Lime green plastic flower-shaped hair bobbles—Found, on the playing field, Derrywood Park, 2nd September.
Bone china cup and saucer—Found, on a bench in Riviera Public Gardens, 31st October.
Anthony Peardew is the keeper of lost things. Forty years ago, he carelessly lost a keepsake from his beloved fiancée, Therese. That very same day, she died unexpectedly. Brokenhearted, Anthony sought consolation in rescuing lost objects—the things others have dropped, misplaced, or accidently left behind—and writing stories about them. Now, in the twilight of his life, Anthony worries that he has not fully discharged his duty to reconcile all the lost things with their owners. As the end nears, he bequeaths his secret life’s mission to his unsuspecting assistant, Laura, leaving her his house and and all its lost treasures, including an irritable ghost.
Recovering from a bad divorce, Laura, in some ways, is one of Anthony’s lost things. But when the lonely woman moves into his mansion, her life begins to change. She finds a new friend in the neighbor’s quirky daughter, Sunshine, and a welcome distraction in Freddy, the rugged gardener. As the dark cloud engulfing her lifts, Laura, accompanied by her new companions, sets out to realize Anthony’s last wish: reuniting his cherished lost objects with their owners.
Long ago, Eunice found a trinket on the London pavement and kept it through the years. Now, with her own end drawing near, she has lost something precious—a tragic twist of fate that forces her to break a promise she once made.
As the Keeper of Lost Objects, Laura holds the key to Anthony and Eunice’s redemption. But can she unlock the past and make the connections that will lay their spirits to rest?
A charming, clever, and quietly moving novel of of endless possibilities and joyful discoveries that explores the promises we make and break, losing and finding ourselves, the objects that hold magic and meaning for our lives, and the surprising connections that bind us.
The premise of this novel intrigued me, so much. Anthony lost a cherished keepsake the day he lost his fiancée. And after that experience, he began collecting lost things. A teacup, an umbrella, a tin of ashes. A glove, a puzzle piece. So many items and trinkets, lost or left behind. Their owners moving on.
He spends his life collecting and writing about these lost items; creating stories. When he knows he is dying, he leaves his house and collection to his housekeeper, Laura, with the caveat that she try and return as many items as she can.
Laura is lost, herself. And with the help of a charming gardener and her new friend, Sunshine, she embarks on a journey of discovery.
The story is two stories in one: Anthony's and Eunice. Eunice herself once found a lost object and how her path entwines with Anthony's is a heartwarming story.
People long for home, for a place of refuge, for peace. Sometimes lost things have ways of returning to that comfort.
The pacing is sometimes off, but the story is whimsical with a touch of magical realism, and some truly laugh out loud moments.
An overall enjoyable read.
Read 9/24
* * *
3/5 Stars
Sounds interesting, the mix of whimsy and realism
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