The Keeper of Lost Things

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I really sniggered at many of the humorous passages: the WI lady's knowledge of something Italian she'd had in a restaurant, incidents with Portia and Sunshine's honesty. I also found the treatment of old age and Alzheimer's sympathetic. A beautiful story of love, loss and the redemptive power of friendship * Catherine Hall, author of DAYS OF GRACE * 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 * Because the characters don't have to work for the information, the novel's progress doesn't feel satisfying. The following version of this book was used to create this Study Guide: Hogan, Ruth. The Keeper of Lost Things. Harper Collins. 2017.

How does the story of Eunice and Bomber relate to Laura and Anthony's story? Did you find the two plot strands difficult to juggle, perhaps too distracting? Or do the two tales enhance one another?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 accidently 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. Laura’s romance with Freddy the gardener did not improve matters either. It was nothing but bland and predictable. Perhaps I could have forgiven the sheer formulaic pattern of it all—complete with unspoken feelings, misunderstandings, and even a fist fight with the ex (I literally laughed at this part), etc., —if the story of Eunice and Bomber weren’t running alongside theirs. Eunice was smart, funny, and loyal. Her love and dedication to Bomber, the friend who would never return her feelings, was beautiful and everything one longs for in a friendship. The author’s description of their life together and their shared losses View Spoiler » —their dog dying— « Hide Spoilereven brought me to tears at one point, proving that there is a glimmer of hope for the author’s future writing career. However, it became clear to me that it would not be with this book and its main character. The story's very ambiguity steadily feeds its mysteriousness and power, and Danielewski's mastery of postmodernist and cinema-derived rhetoric up the ante continuously, and stunningly. One of the most impressive excursions into the supernatural in many a year.

This 'first novel' is a good choice for a book group. It invites curiosity about the characters and subject matter, dazzles with ironic observations, extends empathy to even the most unlikeable human beings, and gives dog-lovers a literary outing. Also, it should stimulate discussion.An amazingly intricate and ambitious first novel - ten years in the making - that puts an engrossing new spin on the traditional haunted-house tale.

It was a shame, because Sunshine as a character, was easily one of the most interesting before she was cheapened with these magic abilities, something real people with disabilites don’t typically have, and the author’s need to give her a reason—other than her worth as a compassionate and sincere character—to be valuable to the book. And if that weren’t enough, the beaten-to-death phrase of “lovely cup of tea,” made it extremely clear that the author could’ve used some sensitivity training or, you know, editing—anything that would have prevented her from using disability as a nothing more than a device to move her plot forward. We all looked forward to reading The Keeper Of Lost Things as the concept of the story sounded interesting, however the majority of the group felt disappointed by this novel for different reasons. The only promise that Therese had ever asked of him, and he had failed her. And so he had started to gather the things that other people lost. It was his only chance for atonement.” In what way are lost things symbolic of lost souls looking for a place to belong…or a lost self, struggling for self-discovery? How does each lost item connect with the individual who lost it? All in all it was a very enjoyable read -and I will certainly look out for other titles from Ruth Hogan - who I assume is a fellow dog-lover, judging by the pride of place given to Douglas and Carrott!

Ruth Hogan

Anthony Peardew is THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS. Having never located something he once held dear, he knows all too well the pain of loss. In fact, his experience with loss in general runs deep. So he collects random objects—meaningless to others—and imagines what they once meant to their owners. It is a charming book which I really enjoyed, as did the rest of the Book Group. All the characters are entirely plausible and largely likeable (which always helps!). It is very easy to read and a great story, both from the point of view of the “lost things” and also from the way the lives of the characters in the book develop. I found myself creating opportunities to read because I wanted to find out what happened next. It is “holiday read” material rather than a deep and meaningful work of literature, but I don’t have a problem with that. Long ago, Eunice found a trinket on the London pavement and kept it through the years. Now, with her own end drawing near, she has lost something precious --- a tragic twist of fate that forces her to break a promise she once made. Whimsical. delightful, charming, comic, intelligent, magical, fantastical, lacy, decorous, cultivated, sweet, courteous, cordial, romantic, mysterious, quirky, touching, sad, humorous, warm, enchanting, lovely, cozy – these are all words that have been used to describe this story, and it is all that, and perhaps more. If you are a lover of wonderfully told stories where people truly love one another, then this book is ever so right for you. It is told with such tenderness of a love story immersed within two love stories. It is a story of requited love and love that was felt but never could be carried through. It was a story of people, a bit broken at times, but with the strength and love we all possess and probably should show more of.