Phaedra Patrick

Oh wow. I did love this one. Though a library is central to the story, I loved the fact instead of hearing about famous books you would know, we get to know about stories the main character Martha used to write until she was a teenager. I would have loved if at the end Patrick had put all of the stories together for us to read, or even had a companion novel. The stories are sad and at times dark fairy tales. You get why they were when you read more about Martha's family and how she grew up. show more I felt for Martha and for her life that she seemed to have given up on for 15 years before she got "found."

"The Library of Lost and Found" follows almost middle aged Martha Storm. It's been 5 years since her parents death, but 15 years since she returned home to take care of them. Since that time, Martha has been in a frozen state. She gave up a fiancée to take care of her parents, and now with no one else, she has taken on projects and tasks for people who live in her village. Until one day a book that has her name in it, and stories that she used to tell to her long gone grandmother arrives. Martha starts investigating the origins of the book and in the end finds out more than she imagined. The story shifts back and forth between the 1970s and present day following Martha and her long dead mother, Betty.

I loved Martha, her storyline, and the fact that the author chose to have Martha just moving forward and not looking back. I felt for her throughout the book.

I also loved that we get to follow Martha's mother Betty as well. You eventually get to the secret she had been holding onto (I guessed it) and then the choices she made and why. I felt for her. I felt for Martha. Heck, I felt in the end for all of them. Family is a complicated mess of a thing.

The writing was great and I loved the little stories within that we get to read.

The flow of the book was great and I loved the little reveals we get as we go along.

The ending I thought was great. We don't know what comes next, but we know we got a stronger Martha in the end. show less

Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone, Phaedra Patrick, author; James Langton, narrator
I really enjoyed this book. It is a sweet, tender story about an up-tight, rather taciturn, 44 year old middle aged man, Benedict Stone, and his 16 year old niece Gemma Stone. Although uninvited, she arrives on his doorstep and moves into his home.
Benedict Stone is a jeweler who has recently been rejected by his wife Estelle, an artist. They had once lived happily and quietly in what seemed to be a lovely show more English village called Noon Sun. Benedict dearly wanted to have children, but he and his wife were, so far, unable to start a family. She moved on, but he would not give up hope and it was straining their marriage. Gemma is the daughter of Benedict’s younger brother Charlie, a man he had not seen or heard from in 18 years. Benedict was 18 and Charlie was 10 when their parents were killed in a tsunami. Benedict devoted his life to raising his brother until the day Charlie left for America to live with his girlfriend Amelia’s family. Amelia was the woman who was to become his wife. Gemma now lives with her father on a farm in Maine. Her parents were divorced but her father and his new wife are expecting a child. Gemma feels utterly unwanted and rejected by all of these new developments in her life. Essentially, the absence of a child in one couple’s life and the presence of a coming child in another’s, is the seed of all of the problems.
When Estelle left Benedict to move into her friend’s apartment to ostensibly pursue her art career and to think about their waning relationship, he lost his interest in most things. Without her, he went through his days automatically. He took his comfort in food and disregarded the condition of his home which was succumbing to his neglectful ways. When someone banged on his door in the middle of one rainy night, he was surprised to find, not his wife returning, but instead, a bedraggled, rather arrogant teenager was on his doorstep. She demanded to be let in after announcing that she was his brother’s daughter, a brother he had not had any contact with for 18 years, a brother who lived across the ocean in America! From here on in, this semi-stranger, his niece Gemma, helps to bring about many positive changes in the lives of all those she meets in the village. As long kept secrets are exposed, and new ones are suddenly discovered, revelations cause monumental changes in all of their lives.
Together, the budding relationship between uncle and niece, which begins in fits and starts, teaches them both, and those with whom they interact, how to see things more clearly, how to open themselves up to challenge and face their fears, and it brings them all satisfaction and provides them with the confidence they need to make the necessary adjustments that will improve their lives.
Fairytale like, this unconventional young girl brings joy into the lives of all she meets with her brutal honesty and sincerity. Sometimes, her analysis seems to be coming from the only adult in the room, defying the reality that she is the only child present. She enables many of the town’s residents, who are floundering, to find their way to happiness, although she has a hard time finding consistent joy for herself.
It was a pleasure to read and learn about the meaning of each gemstone, it’s purpose, and the way in which it was used in the story to help a character achieve his/her goal. It was the magic of believing that seemed to pave the way, seemed to be the impetus for the achievement each character sought. The stones seemed to be the mechanism that united families, friends and lovers, that mended fences and romances, and that renewed hope in many. Although secrets destroyed relationships, revealing them sometimes led to more solid foundations and reconciliation.
The names of the characters seemed to have been chosen tongue-in-cheek. Benedict Stone’s parents died on a business trip in search of gemstones. Benedict is a jeweler who works with stones. Gemma’s first name and their common surname Stone is an obvious combination of both words in gemstone. It is through the gemstones and their meanings that the book develops and the characters grow. They come in search of something nebulous, and Gemma and Benedict give them the tools they need to fulfill their dreams. As the “gem and the stone” discover each other, they provide what just might bring them all the happiness they seek. show less

Martha Storm is a middle-aged library volunteer in an English coastal village. She caters to the needs of others, believing that “her only worth was in helping others” (66). People take advantage of her and she lets them. She even gave up a life with a man she loved to care for her aging parents. A book, a collection of fairy tales, is delivered to Martha because it is inscribed with a personal message to her from her maternal grandmother Zelda. The problem is that Zelda died under show more mysterious circumstances 30 years earlier. Martha sets out to find out more about the book and to determine if her beloved grandmother is still alive.

The contemporary story is interspersed with flashbacks to Martha’s childhood. These are given from the perspective of Betty, Martha’s mother. What emerges is a family ruled by Thomas, a controlling husband and father. Lillian, Martha’s younger sister, received most of Thomas’ affection; with Martha, he was emotionally distant. Throughout the novel, there are also some fairy tales which Martha wrote when she was a young girl.

This book depicts a journey of (re-)self-discovery. As a child, Martha used to be exuberant and outspoken but as an adult is very submissive. Encouraged by Zelda, she was very creative, but stopped writing after Zelda’s death. As an adult, Martha is very timid but slowly learns to assert herself and realizes that her needs are as important as those of others. In essence, she rediscovers her old self.

I found Martha irritating. Given her childhood and the loss of her supportive grandmother, it is understandable that she became more like her mousy mother. But she is now so pathetic: she is socially awkward and doesn’t even know how to apply makeup? Since writing stories was so important to her and obviously helped her cope, it doesn’t make sense that she stopped doing that.

It seems the author knows little about modern libraries. Though Martha is portrayed as a frumpy old maid (a stereotypical librarian), she is not a librarian. The book blurb repeatedly refers to Martha as a librarian, but she is a volunteer. More than anything, Martha wants a job as an assistant-librarian: “She’d helped out there for over four years, had a diploma in English literature, adored the books and wanted to help people” (33). Librarians require a degree in library science so she is not qualified for the position of assistant-librarian. Martha doesn’t even have a home computer when librarians are expected to be expert online researchers?

There are other unrealistic elements. Suki, an assistant librarian, constantly speaks in malapropisms? She refers to a book dedication as a desiccation! In 1982, would a pre-marital pregnancy be more scandalous than a same-sex relationship? A seventy-year-old recluse with questionable grooming who always wears the same hat and frayed, turned-up jeans (41) has a fluffy dressing gown, bubble bath, and soap with the scent of roses and vanilla (295) for surprise guests?

I picked up this novel because of its title and because I was looking for a “heartwarming and poignant tale” as promised by the book jacket. I was disappointed in both respects because the title is totally misleading, and the narrative is clumsy rather than charming.

Note: Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski). show less

Liv works as a cleaner. Her favorite client is Essie Starling, who also happens to be Liv's favorite author. Essie is a noted recluse, and Liv is one of the few people she talks to. When Essie dies, Liv is astonished to discover that Essie has left her the monumental task of finishing her last novel. Liv has six months to polish the manuscript and write the final chapters, and during that time, she is required to keep Essie's death a secret. Liv feels she can't finish the novel without a show more deeper knowledge of Essie, so she tracks down certain people who played important roles in Essie's life -- but she can't tell them that Essie is gone! Also, there's a journalist poking around...

I'm often intrigued by books with authors as characters, though reading about the act of writing is not always exactly enthralling. In this case, there's enough sleuthing going on as Liv delves into Essie's past that it's not all about the writing. Liv makes some savvy choices as well as some foolish ones, and there's a good bit of interpersonal tension as her marriage feels the strain not just from her own secrets, but from the things her husband is hiding as well. All in all, if you like a character-forward book about writing and the publishing industry, give this a go. show less