I fell in love with this book from the moment I saw the cover. I hadn't heard of it until my mom got it for me as a Christmas gift, which she picked because the synopsis sounded like something I would enjoy. She was absolutely right!
This was a beautiful story with whimsical hints of fantasy and magic, but mostly, a theme that I think we can all relate to: finding where you're meant to be.
"Lost is not a hopeless place to be. It is a place of patience, of waiting. Lost does not mean gone for ever. Lost is a bridge between worlds, where the pain of our past can be transformed into power."
At 11 Ha'Penny Lane, in the heart of Dublin, sits Opaline's Bookshop—or at least, it used to. Possibly. Maybe?
You see, Henry once stumbled into the bookshop after a night out. It vanished before his eyes, leaving him standing in the street wondering what on earth had just happened. While he tried to pass it off as a drunken delusion, he could never quite let it go. Now, he's spent the past few years trying to find any trace of proof that the bookshop ever existed. So far, the only thing he's found is a letter written to a famous rare book collector mentioning some sort of lost manuscript. This letter was from a Miss Opaline Gray.
Next door, at 12 Ha'Penny Lane, Martha has just moved in. After fleeing from an abusive marriage, Martha took the first opportunity for work and lodging that she could find: a live-in housekeeper for the rather eccentric Madame Bowden.
Naturally, Henry and Martha's paths cross pretty quickly. Martha rightfully believes Henry is crazy at first, until Madame Bowden tells her of a similar experience that her friend had: in the bookshop one moment, gone the next.
Out of sheer curiosity and a desire to get out of the house, Martha agrees to help Henry in his research.
“What you seek is seeking you.”
Simultaneously, the story also follows Opaline.
Starting out in 1921, she leaves her life and family behind to escape an arranged marriage and finds herself drawn into the world of rare book dealing. This eventually leads her to Dublin—more specifically, to Mr. Fitzpatrick's Nostalgia Shop. Vacant since Mr. Fitzpatrick's passing, his son agrees to let Opaline rent the apartment in the basement and use the shop upstairs to sell her books.
Opaline has a blast with this, using the memorabilia from Mr. Fitzpatrick's shop to create themed displays for her books. Whatever she needs seems to suddenly be within reach, almost as if the shop itself is helping her along. At times, it even seems to be a living, breathing being.
“The thing about books,’ she said, ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.”
Back at 12 Ha'Penny Lane in present day, strange things have begun to happen. It starts with cracks in the walls of Martha's room, out of which a tree begins to sprout. One of the branches has formed into a bookshelf, containing a singular book: A Place Called Lost.
As Henry and Martha dig deeper into their research, they discover that Opaline was, in fact, a real person, and the story told in A Place Called Lost sounds awfully similar. It's almost as though the house—and Opaline herself—are trying to tell them something, and they'll soon discover that the connection goes much deeper than either of them could have imagined.
“In a place called lost, strange things are found.”
This was an amazing read from start to finish.
I don't want to spoil too much, but Martha and Henry's historical research and the story of the lost manuscript was fascinating, even if it was fictional. My fellow literary nerds will at least appreciate the references and the author's incredible execution.
I'll include a trigger warning for domestic abuse, as that is a theme that comes up in both Martha and Opaline's stories. Also, mild themes of alcoholism in Henry's.
This was a story of healing, self-discovery, and a great reminder that sometimes, the most important thing to find is yourself.
Now, let's talk!
Have you read The Lost Bookshop?
Would you like to?
Either way, I want to hear from you! Head over to my Discord and make yourself at home with me and some other book lovers—we'd love to have you!
We can discuss this book and so many more. Are you in?
'•.¸♡ Thanks for reading! ♡¸.•'