Letters to the Lost

An amazing read- I didn't want the book to ever end! This is one of those books I would keep on my bookshelf forever. I wish I could give it ten stars! ( )

Forever is finally running out for Dan Rosinski. Now in his 90s, he has been given mere weeks to live. He has only one regret: he was never able to find the woman he fell in love with during World War II. Oh yes, he’s tried hard over the years to find Stella, but she seems to have vanished.

In a parallel story, it’s 2011. Jess Moran is running from her abusive, drug-user/seller boyfriend. She’s escaped and is running through London’s cold rain. She stumbles into a cul-de-sac that seems to have been mostly forgotten. One house in particular looks abandoned. She breaks in through the back.

The story jumps back to 1942 when Dan meets Stella Thorne, a unhappily married woman seeking refuge from the rain in a bombed church.

Inside the abandoned home, Jess finds Dan’s latest letter, trying to locate Stella. With nothing to do since she’s all alone and on the lam, Jess tries to find Dan and Stella. The she discovers a trove of letters from Dan during what was left of the war. What the reader gets is two love stories. The one between Jess and the real-estate agent, Will, who eventually discovers her living there. Then there’s the one between Dan and Stella.

Well written, although predictable, the story is a good one. I felt that Jess needed to be more complex that she was portrayed. While I enjoyed the story, I never that urge to hurry home to find out what was happening. I give Letters to the Lost 3 out of 5 stars. ( )

I anticipate that this novel will become a timeless classic. It's a heart-absorbing story that has truly touched my heart and soul. This is a novel that I could read again in the years to come and it is extremely rare for me to feel that way as there are so many novels that are on my bookshelves waiting for my reading time and even more titles on my 'wish list' for some day. ( )

Somewhat predictable, but delicious none-the-less. Iona Grey is a marvelous storyteller. ( )

A story of lovers torn apart after WWII, of the woman who finds their letters, and the the series of events that the discovery sparks. And so much more... ( )