The Secret of Lost Things
by Sheridan Hay
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Book Summary Information
Author: Sheridan HayEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-03-11
ISBN: 030727733X
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Anchor
Book Reviews of The Secret of Lost Things
Book Review: A wonderful book
Summary: 5 Stars
The Secret of Lost Things is a wonderful book. And I mean it as a great compliment that it rather reminds me of some of Barbara Pym's work: it seems like it should be a rather light coming of age novel, but then takes a look at some darker twists in human nature.
Our protagonist, Rosemary (for remembrance), leaves her home in Tasmania just after turning 18. She is cut adrift, as an orphan, and goes to New York where she gets a job with a bookstore filled with eccentric characters (I wondered how it is so easy to get a job with a tourist visa, but this isn't the place to ask, I guess). At this point, I thought the book would be a sweet, humorous romp through eccentricity.
The story darkens with the obsessions of book collectors, Herman Melville, and a man who obsesses about Rosemary. I don't really want to say too much more, because I don't want to spoil this wonderful book that delights in supplying the most interesting details about each character. I recommend it absolutely, and look forward to reading all of Ms. Hay's future books.
Summary of The Secret of Lost Things
Eighteen years old and completely alone, Rosemary arrives in New York from Tasmania with little other than her love of books and an eagerness to explore the city. Taking a job at a vast, chaotic emporium of used and rare books called the Arcade, she knows she has found a home. But when Rosemary reads a letter from someone seeking to ?place? a lost manuscript by Herman Melville, the bookstore erupts with simmering ambitions and rivalries. Including actual correspondence by Melville, The Secret of Lost Things is at once a literary adventure and evocative portrait of a young woman making a life for herself in the city.United States Books
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