The Keeper of Lost Things, by Ruth Hogan
Published by William Morrow Paperbacks, 28th November 2017
Genres: Fiction, contemporary, romance, fantasy
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
You know that you have hit the jackpot in terms of in-laws when you arrive to stay at your mother-in-law’s house to find a stack of books in the spare room with a note saying: “Help yourself to any of these”. And I did!
The Keeper of Lost Things is Anthony Peardew, an elderly gentleman who has collected and catalogued lost things for the past forty years. It all started when he lost a keepsake given to him by his fiancée, who passed away shortly after. In the hopes of someday being able to return something lost to someone who misses the item as much as he does, he constantly picks up even the most commonplace of objects and keeps diligent records.
However, Anthony is a very secretive man and he has not shared his story or his collection with anyone until he bequeaths his house, collection and mission to his assistant Laura. What follows is a heart-warming tale of Laura’s self-re-discovery through some wonderful people, the beautiful house and the extraordinary stories behind the lost objects.
I really enjoyed this book, with Anthony’s short stories about the various missing objects interspaced throughout the text.
“If you never get sadness, how do you know what happy is like?”
I particularly loved the character of Sunshine, who has Down’s Syndrome, and her portrayal throughout the story. She plays a very important role, but is often overlooked or not taken seriously because of her condition. I thought the author’s representation of this character was very interesting and different from any I had previously come across.
This was a lovely book and I would highly recommend it. And thank you to Diane for lending it to me!
My rating: 4/5