Ruth Hogan

A pleasantly tangled tale of different lives that may or may not be real, Ruth Hogan’s The Keeper of Lost Things invites readers to look through different eyes, at different lives and tragedies, and at the things we leave behind. Is a tiny ruby the reject from a broken engagement? Is the man watching movies related to the woman who dies outside a cake shop? And will the cleaning lady rise to meet the better life she deserves?

The story’s told in an enthralling blend of different times and show more place, viewpoints and realities, making it truly difficult to put down. It might be moderately confusing at times, but it’s a satisfying sort of confusion, begging the reader to think and rethink answers and ideas. And it all holds together beautifully, jigsaw pieces falling into place or lying honorably discarded.

The characters each have hidden depths, pleasantly and gently revealed with no artificial dives into backstory or motivation. Hidden connections are equally smooth and believable. And the whole is an absorbing story that leaves you delighted to have met these people, and maybe even a little changed, a little more open to meeting the strangers who enter our own lives.

Disclosure: I borrowed a copy and now I want to buy my own to keep on my shelf! show less

This is a wonderful story, full of humor and sorrow and redemption. It features a great cast of quirky characters, most of whom are easy to root for. I was a little disappointed in the character of Portia who is just almost too awful to really be believable, but I can forgive that. The author has made several unusual choices with this novel, the most obvious of which is the little stories embedded within the larger. These are lovely and add quite a bit to the overall feel of the novel. I did show more feel a little cheated a few times when the narrative takes the reader right up to a big scene and then cuts away from it to backfill the details later in the next chapter. This occurs at least three times in the novel. And then there's the choice to switch POV frequently and without pattern. Occasionally within the space of a paragraph or two the POV shifts from woman to dog to man and back again. It's a little confusing at times, but somehow it all works. It's a heartwarming book that left me with a sense of gratefulness. And also craving a lovely cup of tea. show less

I really enjoyed the overall storyline, or rather overlapping storylines and mini stories. I did not enjoy some of the author's character choices. Laura, the main character, needs some serious therapy. I am really tired of self-hating women tropes and also fat villains. Folks come in all shapes and sizes. There's no need in this day and age to fall into these negative cultural stereotypes.

‘’Found, sixth carriage from the front, 14:42 train from London Bridge to Brighton. Deceased unknown. God bless and rest in peace.’’

My relationship with this book has been a bit weird from the start. For almost a year, its beautiful cover with the peaceful cobalt blue background and the quiet pink beauty of its flowers has been calling my name from the shelf of my favourite bookshop. And every time, I would take it in my hands, read the blurb, scam and skim through a few paragraphs show more and return it to its place. When the wonderful Traveling Sisters group decided to have it as our nest read, I thought the time had finally come.

The story is quite interesting and humane. Anthony, an elderly writer who has experienced a serious loss, has a strange habit. He finds lost items, discarded in the streets, in trains, in parks. He collects them, meticulously describes the time and place of discovery and then imagines the circumstances that surround the loss of these objects. As a result, the lost things aren’t just bracelets, hairpins, gloves...They become symbols for lives lost and gained. Anthony’s journey is shared by Laura who tries to leave a miserable life behind with the aid of Sunshine, a young woman who is special, unique and the most beautiful character of the novel.

There are many things to appreciate in this story but there are also quite a lot of problems, in my opinion. I found the subplot of Eunice and Bomber interesting and although not closely related to the main story, it added a certain carefree attitude of a past era without wasting our time. The issues of diversity, acceptance and sexual identity were well-handled and approached with respect and tenderness. The stories of the objects collected by Anthony were outstanding. Some were nostalgic, melancholic. Others were sad, bitter. And then, there were stories of courage, perseverance and hope. The stories saved the book from becoming too melodramatic and void. I also appreciated the reference to ‘’Philadelphia’’, the film that gave Tom Hanks his first Academy Award.

And now, the issues I had with the novel. I couldn’t stand Laura’s endless musings on love and sex. I wasn’t a fan of the romantic relationship and thankfully, it wasn’t a main feature in the story. I was much more interested in Anthony and Theresa and I was disappointed with the treatment of their relationship. I didn’t like the magical realism element, the subplot concerning Theresa. I thought it was a gimmick, it dragged, it seemed out of place and made Laura appear even more idiotic than before. I felt it was included just for the sake of it and was done in a sloppy, almost naive way. The dialogue could use some improvement as well. Especially Laura’s line came off as hysteric, copied from a bad movie. They did no favour to her already mediocre, passable character. Furthermore, the comments on a character’s wife were unnecessarily cruel, offending and condescending. They were racist, plain and simple. And just how many times can I read about ‘’the lovely cup of tea’’ and remain sane?

The characters of Anthony, Sunshine, Eunice and Bomber were very interesting. Anthony and Sunshine provided an aura of mystery, melancholy and quirkiness in the story. Laura did very little to make me appreciate her. Yes, she had the courage to walk away from a cruel life but again, she wanted a man to define herself. Her self-pity and romantic troubles with the entirely indifferent, average Freddy made me cringe. Portia ended up being a caricature. You can't have clown characters if you want your book to be taken seriously, I’m sorry to say.

So, in my opinion, this is a novel where the driving force is the story and the characters are given a supporting role. In this sense, one may consider it successful. It won’t find a place among my memorable reads but it retained a fairly nice balance between being light-hearted and quirky and meaningful. I know it would have been much better if it had been graced with a well-written main character.

*This was a Traveling Sister read and my first review as a member of this amazing fellowship of magnificent ladies with a deep love for books. Discussing the novel with them was pure joy.*

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/ show less