Status
Available
Collection
Publication
William Morrow (2017), Edition: Reprint, 277 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Literature. HTML: A charming, clever, and quietly moving debut 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. 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 Riveria 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? Full of character, wit, and wisdom, The Keeper of Lost Things is heartwarming tale that will enchant fans of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, Garden Spells, Mrs Queen Takes the Train, and The Silver Linin… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member BooksCooksLooks
This book intrigued me from my initial read of the synopsis. It was a little delayed in getting to me but I was excited when it finally arrived. I opened it up to read and I knew from the first paragraph that I was going to love this book.
And I did.
Now, this is the type of book that one is either
Anthony Peardew is a man living rather half a life as he lost his love before they could be married. He collects lost things he finds on his daily walks about town. He keeps them in his office, well sorted and cataloged as to where and when they were found. He’s hired an assistant, Laura to help keep the house neat and do what needs doing but she is not aware of his…..collection.
Anthony leaves the house and its contents to Laura after his death with the proviso that she try and return the lost things. But Laura is, truth be told, as lost as some of the items in the study. As she works with the gardener – for whom she has feelings – and the young neighbor Sunshine who has come to be her new friend, they find a way to start returning the lost things. But all is not quiet in the house as the spirit of Anthony’s fiance needs one lost thing to be found.
This was a book full of happenstance and spirits. At the same time Anthony and Laura’s story is unfolding another tale is happening almost simultaneously. They intersect at minute points but those intersections show how intertwined we all are.
Ms. Hogan has a magical way of writing. The only complaint American readers might have would be the British references. It wasn’t problematic for me due to all of the reading that I do but someone unfamiliar with some of the words/phrases/products might find themselves at a bit of a loss. I was enchanted from the start as I noted. It’s not always a happy tale but it is certainly one to engage the emotions. So I say sit down with the lovely cup of tea and settle in for a truly enjoyable read.
And I did.
Now, this is the type of book that one is either
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going to love or going to hate. I sincerely doubt there is going to be a middle ground. For me it was a bit of magical delight with a cast of characters that I enjoyed spending my time with. None of them was entirely likable and some of them were utterly unpleasant but taken all together I didn’t want to leave them. This is what makes a book like life. People are full of contradictions and no one is completely perfect being.Anthony Peardew is a man living rather half a life as he lost his love before they could be married. He collects lost things he finds on his daily walks about town. He keeps them in his office, well sorted and cataloged as to where and when they were found. He’s hired an assistant, Laura to help keep the house neat and do what needs doing but she is not aware of his…..collection.
Anthony leaves the house and its contents to Laura after his death with the proviso that she try and return the lost things. But Laura is, truth be told, as lost as some of the items in the study. As she works with the gardener – for whom she has feelings – and the young neighbor Sunshine who has come to be her new friend, they find a way to start returning the lost things. But all is not quiet in the house as the spirit of Anthony’s fiance needs one lost thing to be found.
This was a book full of happenstance and spirits. At the same time Anthony and Laura’s story is unfolding another tale is happening almost simultaneously. They intersect at minute points but those intersections show how intertwined we all are.
Ms. Hogan has a magical way of writing. The only complaint American readers might have would be the British references. It wasn’t problematic for me due to all of the reading that I do but someone unfamiliar with some of the words/phrases/products might find themselves at a bit of a loss. I was enchanted from the start as I noted. It’s not always a happy tale but it is certainly one to engage the emotions. So I say sit down with the lovely cup of tea and settle in for a truly enjoyable read.
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LibraryThing member elenaj
I have a couple of issues with this book. First (and this could just be that I was in the wrong mood for it), I didn't like how cutesy and pat it is. Everything is connected and tied in together. The end is particularly neat and tidy (and unrealistic). The book-about-being-an-author thing is also a
Second, I don't think much of the book's opinion of itself (or, I suppose, more accurately, the author's opinion of the book). The book presents itself as a sweet and compassionate take on human nature - but its sweetness and compassion is narrowly directed. There are two kinds of people in this story. There are the charmingly quirky folks who we're supposed to love and root for, and then there are the awful, petty, or pathetic people we're supposed to pity or despise. And very often, the pity and hate we're directing has a good bit to do with the unpleasant physical characters of those people - mostly, fatness. I'm 100% done with putting up with uncritical fat-phobia from characters I'm supposed to like.
If I ignore that issue, the story is cute and sweet - so I suppose YMMV.
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bit of a pet peeve of mine. It's almost impossible to do well.Second, I don't think much of the book's opinion of itself (or, I suppose, more accurately, the author's opinion of the book). The book presents itself as a sweet and compassionate take on human nature - but its sweetness and compassion is narrowly directed. There are two kinds of people in this story. There are the charmingly quirky folks who we're supposed to love and root for, and then there are the awful, petty, or pathetic people we're supposed to pity or despise. And very often, the pity and hate we're directing has a good bit to do with the unpleasant physical characters of those people - mostly, fatness. I'm 100% done with putting up with uncritical fat-phobia from characters I'm supposed to like.
If I ignore that issue, the story is cute and sweet - so I suppose YMMV.
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LibraryThing member BoundTogetherForGood
Have you ever lost something? Have you ever found something and wondered about the path the object has traveled?
St Anthony of Padua is the patron Saint of lost and stolen things. And, Anthony, of Padua Cottage becomes the Keeper of Lost Things.
You'll get to know Anthony and the love of his life,
Ruth Hogan intertwines three main stories, and many minor ones, into a feel-good story with a happy ending for 3 couples, ultimately.
St Anthony of Padua is the patron Saint of lost and stolen things. And, Anthony, of Padua Cottage becomes the Keeper of Lost Things.
You'll get to know Anthony and the love of his life,
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Therese; Bomber and Eunice; Laura and Freddy, and of course Sunshine. Ruth Hogan intertwines three main stories, and many minor ones, into a feel-good story with a happy ending for 3 couples, ultimately.
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LibraryThing member smallwonder56
What a charming book! I don't want to give away the story by telling too much of the plot, but the story centers around helping people find the things they've lost, and finding out the people's stories in the process. There's a bit of a metaphysical element that adds to the charm, as well. I
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enjoyed it. Show Less
LibraryThing member bgknighton
Loved this novel. Laura is left with the task of finding the original owners of small lost things that her employer has found on the streets. The search for the truth of behind the things leads her to find the truth in her own life. A gentle love story.
LibraryThing member tenamouse67
I won this ARC in a GOODREADS giveaway - Unexpectedly sweet and funny - This was a pleasure to read. Thanks to William Morrow for the opportunity to receive this unique version of the book!
LibraryThing member tandah
I enjoyed this book, it's numerous stories and grew to like the characters immensely. Eunice, in particular, has got into my head, and I'm writing this review with an English accent (I'm Australian). It feels like such a long time since I've read something (actually I listened to it) that I haven't
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been able to put down - there was so much to discover. Most of the characters were thoroughly decent (which is refreshing) and Sunshine, in particular, was gorgeous. I loved the stories within the stories, they provided a check on the sweetness. Show Less
LibraryThing member clue
The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan has two story lines. Each has a few quirky characters and an underlying theme of love.
Anthony Peardew is growing old. It's been forty years since he became a widower hours before his wedding. After his lovely fiancé died, he realized he had lost a small
Eunice's story begins in 1974. She was unhappy. One of her problems was a boring, boring job she hated. When she saw an advertisement for an assistant to an established publisher she knew it was the job for her. And it was. The only other person in the office was Bomber, the publisher, and Baby Jane, his dog named after the actress she looked like. Eunice, Bomber and Baby Jane clicked right from the get go. For a few weeks Eunice thought she may have found romance along with the perfect job. Then she realized Bomber was gay. That didn't keep her from loving him, nor him from loving her. For more than thirty years.
This is the kind of book that can be nauseatingly twee but Hogan has a steady hand and never lets it cross that line. Along with the quirky characters there are also some hilarious lines and a little magical realism. As I was reading I didn't like the Eunice story as much as Anthony's but near the end that changed. Part of the problem was that I couldn't see the relation of the stories to each other. But near the end they intersect beautifully and all is known.
Anthony Peardew is growing old. It's been forty years since he became a widower hours before his wedding. After his lovely fiancé died, he realized he had lost a small
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charm she had given him. Devastated at the loss, he began to realize that there were a lot of things that got lost or left behind. He would see them lying alone on his morning walks. A hair bobble, a pin, a child's umbrella. How well he knew that even the loss of small things could bring sorrow. Soon he began picking the lost items up and taking them home. He kept them safe and well organized on shelves and in drawers that lined three sides of his study. And he didn't tell anyone about them. He kept the room locked. When Laura, the perfect assistant/housekeeper for a writer, comes to work for him he doesn't even tell her. Even after he starts to write a story about each lost thing they remain secret. Until... And then...Eunice's story begins in 1974. She was unhappy. One of her problems was a boring, boring job she hated. When she saw an advertisement for an assistant to an established publisher she knew it was the job for her. And it was. The only other person in the office was Bomber, the publisher, and Baby Jane, his dog named after the actress she looked like. Eunice, Bomber and Baby Jane clicked right from the get go. For a few weeks Eunice thought she may have found romance along with the perfect job. Then she realized Bomber was gay. That didn't keep her from loving him, nor him from loving her. For more than thirty years.
This is the kind of book that can be nauseatingly twee but Hogan has a steady hand and never lets it cross that line. Along with the quirky characters there are also some hilarious lines and a little magical realism. As I was reading I didn't like the Eunice story as much as Anthony's but near the end that changed. Part of the problem was that I couldn't see the relation of the stories to each other. But near the end they intersect beautifully and all is known.
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LibraryThing member whitreidtan
When I lose something and cannot find it no matter how long I look, when I finally give up on it and consign it to memory only, it has always comforted me a little to think that the Borrowers, from Mary Norton's classic children's tale, have found it and are using it lovingly. But what if there was
Anthony Peardew is an older man, once a celebrated author, who has lived alone for forty years in a magical sort of house, having lost Therese, the love of his life shortly before their wedding. After Therese's death he realized he'd lost the small communion medallion she gave him to always keep them connected and although he didn't find the small and meaningful charm, it inspired him to collect and safeguard other people's lost treasures. In his twilight years, he hires Laura, damaged and adrift after her divorce, to be his housekeeper and personal assistant, warning her to never go into his locked study. Never tempted to defy this order, she works contentedly for him for a handful of years. After his death, she is surprised to discover that he's left the house and all of his possessions to her. His major request accompanying this bequest is that she now go into the study, behold the immense, carefully catalogued collection of lost items he's found over the years and attempt to return them to their owners because if even one item's return will ease a broken heart, it will all have been worth it. As Laura slowly ventures out of her self-imposed isolation and befriends first Sunshine, a young woman in the neighborhood with Down's Syndrome and a special sensitivity to the things and vibrations around us that others never feel, and then Freddy, Anthony's gardener, she has to figure out how best to find the lovingly kept items' original owners, how to placate the ghost of Therese, who still haunts the house, and how to open her own heart to all the possibilities of living life to the fullest. In a parallel narrative, a young woman named Eunice applies for a job at a small publisher and promptly falls for her handsome boss, Bomber, becoming his best friend and confidante but never anything more. She devotes her life to loving Bomber knowing that he loves her back only Platonically.
The vast majority of the story is focused on Anthony, the past that led him to be the keeper of lost things, and then on Laura, who is herself very clearly one of Anthony's lost things. Each of the inanimate items highlighted in the book is given its own short story, but whether it is one written by Anthony or one contained in the item itself is left to the reader to decide. In order to cut some of the sweetness of the premise of the novel as a whole, these object stories veer from heartwarming to serious to desperately sad. There is a fair bit of humor woven into the novel to leaven it too. My favorite being after Laura hears neighborhood gossips in a local pub speculating on why Anthony left her the house. As she walks past their table leaving the pub, she informs them it was because of "Fellatio on Fridays." The fact that one of these nasty Nellys doesn't even know what this means makes it that much more entertaining. There are only very light touches (and a few hidden clues) almost connecting the story of Anthony with the story of Eunice and Bomber for the majority of the story and although they come together well in the end, a little more explicitness might not have been amiss so that the reader wasn't confused as to why these very different tales were together from the start. Both are thematically similar though, focused as they are on caring for and supporting those around you, accepting them for who they are and the struggles they face, and loving people, dogs, and the important bits and bobs of their life to the very end. Although there is a wistful sort of quality to the novel, it would be a perfect novel for those who are looking for a book to counter the dysfunction and unhappiness of so much of current literature. In the end, it is that elusive book that leaves a warm glow in its wake without resorting to sappiness or cliche. Very much a novel of love and loss, compassion and redemption, this is a gentle, charming, and thoroughly worthwhile read.
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a person out there who collected and catalogued lost items with the aim of one day reuniting them with their owners and that person had my own lost object in his or her safe keeping? It would be comforting to think that my things were still out there, found and cared for, their stories preserved, until the time came for me to find them again. In a sense, that's the lovely premise of Ruth Hogan's novel, The Keeper of Lost Things. From a hair bobble to a single glove, a puzzle piece to a small, painted wooden house, these things and more are found and carefully kept, awaiting the day they can be returned to their rightful owners.Anthony Peardew is an older man, once a celebrated author, who has lived alone for forty years in a magical sort of house, having lost Therese, the love of his life shortly before their wedding. After Therese's death he realized he'd lost the small communion medallion she gave him to always keep them connected and although he didn't find the small and meaningful charm, it inspired him to collect and safeguard other people's lost treasures. In his twilight years, he hires Laura, damaged and adrift after her divorce, to be his housekeeper and personal assistant, warning her to never go into his locked study. Never tempted to defy this order, she works contentedly for him for a handful of years. After his death, she is surprised to discover that he's left the house and all of his possessions to her. His major request accompanying this bequest is that she now go into the study, behold the immense, carefully catalogued collection of lost items he's found over the years and attempt to return them to their owners because if even one item's return will ease a broken heart, it will all have been worth it. As Laura slowly ventures out of her self-imposed isolation and befriends first Sunshine, a young woman in the neighborhood with Down's Syndrome and a special sensitivity to the things and vibrations around us that others never feel, and then Freddy, Anthony's gardener, she has to figure out how best to find the lovingly kept items' original owners, how to placate the ghost of Therese, who still haunts the house, and how to open her own heart to all the possibilities of living life to the fullest. In a parallel narrative, a young woman named Eunice applies for a job at a small publisher and promptly falls for her handsome boss, Bomber, becoming his best friend and confidante but never anything more. She devotes her life to loving Bomber knowing that he loves her back only Platonically.
The vast majority of the story is focused on Anthony, the past that led him to be the keeper of lost things, and then on Laura, who is herself very clearly one of Anthony's lost things. Each of the inanimate items highlighted in the book is given its own short story, but whether it is one written by Anthony or one contained in the item itself is left to the reader to decide. In order to cut some of the sweetness of the premise of the novel as a whole, these object stories veer from heartwarming to serious to desperately sad. There is a fair bit of humor woven into the novel to leaven it too. My favorite being after Laura hears neighborhood gossips in a local pub speculating on why Anthony left her the house. As she walks past their table leaving the pub, she informs them it was because of "Fellatio on Fridays." The fact that one of these nasty Nellys doesn't even know what this means makes it that much more entertaining. There are only very light touches (and a few hidden clues) almost connecting the story of Anthony with the story of Eunice and Bomber for the majority of the story and although they come together well in the end, a little more explicitness might not have been amiss so that the reader wasn't confused as to why these very different tales were together from the start. Both are thematically similar though, focused as they are on caring for and supporting those around you, accepting them for who they are and the struggles they face, and loving people, dogs, and the important bits and bobs of their life to the very end. Although there is a wistful sort of quality to the novel, it would be a perfect novel for those who are looking for a book to counter the dysfunction and unhappiness of so much of current literature. In the end, it is that elusive book that leaves a warm glow in its wake without resorting to sappiness or cliche. Very much a novel of love and loss, compassion and redemption, this is a gentle, charming, and thoroughly worthwhile read.
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LibraryThing member Twink
I am a collector of 'things' - old things, interesting things and yes, things I find. I always wonder about the person who owned them, lost them or discarded them. I knew I was going to love Ruth Hogan's debut novel, The Keeper of Lost Things.
Anthony Peardew also collects things - ever since the
"She had been dead for forty years, but she was still his life, and her death had given him his purpose. It had made Anthony Peardew the Keeper of Lost Things."
Oh there is so much to love about this book. The characters first and foremost. They're all eclectically (and wonderfully) a little left of center. Impossible not to like and not to root for.
The premise is intriguing as I've mentioned. I loved the back stories that Hogan created for some of the lost items. Hair bobbles, an umbrella, a glove and more. Some happy, some tragic. The plots of some disastrous books written by an aspiring author had me laughing out loud.
Hogan's writing flows so well and drew me into her story immediately. She weaves a delicious, heartwarming tale of love, loss, hope, redemption, romance and humour with a helping of magical realism that absolutely delighted me. I loved it!
Anthony Peardew also collects things - ever since the
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day his fiancee died and he lost the one thing that he promised her he would always cherish. His goal is the find the owners of those lost articles. But, his time is drawing near and he decides to bequeath his house and the lost things project to his assistant Laura. A parallel story with its own lost and found had me wondering if the two tales would eventually meet - and how they might tie together."She had been dead for forty years, but she was still his life, and her death had given him his purpose. It had made Anthony Peardew the Keeper of Lost Things."
Oh there is so much to love about this book. The characters first and foremost. They're all eclectically (and wonderfully) a little left of center. Impossible not to like and not to root for.
The premise is intriguing as I've mentioned. I loved the back stories that Hogan created for some of the lost items. Hair bobbles, an umbrella, a glove and more. Some happy, some tragic. The plots of some disastrous books written by an aspiring author had me laughing out loud.
Hogan's writing flows so well and drew me into her story immediately. She weaves a delicious, heartwarming tale of love, loss, hope, redemption, romance and humour with a helping of magical realism that absolutely delighted me. I loved it!
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LibraryThing member susan0316
Anthony Peardew is the keeper of lost things. When he finds something on his walk - a button, a glove, an earring - he takes it home to his study and writes a note on where he found the item in hopes that he can somehow, someday connect the item with its owner. He is also a famous author who has
The novel tells two main stories - that of Anthony, Laura, Sunshine and Freddy and an earlier story about Bomber and Eunice. The reader gets clues along the way but doesn't know if the two groups of people are connected and how they are connected.
This is an interesting debut novel by an author that I expect to see great books from in the future.
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written stories based on the items that he's found. He is getting old and feeble and decides to turn his house and his quest for the owners of lost things to Laura when he dies. Laura, Sunshine (the girl across the street who has down's syndrome) and Freddy, the gardener, work together to give the lost things back to their owner and to lay the ghost in the house to rest. The novel tells two main stories - that of Anthony, Laura, Sunshine and Freddy and an earlier story about Bomber and Eunice. The reader gets clues along the way but doesn't know if the two groups of people are connected and how they are connected.
This is an interesting debut novel by an author that I expect to see great books from in the future.
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LibraryThing member pgchuis
This really wasn't for me, which is a pity, because I liked the sound of it from the description on the back of the book. There was just too much going on: Laura and Anthony, Bomber and Eunice, the stories to go with the lost items. The disparate strands meant that there was no coherent linear
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plot, and I kept putting the book down and feeling nothing was calling me to go on with it. It did take a long time to get going in any case. Sunshine had her moments, but was very inconsistently portrayed, and I'm not a fan of even benign paranormal elements. Show Less
LibraryThing member p.d.r.lindsay
Ruth Hogan has produced a charming, pleasant read based round an unusual and original idea. Her hero is an old man, Anthony Peardew, who lost his love just before their wedding and he also lost her special gift to him. Devoted all his life to her he also devotes a lot of time to finding things,
His housekeeper, Laura is a lost soul who loves his house and he leaves her it and the lost things which she has to return. Running parallel with this story is the tale of Bomber the publisher and his assistant and their lost things which are neatly dovetailed back into the main story at the end.
If you want a delightful read to give you sweet dreams this novel is a good choice for bedtime reading. It's well written, the characters are a treat, and the plot might be a bit of a romance but is not a cliche.
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labelling them and saving them in the hope that they will find their owners and he might find her gift, a medal.His housekeeper, Laura is a lost soul who loves his house and he leaves her it and the lost things which she has to return. Running parallel with this story is the tale of Bomber the publisher and his assistant and their lost things which are neatly dovetailed back into the main story at the end.
If you want a delightful read to give you sweet dreams this novel is a good choice for bedtime reading. It's well written, the characters are a treat, and the plot might be a bit of a romance but is not a cliche.
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LibraryThing member Beth.Clarke
Anthony's story and Laura'a story were both intriguing, but Bomber's story didn't do much for me. I liked the ending. Worth a quick read, but not memorable.
LibraryThing member eesti23
I loved this book. It was beautifully written (laughter, tears, suspense) and intriguing stories that interlinked with each other in all the right places. Looking forward to future books by Ruth Hogan. Book three of Blind Date with a Book Club.
LibraryThing member GirlWellRead
A special thank you to Edelweiss and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Forty years ago, author Anthony Peardew loses a keepsake from his fiancee, Therese, and on that very same day she dies. As a result, Anthony becomes the keeper of lost things. He picks up objects he
Laura, Anthony's assistant, is a divorced middle-aged lonely woman that unbeknownst to her is one of Anthony's lost things. He bequeaths everything to her, including the daunting task of his life's mission of reconciling the lost items to where they belong. She moves into the house and with the help of the gardener Freddy, and the neighbour's daughter Sunshine, embarks on a remarkable journey of self-discovery, new beginnings, and of completing a final request.
The characters are rich and warm and are all lost objects in one way or another. Hogan weaves them together in a wonderful tale. I absolutely adored this book and felt like I had lost a friend when it was over.
Forty years ago, author Anthony Peardew loses a keepsake from his fiancee, Therese, and on that very same day she dies. As a result, Anthony becomes the keeper of lost things. He picks up objects he
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finds, random things people leave behind, or have dropped, and writes stories about them. As he nears the end of his life, Anthony continues to catalogue the items and worries that he has not lived up to his undertaking of reuniting the items with their owners.Laura, Anthony's assistant, is a divorced middle-aged lonely woman that unbeknownst to her is one of Anthony's lost things. He bequeaths everything to her, including the daunting task of his life's mission of reconciling the lost items to where they belong. She moves into the house and with the help of the gardener Freddy, and the neighbour's daughter Sunshine, embarks on a remarkable journey of self-discovery, new beginnings, and of completing a final request.
The characters are rich and warm and are all lost objects in one way or another. Hogan weaves them together in a wonderful tale. I absolutely adored this book and felt like I had lost a friend when it was over.
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LibraryThing member LindaWeeks
Beautiful story with an intricately woven cast of characters.
LibraryThing member TraceyMadeley
It is a strange beginning, with a tin containing someone’s remains being left on a train. I had largely forgotten this incident until the end of the book, it wasn’t something that drove my curiosity, as Anthony collected so many strange things I just thought it was something else. Anthony is
Laura joins Anthony as his assistant after her husband leaves her and she needs to rebuild her confidence and find a job. When Anthony dies he leaves the house and his meticulously cataloged collection to her, on the understanding that she will endeavor to unite the owners with their lost property. After the funeral, Laura gains a new friend in Sunshine, a young woman with down syndrome who lives across the road. She is charming, thoughtful and loyal, with an element of psychic perception when it comes to the items which are lost. It is she that suggests Therese is unhappy and angry following Anthony’s death. Like Forrest Gump, there is a wonderful straightforward innocence about her which makes her both charming and endearing as a character.
Freddie is the gardener who stays to look after the rose garden, again planted for Therese before Anthony died. Laura finds it difficult to accept anyone would like her after her husband left and initially tries to drive Freddie away. He helps her with the lost property website and eventually earns her trust.
Eunice and Bomber form the second, parallel part of the story. Eunice applied for the job with the established publisher after becoming bored with her previous occupation. Despite the age difference, she spends over 30 years in his employ until his death. They form an abiding love and affection based on books and films. They laugh over Bomber’s sister Portia and her attempt to re-write Lady Chatterley’s Lover and then Jane Eyre. The funniest combination was the mixing of Harry Potter and 50 Shades which becomes a notorious bestseller, making her lavishly successful. When Bomber succumbs to Alzheimer’s it is to Eunice and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest that he turns. Under Portia’s direction, the funeral is an unintentional farce.
The ending sees everyone’s lost property returned to them and Therese’s ghost finally finding the peace which she has sought. Despite finding the antic’s of Therese’s ghost bizarre, I thought the characters were all warm and interesting. I particularly liked Sunshine and was glad that disability was shown in such a positive light. Having a disability doesn’t mean that you can’t make a positive and enriching contribution to other people’s lives.
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the keeper of lost things referred to in the title and since the death of his wife, it appears to have consumed his life. We only really learn his motivation at the end of the novel. He has lost something that needs to be returned and in helping others, he hopes to find what he is looking for.Laura joins Anthony as his assistant after her husband leaves her and she needs to rebuild her confidence and find a job. When Anthony dies he leaves the house and his meticulously cataloged collection to her, on the understanding that she will endeavor to unite the owners with their lost property. After the funeral, Laura gains a new friend in Sunshine, a young woman with down syndrome who lives across the road. She is charming, thoughtful and loyal, with an element of psychic perception when it comes to the items which are lost. It is she that suggests Therese is unhappy and angry following Anthony’s death. Like Forrest Gump, there is a wonderful straightforward innocence about her which makes her both charming and endearing as a character.
Freddie is the gardener who stays to look after the rose garden, again planted for Therese before Anthony died. Laura finds it difficult to accept anyone would like her after her husband left and initially tries to drive Freddie away. He helps her with the lost property website and eventually earns her trust.
Eunice and Bomber form the second, parallel part of the story. Eunice applied for the job with the established publisher after becoming bored with her previous occupation. Despite the age difference, she spends over 30 years in his employ until his death. They form an abiding love and affection based on books and films. They laugh over Bomber’s sister Portia and her attempt to re-write Lady Chatterley’s Lover and then Jane Eyre. The funniest combination was the mixing of Harry Potter and 50 Shades which becomes a notorious bestseller, making her lavishly successful. When Bomber succumbs to Alzheimer’s it is to Eunice and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest that he turns. Under Portia’s direction, the funeral is an unintentional farce.
The ending sees everyone’s lost property returned to them and Therese’s ghost finally finding the peace which she has sought. Despite finding the antic’s of Therese’s ghost bizarre, I thought the characters were all warm and interesting. I particularly liked Sunshine and was glad that disability was shown in such a positive light. Having a disability doesn’t mean that you can’t make a positive and enriching contribution to other people’s lives.
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LibraryThing member haymaai
In Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan, the author explores the idea of reuniting people with the objects they have lost in the past. The story is built around an aging author, Anthony Peardew, who, forty years ago, lost an important keepsake on the same day that his beloved fiancé was killed in
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an accident. Since that day, Anthony becomes a ‘keeper of things’, as he collects found objects with the intention of returning them someday to their owners. When Anthony passes away, he entrusts the task to his faithful assistant, Laura, who has just completed an upsetting divorce. Laura pursues in this daunting task with the help of a new neighbor friend, Sunshine, who is a teenager with downs syndrome, and a handsome gardener named Fred. As Laura carries out Anthony’s will, she discovers an extraordinary friendship and love. This novel is also a dual story about Bomber, a book publisher, and his best friend and confidante, Eunice. Written as separate stories through most of the novel, it is only at the novel’s conclusion that the two stories merge to find a satisfying resolution. Within the novel, the story would often divert into other short anecdotes about how some of the lost things came to be misplaced. It is in these multi-page diversions where I frequently became distracted from the original story and felt that the story lost ground. For this reason, I am giving the book three stars, instead of four, although the writing is superior. Show Less
LibraryThing member ElizabethPotter
This book was gripping, more like a persistent pull, rather than a page turner that conflicts with your life. The central characters are all real and lovable. Laura’s journey leaves one a little sad but with hope. Sunshine is a delight. She sometimes acts as a conscience. The descriptions of the
The Eunice and Bomber story is also great. I found it easy to love both characters. I loved the quiet devotion. I loved the donuts and dogs.
I loved having the three dogs. They created a bit of light humor when the rest of the story was playing its sad undertones.
There was one reveal with Anthony Peardew’s stories which was a bit over the top. This is book I plan to reread. I highly recommend this book.
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house Padua created the quiet but cozy feel that gives the book its charm.The Eunice and Bomber story is also great. I found it easy to love both characters. I loved the quiet devotion. I loved the donuts and dogs.
I loved having the three dogs. They created a bit of light humor when the rest of the story was playing its sad undertones.
There was one reveal with Anthony Peardew’s stories which was a bit over the top. This is book I plan to reread. I highly recommend this book.
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LibraryThing member SheilaDeeth
A pleasantly tangled tale of different lives that may or may not be real, Ruth Hogan’s The Keeper of Lost Things invites readers to look through different eyes, at different lives and tragedies, and at the things we leave behind. Is a tiny ruby the reject from a broken engagement? Is the man
The story’s told in an enthralling blend of different times and place, viewpoints and realities, making it truly difficult to put down. It might be moderately confusing at times, but it’s a satisfying sort of confusion, begging the reader to think and rethink answers and ideas. And it all holds together beautifully, jigsaw pieces falling into place or lying honorably discarded.
The characters each have hidden depths, pleasantly and gently revealed with no artificial dives into backstory or motivation. Hidden connections are equally smooth and believable. And the whole is an absorbing story that leaves you delighted to have met these people, and maybe even a little changed, a little more open to meeting the strangers who enter our own lives.
Disclosure: I borrowed a copy and now I want to buy my own to keep on my shelf!
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watching movies related to the woman who dies outside a cake shop? And will the cleaning lady rise to meet the better life she deserves?The story’s told in an enthralling blend of different times and place, viewpoints and realities, making it truly difficult to put down. It might be moderately confusing at times, but it’s a satisfying sort of confusion, begging the reader to think and rethink answers and ideas. And it all holds together beautifully, jigsaw pieces falling into place or lying honorably discarded.
The characters each have hidden depths, pleasantly and gently revealed with no artificial dives into backstory or motivation. Hidden connections are equally smooth and believable. And the whole is an absorbing story that leaves you delighted to have met these people, and maybe even a little changed, a little more open to meeting the strangers who enter our own lives.
Disclosure: I borrowed a copy and now I want to buy my own to keep on my shelf!
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LibraryThing member leslie.98
I would have liked this more without the supernatural/psychic aspects
LibraryThing member LARA335
This has the strap-line “feel-good book of the year”. So I decidedly feel I am missing out on something. This was a mash of simplistic short stories, with a vague link of there being some lost object in each. A lonely housekeeper is left her employer’s home. She fancies the gardener, they go
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on a date, and immediately act towards one another like a sedate old married couple, sharing their life with a downs-syndrome young psychic woman & a stray dog. A gay publisher develops Alzheimer’s & his P.A. loses his ashes, and on and on... Twee beyond belief. I just didn’t see the charm. Show Less
LibraryThing member lisahistory
Not perfect in writing or construction, but really beautifully done. A story where the keeping of lost things compensates for loss, as the main character (a writer) collects things he's found. The writing simply ties together the people with the objects and their stories, without being overbearing,
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by focusing on Laura, a housekeeper who is left a house by her employer. Exceptional for a debut novel, with good characters and subplots that all tie together without fuss. Show Less
LibraryThing member HeatherLINC
What a gentle, whimsical debut this book was. I adored the front cover and from the start I was drawn in. I loved the short stories Anthony penned about the lost objects he found, and I often found myself smiling at them. His attention to detail and the care he took to label and catalogue each item
I also enjoyed the two parallel stories with their charming range of quirky characters that were woven throughout the novel. Although I found Laura, Freddy and Sunshine's story more interesting, Bomber and Eunice's tale was still touching and I liked how the author brought the two stories together at the end.
Sunshine, especially, was a wonderful character with her quiet wisdom and I loved how she called herself a dancing drome when she mean she had Down's Syndrome. Even her intuition about the owners of the lost things wasn't too bad and it did give a sweet element to the story.
Then there were the dogs - Carrot, Douglas and Baby Jane - who brought humour and touching canine devotion to "The Keeper of Lost Things" and all three played an integral role. Actually, the only part of the story I didn't like was the ghostly element which played quite an important part, especially in the second-half of the book.
"The Keeper of Lost Things" was beautifully written with a little bit of everything - romance, mystery, magic, loss, hope and redemption. A sweet, feel-good read.
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was touching, considering how inconsequential most of them were.I also enjoyed the two parallel stories with their charming range of quirky characters that were woven throughout the novel. Although I found Laura, Freddy and Sunshine's story more interesting, Bomber and Eunice's tale was still touching and I liked how the author brought the two stories together at the end.
Sunshine, especially, was a wonderful character with her quiet wisdom and I loved how she called herself a dancing drome when she mean she had Down's Syndrome. Even her intuition about the owners of the lost things wasn't too bad and it did give a sweet element to the story.
Then there were the dogs - Carrot, Douglas and Baby Jane - who brought humour and touching canine devotion to "The Keeper of Lost Things" and all three played an integral role. Actually, the only part of the story I didn't like was the ghostly element which played quite an important part, especially in the second-half of the book.
"The Keeper of Lost Things" was beautifully written with a little bit of everything - romance, mystery, magic, loss, hope and redemption. A sweet, feel-good read.
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Awards
Waverton Good Read Award (Longlist — 2017)
Books Are My Bag Readers Award (Shortlist — 2017)
Language
Original publication date
2017