The Keeper of Lost Things

Author Ruth Hogan
Narrator Jane Collingwood, Sandra Duncan
Publisher John Murray Press
Run Time 8 hours and 35 minutes
Format Audio
Genre Fiction: special features, Modern and contemporary fiction.

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What to expect

*THE PERFECT UP-LIT LISTEN, RECOMMENDED BY THOUSANDS OF READERS*

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER & WINNER OF THE RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB
'One of the most charming novels either of us has read. Don't lose it. Keep it' Richard & Judy

Meet the 'Keeper of Lost Things'...
Once a celebrated author of short stories now in his twilight years, Anthony Peardew has spent half his life collecting lost objects, trying to atone for a promise broken many years before.

Realising he is running out of time, he leaves his house and all its lost treasures to his assistant Laura, the one person he can trust to fulfil his legacy and reunite the thousands of objects with their rightful owners.

But the final wishes of the 'Keeper of Lost Things' have unforeseen repercussions which trigger a most serendipitous series of encounters...

'Touching, funny and romantic' Daily Mail
'A charming read, perfect for the holidays' The Lady
'A warm and heartfelt debut' Prima

And if you loved The Keeper of Lost Things, don't miss Ruth Hogan's other novels, Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel, and The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes.

Critics Review

Charming, quirky, heart-warming
Ruth Langsford
This is the first book I read in 2017 – and if another as good comes along in the next 12 months, I’ll eat my special gold reviewing spectacles… Wonderful stuff and the perfect cure for the New Year blues
Daily Mail
Psychological realism, whimsy and magic are a winning combination in this quirky, exquisitely crafted novel… It’s a charming read, perfect for the holidays: you will want to share it when you get home
The Lady
A really beautiful, tender book. Heartbreaking in parts, but lovely. I got sucked in and read the whole thing in one afternoon, unable to tear myself away. I sobbed for a good hour afterwards!
The Londoner
When this book first appeared I said it was the perfect cure for the New Year blues. But it could apply just as well to any summer blues… This touching, funny and romantic debut is that rare and precious thing – a real story with brilliant characters
Daily Mail - Best Summer Books 2017
The back stories, real or imagined, of lost-and- found objects form the centrepiece of this exquisite, absorbing novel, a potent cocktail of insightful psychological realism, whimsy and glittering magic, where hopes and new beginnings glint off the sharp edges of grief and loss. It grabs you right from its intriguing opening scene… Hogan’s prose is considered, expressive and vivid, but never overwritten. Her characters reveal themselves gradually, much as the found objects acquire layers of meaning as we become acquainted with their provenance and history. A charming read that seems bound to become a book club favourite.
The Lady
A debut to watch for… I was hugely impressed by this flawlessly written, most humane novel.
Ronald Frame, Sunday Herald (Books of the Year)
A charming story of fresh starts and self-discovery that warms the cockles
Woman & Home
A warm and heartfelt debut.
Prima
A charming whimsical novel about holding on to what is precious
Red
This mystical and spiritual tale is a joyous read that will broaden your imagination and warm your heart
OK!
It’s charming, beautiful and full of heart
Fabulous Magazine
One is beguiled by its old-fashioned sweetness
Mail on Sunday
Magical and moving
Heat
A charming story, warmly and wittily written with wonderful characters
My Weekly
A lovely read – quirky, fun and plenty of gallows humour
Bedfordshire on Sunday
From the attention-grabbing opening paragraph, to the joyful conclusion, Ruth Hogan has stirred together a charming fairy tale in which the people may be more lost than the things; and generosity and compassion may be the key to finding a way home. Also there are dogs. Delightful.
Helen Simonson, author of MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND
A sometimes poignant, sometimes funny but always heartfelt page-turner, The Keeper of Lost Things turned out to be exactly the book I was looking for.
Chrissie Manby, author of A PROPER FAMILY HOLIDAY
Ruth Hogan captures perfectly and heartbreakingly the small moments on which a life can turn. We can all recognise something of ourselves in these pages.
Kirsty Wark, author of THE LEGACY OF ELIZABETH PRINGLE
A beautiful story of love, loss and the redemptive power of friendship
Catherine Hall, author of DAYS OF GRACE
Wonderful and heartwarming
Nina Pottell aka Matinee Girl
The premise for this story is wonderful… The range of characters is handled beautifully, and they all feel like real individuals… It’s a great bedtime read, though difficult to put down, so keep an eye on the clock!‘
Bookbag
Totally and completely gorgeous
Lovereading
Warm and quirky characters and the mystery of each lost item impel the reader forward. In the end, Hogan’s first novel reveals how even discarded items have significance and seemingly random objects, people, and places are all interconnected.
Booklist
Whimsical… characters have spunk and wit to spare, and […] Hogan’s writing has the soothing warmth of the cups of cocoa and tea her characters regularly dispense. Readers looking for some old-fashioned storytelling with a sprinkling of magic will find it here.
Kirkus
Interlacing plots join this cozy, clever, contemporary English story, unveiling the layers of four lives brought together by the discovery of a biscuit tin full of human ashes found on a train… Hogan’s debut pulls in readers with each crafty chapter. Memorable minor characters add to the plot in this excellent selection for discussion groups.
Library Journal
In The Keeper of Lost Things, debut novelist Ruth Hogan ties together the lives of her characters and the objects they discover. It’s a quiet but beautifully intricate novel that will remind readers that we are each other’s points of connection. When life becomes confusing or sad, showing a bit of kindness and appreciation for each others’ stories can lead to redemption
BookPage
A charming novel … It covers love and loss, friendship and pain through beautifully written prose
Carol Sampson
Exquisitely crafted … A tale of grief and loss leavened with hope and new beginnings.
The Lady
My absolute favourite book to read so far this year . . . It has love, mystery and true-to-life human hardship
Kokomo Tribune
A hoarder’s paradise turned into a great story with purpose and meaning
The Candid Bookclub
A wonderfully multilayered, descriptive story, The Keeper of Lost Things is full of sorrow and joy that weaves the life stories of its characters, exploring relationships, illness and loss
Manchester Weekly News
Clever, unusual and moving story of love and loss…It’s a life-affirming read you will want to read
Sunday Post
There’s a reason that this book has been on the bestsellers list for weeks on end . . . charming
Marie Claire
It’s such a pure novel, filled with tiny moments of joy, emotion, sadness, excitement, fear . . . I couldn’t put it down!
Upon My Desk
It was such a delicious book! There is no other way to describe it. I did not want it to end.
Preeti Shenoy, author of THE RULE BREAKERS
I’ve recommended The Keeper of Lost Things to everyone.
Woman's Way, MY LIFE IN BOOKS
Hogan’s touching, funny and romantic debut is that rare and precious thing: a real story with brilliant characters
Daily Mail

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