Sailing in a Sea of Words

Book: The Book of Lost and Found

Author: Lucy Foley

Genre: Fiction/Family/Grief/Romance

Summary: Kate Darling's enigmatic mother - a once famous ballerina - has passed away, leaving Kate bereft. When her grandmother falls ill and bequeaths to Kate a small portrait of a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Kate's mother, Kate encounters a mystery that may upend everything she thought she knew. Kate's journey to find the true identity of the woman in the portrait takes her to some of the world's most iconic and indulgent locales, revealing a love story that began in the wild 1920s and was disrupted by war, and that could now spark new love for Kate. Alternating between Kate's present-day hunt and voices from the past, The Book of Lost and Found, casts light on family secrets and love - both lost and found. - Back Bay Books, 2015.

The cover of this book, like most books I buy, intrigued me from the beginning. Combine it with the interesting title and plot summary, and I knew I had to read it. I was really looking forward to finding out more - luckily, I wasn't disappointed.

A story of overcoming grief, lost romance, and discovering yourself, The Book of Lost and Found takes readers from London to Corsica, Paris, and more. Kate Darling takes a drawing she receives from her grandmother and tries to find out who is in it. This journey takes her to an artist who knows the subject of the drawing a lot more than she realizes and she comes to discover the history of her family.

The book has a very Atonement-esque vibe, particularly in the past sequences. The book is divided between past and present, but the changes in time and point of views are marked clearly so that there's no confusion. Kate's chapters are in first person and the past chapters are in third person so that helps as well. The only time I was truly confused was when the point of view switched to the artist in the "present timeline". Once I figured it out, it was easy enough to keep reading.

The writing is wonderful. It's so descriptive and evokes the imagery very well. I could see myself on the beach in Corsica, the streets of Paris, and the countryside in England. I fell into the story because of the writing and it's a big reason as to why I loved the story so much.

The only three quibbles I had were minor and have more to do with the plot. Since they involve big spoilers, I won't detail them here, but it is more about tying up some lose ends, or seeing reactions from certain characters to new information - that's more in the line of reader/fan service.

Also, one other warning: you will need to be patient. While I think the pacing is perfect, I can see how others might find it slow. If you want a book at moves at a fast pace, you will not find it here.

It's a wonderful book and it inspired a lot of deep thinking. I'm definitely going to be checking out her other novels.

I give The Book of Lost and Found an A+.

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