The Book of Lost Hours

THE BOOK OF LOST HOURS by Hayley Gelfuso is one of my favorite books I've read all year. It is such a beautiful book, such a gorgeous love story, that just the mention of it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Ms. Gelfuso takes two adages and illustrates them so effectively that they no longer seem trite. The first involves history being written by the winners, something she shows with chilling clarity with her library of memories. It is one thing to know that history books are not as accurate as we would like them to be because both sides of any conflict are not fairly represented. It is another thing entirely to see people actively changing written documents by erasing certain memories - of people, of ideas, of events, etc. The second show more adage Ms. Gelfuso tackles is that love is timeless, and that is simply the best part of the novel, something you need to experience for yourself. THE BOOK OF LOST HOURS is a clever book that plays with time and memories in the best and worst possible ways, leaving a story that impresses as much as it chills and delights you. It is a story that lingers long after you close the last page, redefining your ideas of memories even while it makes you want to go out and live your life. It truly is a story for the ages. show less

I read this book as part of a Book Circle reading group. It is a fantasy novel, and although this is not necessarily my genre, it gripped me from the very beginning. It is divided into chapters, with each chapter changing the “time zone”. Sometimes you are “somewhere in time” and then again in “real life in the 1960s”. These changes are not unpleasant, and you switch quite naturally from one time to another, getting to know the characters better and better.
Lisavet, the main character, is hidden by her father in the period during Kristallnacht. Her character is portrayed in the book, at first very subtly and later more predictably. With Amelia, it is more obvious who she is and what role she has to play. At the beginning, I show more found her to be a very strong character with many feelings and fears.
Another narrative strand is the “time keepers” who erase memories. At the beginning, these are the Nazis, then the Russians and Americans. This aspect could also be viewed politically, in terms of how memories are manipulated, fake news, etc. My conclusion at the end was that we need to be concerned about the manipulation of our memories (especially in global politics). I also thought about AI, which, in my opinion, can distort our knowledge and thinking, and not necessarily in a positive way. AI and the manipulation of today's politicians and despots are a danger. Who can stop this?
The first two-thirds of the book were easy to read and, in my opinion, coherent and exciting. Unfortunately, the tension flattened out considerably in the last third. It seemed to me as if the author was trying to bring the story to a conclusion so that everything would be “peace, joy and pancakes” in the end. The characters, who were strong at the beginning, lost their power, wit and strength. Likewise, this part did not always seem coherent to me. It's a shame, really, because the book started off strong. show less

4.25 stars. I really enjoyed this complex and bittersweet story, and after some initial mental flailing I got sucked right into it. It's a dense story with a lot going on but it's interesting and engaging enough that you don't get distracted. Definitely some twists I didn't see coming, although for some of the others I guessed correctly. I struggled a little with Moira's character as the book went on, and she might not always have been likeable but I definitely understood her motives. There was hope in this story, and love, but there were plenty of heavy themes and grim events so some of it felt a bit emotionally draining. And yet, I still wanted to see how it ended. I am glad I stuck with it, I'm still thinking about it the next day show more which is always my personal sign for a good book. I think it's obvious based on the book description, but please check trigger warnings as there is some potentially triggering content for some readers. I thought this was an interesting take on the dangers of revisionist history. I could see this being turned into a move, there's something very cinematic about all of it. This is not my usual type of read since I tend to favor romances, but I think the blend of fantasy, history, and romance will appeal to a lot of readers. Publishes August 26, 2025. This review is based on a complimentary eARC of the book, all opinions are my own. show less

‘How fragile time is.’

When I started this one I felt like I fell down a rabbit hole a lot like Alice did and was just as lost, but completely hooked and emotionally attached to Lisavet and Amelia. Page by page, memory by memory I was dragged deeper and deeper into the story until I couldn’t put it down. It’s an amazing read that will resonate with me for a long time. Bravo!

The Book of Lost Hours is an interesting combination of historical fiction, time travel, espionage thriller, love story, murder mystery, and more. On Kristallnacht, as an angry crowd approaches his shop, a Jewish clockmaker secrets his daughter Lisavet Levy away behind a hidden door. That is the last that Lisavet will see of her father. Instead, she finds herself trapped in space and time, in an amazing library of memories. But memories can be dangerous, as Lisavet will find out. It is the victors who write the history, and memories not fitting the victor's vision are too dangerous to keep. Each chapter of the book is located in a particular time and place in history in this complicated, but satisfying plot. Lisavet is a complex show more protagonist, driven by principle but willing to forgo principle for love. Persevere through a bit of a slow start. The journey is worth it! show less

This is a captivating blend of time travel, romance, and political espionage. It begins on Kristallnacht in Germany as a young Jewish girl is secreted away into an alternate dimension where memories are stored in a massive library. It’s a space outside of time and she is not the only one there. This isn’t the kind of book where ‘what happens next’ is what matters, it’s the mood and atmosphere it creates that does. Goodread's blurb compares it to The Midnight Library along with another title (btw, the blurb is safe to read), and I’d add The Shadow of the Wind from The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series to those comparisons. My thanks to Goodreads Giveaways and the publisher for an advance copy to review.

Wow - hard to believe this was a debut. It is a sweeping novel covering many decades, following 2 women: Lisavet Levy and Amelia Duquense. When Amelia's uncle Ernest dies, he leaves her a special watch. This puts Amelia in the crosshairs of the CIA, which wants to keep certain memories from being remembered. Lisavet Levy was trapped in the time space, in a library where the memories of the dead were bound into books. Lisavet meets Ernest in the library as he destroys these books. But, Lisavet forces him to stop.
Now Lisavet is gone, and Moira works for the CIA, forcing Amelia into the time space to appease them.
What happens next is surprising. I really enjoyed this novel.