Book Review On: The Keeper Of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
About the author (as seen on Amazon)
Hello dear readers, please allow me to introduce myself…
I was brought up in a house full of books, and grew up with an unsurprising passion for reading and writing. I also loved dogs and ponies, seaside piers, snow globes and cemeteries. So of course, I was going to be a vet, show jumper, Eskimo or gravedigger.
Or maybe a writer…
I studied English and Drama at Goldsmiths College, University of London where I hennaed my hair, wore dungarees and generally had an amazing time. And then I got a proper job. For ten years I had a successful if uninspiring career in local government before a car accident left me unable to work full-time and was the kick up the butt I needed to start writing seriously.
It was all going well, but then in 2012 I got cancer, which was bloody inconvenient but precipitated an exciting hair journey from bald to a peroxide blonde Annie Lennox crop. When chemo kept me up all night I passed the time writing and the eventual result was THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS, my first novel, which was published in January 2017, and has now been selected as a Richard and Judy Book Club pick.
My second novel, THE WISDOM OF SALLY RED SHOES, published in May 2018 and you can order the book now.
I live in a chaotic Victorian house with an assortment of rescue dogs and my long-suffering husband. I am a magpie; always collecting treasures (or ‘junk’ depending on your point of view) and a huge John Betjeman fan.
My favourite word is ‘antimacassar’ and I still like reading gravestones.
Publication date: 17th July 2018
Publisher: Two Roads Books
ISBN: Hardback 978-1473635463
Paperback 9781473635487
Ebook 9781473635494
Also available in Audiobook
Pages: 336 pages
Genre: Women’s Literary Fiction
Format reading: Paperback
Copy provided by: Borrowed
Blurb (as seen on the back cover)
Meet the ‘keeper of lost things’…
Anthony Peardew has spent half his life collecting lost objects, trying to atone for a promise broken many years before.
Realising he is running out of time, he leaves his house and all its lost treasures to his assistant Laura, the one person he can trust to reunite the thousands of objects with their rightful owners.
But the final wishes of the ‘keeper of lost things’ have unforeseen repercussions which trigger a most serendipitous series of encounter’s…
My Review
I really adore this front cover, it’s beautiful and intriguing all at the same time! The blue backing really helps everything on it stand out from; the pink roses (some in full bloom and some yet to flower) surrounded by green leaves a single ladybug rests on a leaf and yellow flowers to all the random objects like; a puzzle piece, a button, a key and a locket. The title is bold white font in the centre of the cover and Ruth’s name is in a smaller white font at the bottom of the cover. With all things considered it’s a really eye catching front cover!
As soon as a friend of mine suggested this book to me, I was excited because I have heard so many good things about Ruth’s story telling. This is the first books of Ruth’s I’ve read.
The Keeper Of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan starts by introducing the reader to elderly gentle man Anthony, a man living alone in a home he shared with his wife. Now a widow; with no family and broken hearted, Anthony has a promise he must keep. He dedicates his time collecting lost things he finds while out and about. These objects are random like; a puzzle piece, a red gem stone to a tin with bones in. Each item is catalogued on where he found it the time and date and stored in his bulging office; where only he is aloud. Anthony was a writer but as time has gone on he slowly stop’s by this promise that is consuming him. He hopes that some day these items can be returned to their rightful owner and senses their is a story behind every piece. He doesn’t have many people in his life apart from has an assistant Laura; who he trusts and knows she is as lost as him and his gardener. However he hasn’t told her about the lost thing, but will know when the time is right to do so. He knows he is running out of time to return everything.
Laura is single divorced and a university drop out. She is lost in life and doesn’t know her place in the world. But working for Anthony has started to give the meaning which she adores; helping him with day to day living and dealing with his paper work. She is curious by what is behind his office door but knows Anthony will have a perfectly good reason for doing so.
So when one day Anthony up’s and leaves without a word to anyone, leaving Laura shocked. Then more shock is felt when she finds out that he has left her the house, it’s contents and some money to get her by. She discovers the items in Anthony’s office and although she is stunned, she relies he has left her with one last task that he was unable to for fill himself; to return each lost item to it’s rightful owner. Two lost people cross Laura’s path and together they soon become friends trying to find a way to return all the random objects to their owners. Where will Laura start? Will she and her new friends be able to return the lost objects; which meant so much to Anthony? Is Laura able to complete the task or is it all to much? Will she stumble on her own happiness? What are the stories behind the lost items?
First off I must be honest even though I was excited to read The Keeper Of Lost Things I was however a bit worried it was going to be a bit depressing but how wrong I was! This book is beautifully written; with pure emotion at its core. I read this so quickly I was struggling to put it down. Its a powerful story not just about just the lost objects but the stories behind them becoming lost. Ruth has a pure unique talent for writing fiction! She has made the chapter the perfect length so its easy to stop and then pick up again (but I did struggle to put it down because it was soooooo good!!!!!) I adore all the characters in this book they are all so unique and different making them very intriguing to the reader. I think its pretty safe to say I really enjoyed this book immensely and will be keeping an eager eye out for her books because if The Keeper Of Lost Things is anything to go by then its a must read!!!!!!!
Marie’s Book Boutique gives
The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
A massive 5 Sparkly Stars
All my review’s are my own thoughts and feelings on a book and have in no way been influenced.
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