From the author of Rise and Shine Benedict Stone, soon to be a an original movie on Hallmark. “Sweet and resonant.” –People, “Best New Books” Pick A librarian’s discovery of a mysterious book sparks the journey of a lifetime. Librarian Martha Storm has always found it easier to connect with books than people–though not for lack of trying. She keeps careful lists of how to help others … trying. She keeps careful lists of how to help others in her superhero-themed notebook. And yet, sometimes it feels like she’s invisible.
All of that changes when a book of fairy tales arrives on her doorstep. Inside, Martha finds a dedication written to her by her best friend–her grandmother Zelda–who died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. When Martha discovers a clue within the book that her grandmother may still be alive, she becomes determined to discover the truth. As she delves deeper into Zelda’s past, she unwittingly reveals a family secret that will change her life forever.
Filled with Phaedra Patrick’s signature charm and vivid characters, The Library of Lost and Found is a heartwarming and poignant tale of how one woman must take control of her destiny to write her own happy ending.
Check out these other heartwarming stories from Phaedra Patrick.
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone
The Secrets of Love Story Bridge
Book People
more
This was a sweet story, and if it was a little predictable, it was no less enjoyable for that. There were times when I wanted to grab poor Martha and shake her very hard, to get her out of her wallowing woe-is-me mentality – and then times when I couldn’t believe how kind and sweet she was, despite everything. There were times when Zelda’s antics made me laugh right out loud – and others where she seemed selfish and self righteous and I wanted to give HER a good shake. And there were lots of poignant and touching and difficult and exasperating moments in between, which I occasionally found exhausting to read, but which wrapped up nicely in the end as I knew they would.
It was a sweet story overall and a relatively quick read, and my only regret is that we didn’t get enough Siegfried OR Owen OR Gina to make any of them into the fully developed characters they could have been with a little more time and attention. They mostly served as plot advancers, which is a shame because they were some of the loveliest characters in the book despite their only appearing on the sidelines…
My review copy was provided by NetGalley.
I love books about libraries and this was a great book about libraries and a librarian. There were references sprinkled throughout this book about current novels which I always think is a lot of fun. Even though the main character of this book is in her 40s, I would classify this as a coming of age story – you’re never too old to grow up.
Martha Storm is a librarian who always enjoyed books and stories more than she enjoyed people. She had been in love when she was younger but made a decision to stay home and take care of her parents. She has a sister, a niece and a nephew and no friends. Her main problem in her life is that she can’t say no – she does laundry for one of the library patrons, hems pants for her nephew, keeps plants and fish for another library patron. She lives in the home that she grew up in because her parents left her the house when they died. She hasn’t gotten rid of their possessions yet and along with those boxes are all of the projects that she’s working on for other people – basically it’s a hoarders house with narrow pathways to walk through. She leads a sad solitary life until…someone leaves her a mysterious book that was signed by her beloved grandmother and the date was three years after her grandmother died. Was this a joke or was her grandmother – the only person she truly loved – still alive? As she tries to find out the answer, she realizes that its time to make a lot of changes in her life. Will she go ahead with the changes or will she stay locked in her solitary life forever?
This is a dual time line book. The first time line is when Martha is a young girl living with her parents and sister. Even though she felt like her dad didn’t like her as much as her sister, she was happy in her life, writing stories and spending time with her grandmother. The other time line is Martha in the present day working in a library. I like the way this was done so that the reader had the information about why Martha acted the way that she did.
Martha is a fantastic main character. Seeing her go from invisibility to visibility in her world and learning to say NO was a fantastic change for her. “There was an unusual stirring inside her stomach, of wanting to do something for herself, for once. A touch of rebellion.”(p221)
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Sometimes a book comes along at exactly the right moment. The Library of Lost and Found pulled me with a little family mystery, and filled me with warm fuzzies at the end—exactly what I needed. Phaedra Patrick’s characters are vibrant, quirky, and real, and you’ll be cheering for Martha as she discovers who she really is.
A heartwarming, charming story.
Martha Storm is a quirky main character that I wasn’t sure I was going to like. In the beginning of the book she lets people she is trying to help walk all over her. I wanted her to stand up for herself, but as I got further into the story I began to realize why she acted the way that she did. Things start to turn around for Martha when she finds a book that has been left for her at the Library where she works and the mystery begins. I liked the fairy tales that were included and how they were part of Martha’s story.
Martha Storm is one of those people whose life has sort of…passed them by. She spent years taking care of her elderly parents with no real help from her sister. She volunteers to help anyone in her small seaside village with anything, to the point of doing a neighbor’s laundry for her. She’s a volunteer librarian who keeps getting passed over for the actual paying jobs. Yet she’s still incredibly lonely.
But when she arrives at the library one evening to set up for an author event (that had been canceled without her knowledge) she finds a book with her name on it. It doesn’t look familiar to her. When she opens it, she finds an inscription made out to her from her grandmother, dated two years after her grandmother’s death. Surely that’s an error? When she begins reading the book, she recognizes the stories. She wrote them for her grandmother when she was a small child but they were never published. What exactly is going on?
I read and loved Ms. Patrick’s first book, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, during my blogging break. I was excited to listen to another one of her books.
I really enjoyed The Library of Lost and Found as well, and for a lot of the same reasons.
Martha Storm is so lonely but she’s so kind and has so much to give. Seeing her family and “friends” take advantage of her generosity was painful. But seeing her finally start to grow into her potential had me cheering! It’s a painful process, as growth always is, but so necessary. I especially loved seeing her find a circle of true friends who supported her. I’m not sure how old Martha is but she’s probably in her 40s or 50s. Change gets harder as we get older but it is possible. I love books that prove this point.
The storyline about the mysterious book and inscription was heart-breaking but touching as well. I won’t say more about that to avoid spoilers.
Imogen Church’s narration was perfect.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs an ultimately heart-warming book who doesn’t mind going through some difficult times to get there. You’ll be cheering Martha on too.
The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick is a story about waking up to your own power and ability to create the life you wish to live. Martha Storm is an anxious and fearful woman who is stuck in the past, idealizing its good times, while at the same time, continually crushed beneath the weight of its sad times. Because of a simple book appearing in her life, Martha is given a big nudge toward finally seeing the truth and the possibilities that are open to her, if she chooses.
With the help of a wonderful cast of characters she once saw as burdensome hangers-on, like leeches feeding off of her, she transforms this old reality into one of vitality, love, connection, creativity, and best-friendships. Inspiring and fun to read, The Library of Lost and Found teaches those of us who prefer hanging out at the library and old book stores that friendship, love, and joy is always there for you. You just need to let go of the old habits of doing and thinking that keep you in an endless cycle of loneliness, grief, and sorrow. Let go and live your best life wherever you are!
Drawn inexorably to any book with “Library, Bookshop, or Bookseller” in the title, I thought I had made a mistake in selecting Phaedra Patrick’s “Library of Lost and Found.” My initial misgivings proved incorrect, however, and I enjoyed the book immensely. This is a book about loss, sacrifice, betrayal, and redemption. It is a tale of one woman’s rediscovered passion for story-telling and the regenerative power of that story-telling. Patrick’s writing is artful. Just as you begin to think the plot is becoming predictable, she delivers a twist or turn that draws the reader deeper into the lives of the characters. Recommended.
Loved the book
The lyrical writing brought the town and characters to life. It’s easy to get behind Martha’s struggle and root for her to overcome the things that are keeping her back. The tension of wanting to know the ending kept me turning pages until I found out. Pick up this book today!
This was a very pleasant read. The plot was somewhat predictable, but it was well-written and the characters were good. It wasn’t about past or current atrocities, politics, global warming, or anything that reminded me of the pandemic. It helped me go to sleep when I read it before bed.
This story is a must-read for all book lovers.
A very emotional and compelling story about loss, discovery, forgiveness and acceptance. For me, it was a real page turner from beginning to end.
Very highly recommended.
At first I found myself disgusted with the wimpy main character, but loved how she took control of her life. Great characters. Her grandma reminded me of my own.
This was an enjoyable book with whimsical, and ultimately lovable characters. Mysteries are revealed and characters undergo cathartic life changes. The experience is inspirational and uplifting.
It’s the story of how Martha Storm became who she is and how she learns to become who she was meant to be.
I loved this book! Wonderful characters and a great story.
Another wonderful book by Phaedra Patrick. This book finds library volunteer, Martha, in her life of humdrum service to not only the library, but her co-workers, patrons, family, and friends. She takes on the projects of everyone to make their lives easier and to fill her time since her parents passed away. She gave up her chance at love and happiness to care for her parents. She gave up her love of writing fairy tale stories when her grandmother passed away. Martha is in for surprises she could never imagine and the opportunity to change her life yet again … who will she change for this time?
Charming book, I loved the characters. I didn’t want to put the book down.
I was a little put off the first two or three chapters by the main character, Martha, who was a hoarder and she let people use and walk all over her. I’m glad I stuck with the book. As the story developed the author did a wonderful job of leading you to understand why Martha was the way she was.
I picked this audiobook because I liked the cover. The beginning dragged a bit, but I think that’s because the narrator was literally reading slowly — I upped the speed to 1.5x normal after a couple of chapters and really got into it.
The story was equal parts fascinating and frustrating — quiet Martha was a doormat that so many people, including her family, took advantage of. That’s definitely not my personality so it makes me crazy to read about it, but I loved that Patrick didn’t make us wait until the end of the book to see Martha’s personality growth. It starts relatively early, then progresses throughout the book, coming to a sweet, heartfelt ending that left me smiling.
The story also made me realize that I’m not a naturally forgiving person because I couldn’t believe how differently — noticeably less-nicely — I would have treated people if I’d been in Martha’s situation; I guess I’ve got a lot to learn about grace!
Overall, a hopeful story with a bit of a redemptive plot. It reminds me of Jill Mansel, but without the romance.
Rated PG/PG-13 for a few swear words and thematic elements.