfaces, she’ll need to face her fears in order to accept the true nature of the relationship she and George have built over a decade together.

With “pitch-perfect prose and compassion and humor to spare,” “George and Lizzie” is an intimate story of new and past loves, the scars of childhood, and an imperfect marriage at its defining moments.

Pearl regularly speaks about the importance and pleasure of reading at libraries, literacy organizations, and community groups around the world. She can be found on NPR’s Morning Edition and KWGS-FM in Tulsa, talking about her favorite books. Her monthly television show on the Seattle Channel, “Book Lust with Nancy Pearl,” features interviews with authors, poets and other literary figures.

Visit www.eagleharborbooks.com to learn more.