The Keeper of Lost Things

A pleasant, sweet read; a bit contrived, but fooled me. Ended before I was ready.

You don’t need to read it. Because the person that left a review, for getting a free book, left paragraphS of what the story is about…Really????

Very enjoyable

Lost things: people, confidence, items and even relationships and trust and hope. The possibilities are endless. And Ruth Hogan brings us the stories of Laura, Anthony, Sunshine, Eunice and Bomber, gently unearthing their own lost items, and bringing them new connections and growth through seemingly forgotten items. Laura has lost hope in finding that connection that comes with intimacy: divorced and rather aimless, she takes a position as housekeeper and assistant to the writer Anthony Peardew. A gentle man, his own love was lost on his wedding day, and he has merely existed in his own world. Never loving again as he mourns the loss of his love and guilt over a small communion medallion he was never able to find, he’s turned that into a mission. He finds lost items everywhere, brings them home, creates little stories that may tell their tales. A nebulous hope that someday, the items can be returned to those who lost them have driven him. In this way, Laura is yet another lost item to him: one that he must help and stir to grow and trust in others, moving to find her lost place in the world. An elderly man, he left his home, Padua, to Laura when he passed, giving her the security she so craved with a task to complete to push her growth. Laura is tasked with finding the owners of the many lost items in the home: to do so, she must venture out and interact. She had made tentative steps to friendship in Freddy, the gardener, but none of her moves have been life altering, yet. Then she meets Sunshine, a girl with Down’s Syndrome who has suffered at the hand of bullies, but still manages to see deep within people, recognizing their needs for friendship, trust, acceptance and love. Quietly the three (Laura, Freddy and Sunshine) find confidence in their new relationships, that confidence and the support giving them further impetus to continue moving forward. Another story parallels this for a while: that of Eunice and Bomber, and their friendship and difficulties they encountered through their life, as the story rounds to fill in and connect with Laura, and the secrets Eunice had kept for far too long. Gently, everyone’s past is revealed: good, bad and even difficult (as in Portia – Bomber’s sister) in a way that allows you to understand and see just how things went wrong for them at the moment, even as they are starting to change. Quietly absorbing, there are moments that are light and fun, others that may feel a bit too sweetly naïve, but the overall impression is everything ends as it should, finding great growth for Laura, as she finds her own new footing in a life of her choosing. With secrets long held and the fears that surround them, the missing objects once returned bring new opportunities and outlooks. There aren’t huge ups and downs in this story, being more a testament to the meaning of a returned item – whether it be tangible like a locket or intangible confidence and renewal of belief in life. A wonderful debut, layered and complex with plenty to grab attention and imagination. A certain favorite read for me, and perfect for those who like a gradually unfolding story, gently revealing in each page until the picture is complete. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.