I am back with another book review! I was sent a copy of Lost and Found by Brooke Davis to review by Penguin Canada. Thanks so much! Although I was sent a complimentary copy of the book, all opinions are my own.
As always, lets start with the synopsis!
Millie Bird, seven years old and ever hopeful, always wears red gumboots to match her curly hair. Her struggling mother, grieving the death of Millie’s father, leaves her in the big ladies’ underwear department of a local store and never returns.
Agatha Pantha, eighty-two, hasn't left her house—or spoken to another human being—since she was widowed seven years ago. She fills the silences by yelling at passersby, watching loud static on the TV, and maintaining a strict daily schedule.
Karl the Touch Typist, eighty-seven, once used his fingers to type out love notes on his wife’s skin. Now that she’s gone, he types his words out into the air as he speaks. Karl’s been committed to a nursing home, but in a moment of clarity and joy, he escapes. Now he’s on the lam.
Brought together in strange circumstances, the three will embark upon a road trip across Western Australia to find Millie’s mum. Along the way, Karl wants to find out how to be a man again, and Agatha just wants everything to go back to how it was. Together, they will discover that old age is not the same as death, that the young can be wise, and that letting yourself feel sad once in a while just might be the key to a happy life.
Well I have to say that this book was a pleasant surprise!
I wasn't too sure if I would enjoy this book, I've read similar books, whether it being dealing with seniors, being on the run, or just having an Australian spin. It reminded me a little bit of The 100-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson, in the sense that it was a crazy adventure with old people, although it didn't have the painful historical references.
Anyways, I ended up really enjoying it! The writing was very lyrical and eloquent, I just kept turning the pages, I didn't want to take a break and stop reading. It was in third person but about the three characters lives.
Overall, I definitely liked it, I gave it a 4/5 stars, and would recommend it if you are looking for a little bit of a different story that discusses the meaning of life and the idea that we all die, so we might as well live life to the fullest.