♦ Ruth Hogan’s ‘The Keeper Of Lost Things’ Reminds Readers of What is Truly Important [REVIEW]

A woman finds sanctuary in the beautiful home of an aging author in Ruth Hogan’s The Keeper of Lost Things. (Photo courtesy Pexels)

Dear reader,

If you enjoy stories that are insightful, thought provoking, and transcendent, you are going to love our latest Diamond Review title, Ruth Hogan’s The Keeper of Lost Things. This dazzling little gem of a book will draw you in with memorable characters guaranteed to win your heart, make you examine the world around you with fresh eyes, and prompt you to live a more significant existence. 

William Morrow

The story begins when Anthony Peardew, a celebrated author, loses his fiancée, Therese. As a result, he also loses his desire to write. When he discovers the medallion she gave him has disappeared from his pocket, he becomes distraught and feels that he has let down the only woman he has ever truly loved.

Thus begins Anthony’s search for the medallion. Along the way, he collects other “lost things,” items people have forgotten in various places. Upon finding them, he records the time and place the objects are found on a piece of paper and hopes to one day reunite the items with their rightful owners.

Eventually, Anthony hires an assistant named Laura, an emotionally fragile woman abused by the husband she once loved as a 17-year-old girl, but whom she has come to despise over time. In an odd way, she becomes another of Anthony’s “lost things,” and she finds safety, comfort, and friendship in the aging author’s home, simply named Padua.

Over time, Anthony’s health begins to fail him just as he starts to realize the depth of Laura’s capacity to feel things deeply. In one of my favorite moments from the novel, Hogan beautifully captures what Anthony sees in Laura and why Padua is so special.

“She understood that everything had a value far greater than money; it had a story, a memory, and most importantly a unique place in the life of Padua. For Padua was more than a house; it was a safe place to heal. A sanctuary for licking wounds, drying tears, and rebuilding dreams—however long it took. However long it took a broken person to be strong enough to face the world again. And he hoped that by his choosing her to finish his task, it might set Laura free. For he knew she was in exile at Padua—comfortable and self-imposed, but an exile nonetheless.” (pg. 42)

In time, Laura learns to fully open her heart to others, to embrace the power of redemption, and to give her heart permission to heal. More importantly, she begins to truly live as she strives to complete Anthony’s work of reuniting objects with their owners. She even helps a young girl named Sunshine learn to navigate a sometimes cruel world without it breaking her spirit or stealing her compassion.

I’d like to think all of us at one time or another encounter someone like Anthony, those individuals who have a knack for understanding our potential even before we do ourselves, and who touch our hearts in ways we can’t fully explain. And that is what makes this story so precious and moving. It reminds us of the importance of not only finding those people who can offer us unconditional love and acceptance, and who buoy us through life’s most challenging storms without asking for anything in return. But it also prompts us to demonstrate those qualities toward others, to create safe havens like Padua, places we rely on for sanctuary and solace.

With The Keeper of Lost Things, Hogan has given the best kind of literary gift: one that adds a dash of magic to seemingly ordinary moments, one that lingers in our memories long after the last page is turned, and one which teaches us the beauty and importance of being kinder and gentler with one another every day of our lives. Don’t miss this book. It is one for the keeper shelf!

Happy reading,
Heather

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ruth Hogan
(Photo by Harpur Studio)

Ruth Hogan describes herself as a “rapacious reader, writer, and incorrigible magpie” whose own love of small treasures and curiosities and the people around her inspired her first novel. She lives north of London.

Find out more about Ruth at her website, or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS
By Ruth Hogan
288 pgs. William Morrow. $15.99

Purchase The Keeper of Lost Things at one of these fine online retailers: HarperCollins, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.

The Keeper of Lost Things is brought to you in association with TLC Book Tours.