This is just an entertaining read. The characters are interesting and their stories are entertaining. I suggest that you do not get stuck on every person's story as it happens. It will all come together? eventually instyle.

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 accidentally 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.

while I do agree with some of the constructive criticism, i still really liked this book. I had some difficulty with the parallel stories and no know ing how they connectect for much of the book. but as you realize where they come together it is wonderful. A good read!!

It starts out so promising with a great opening chapter with good descriptive writing and then does not live up to the expectations. The author seemed to throw too many ideas into the story and some of the side stories were just distracting without advancing the narrative. The ghost story line was just too much. There was very little character development. The premise of the story did not live up to our expectations.

It was mostly pointless. Laura was super annoying and the haunting? made no sense. The side plot with Bomber and Eunice was so much better than the main plot and would have made a more interesting novel. The book did not live up to its blurb.

“Anthony saw all of this in Laura and knew that he had chosen well. She understood that everything had a value greater than money; it had a story, a memory, and most importantly a unique place in the life of Padua.”

Short story writer, Anthony Peardew, tragically lost the love of his life too early. As a result, he spent the remainder of his life lovingly collecting and cataloging lost items (such as buttons, puzzle pieces, and cremated ashes). He did this with the hope of bringing joy to people by reuniting them with their special lost items. As the novel begins, Anthony is near the end of his life and decides to leave his sanctuary-like house, named Padua, to his housekeeper Laura with the request that she continues his work of trying to reunite the lost items with their owners. Thus begins Laura’s story as she works through this request, comes to know Anthony’s full story, makes Padua her home, heals her own wounds, and steps out into “real life”.

I finished this book and immediately thought – what a sweet book! Not sweet in the saccharine sense, but in a charming, feel-good way. To me, this book was reminiscent of A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. Hogan masterfully wove stories within stories. As Laura’s story progressed, Anthony’s story unfolded and the stories behind many of the lost items were revealed. The characters in each of the narratives danced around one other – sometimes coming together and interacting, and other times only being in each other’s orbit. I found it refreshing that the author did not feel the need to connect everyone in the end.

Hogan’s novel was imbued with British humor that had me laughing out loud throughout the book. There was also a touch of the mystical as the ghost of Anthony’s fiancée, Therese, made her restless presence known by haunting Padua. I also appreciated many of the author’s references like naming Anthony after Saint Anthony of Padua (the patron saint of lost things) and his last name Peardew was suggestive of the French word “perdu” meaning lost. Obviously, the theme of loss played a major role in this novel. Even the characters that were drawn to Padua (Laura, Freddy the gardener, Sunshine the neighbor, and Sunshine’s parents) were lost people who found solace, sanctuary, and healing in the house. Other themes included grief, reunion, love, and how seemingly insignificant things/moments/people can have powerful meanings.

I loved this book. Ruth Hogan presents a cleverly imaginative and whimsical novel. After I finished reading it and understood the arc of the story, I wanted to go back and reread it immediately to find and appreciate more of the author’s nuisances. I highly recommend this book – settle in with “the lovely cup of tea” and enjoy!