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    The Lustre of Lost Things
    Unavailable
    The Lustre of Lost Things
    Unavailable
    The Lustre of Lost Things
    Ebook315 pages5 hours

    The Lustre of Lost Things

    By Sophie Chen Keller

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    For the first time in my thirteen years, I have a story of my own to tell and I am the one who will tell it.
    There is only one place in the world that Walter Lavender feels at home: The Lavenders, his mother's unusual New York bakery where meringues scud through displays like clouds, marzipan dragons breathe actual fire, and the airy angel-food cake can make customers pounds lighter.
    When the mysterious Book at the heart of the bakery's magic and success vanishes and the landlord threatens closure, it is up to Walter to find the Book and save the shop. Despite a communication disorder that renders him speechless, Walter has a special ability to find lost things. Walter's quest will take him all over New York City, down into the subway and soaring over Central Park, and introduce him to some extraordinary people. Along the way he will also discover his voice and learn what it means to be truly found.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAllison & Busby
    Release dateAug 8, 2017
    ISBN9780749021030
    Unavailable
    The Lustre of Lost Things
    Author

    Sophie Chen Keller

    Sophie Chen Keller was born in Beijing and raised in Ohio and California. After graduating from Harvard with a degree in economics, she worked in the fashion industry and in brand consulting, but she left to pursue her dream of writing. She lives in New York City and The Lustre of Lost Things is her first novel.

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    Reviews for The Lustre of Lost Things

    3.5/5

    36 ratings6 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This reminded me of My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman and Encyclopedia Brown. It's a sweet story, a bit heavy handed, but a good debut novel.
    • 4/5
      "But he never forgot about the power of an act of kindness to change someone's life."A thoroughly heart-warming story about a boy called Walter who, along with Milton, his golden retriever, finds lost things and, in the process, finds himself. Reminiscent of Fredrik Backman and Sarah Addison Allen.Highly recommended if you're looking for a feel-good story with magical realism plus lots and lots of mouth-watering sweets.4 stars"Neither of us could decipher what sort of logic the shop followed; all I knew for sure was that sometimes, when a particular person came by and they were looking and discovering and probably a little hungry, the shop decided that it wanted to be found.""During the five years of finding, I have learned that everyone loses things...the elderly when they forget and the young when they don't pay attention and the middle-aged when there are too many things to do.""I am forced to see how I, like them, have chosen to give up and be alone, and to be content in a world of my own. This was not how I was meant to be; it was how I decided to be.""It cannot be my whole world anymore, and perhaps that was the true lesson Walter Lavender Sr. knew I needed to learn: out there might be dark places to be afraid of and lonely islands to escape from and terrifying heights to fall down, but what also awaits are more places to see and people to know and friends to make and experiences to share, and what could be more worth the pain than to open up and let yourself be a part of a sweeping story?"
    • 4/5
      I loved a lot about this book. Walter who could hardly talk, but has a knack for finding lost things. His mother has a very unusual bake shop that seems to have an energy of it's own when a certain book is in the shop.When one day the book is missing, Walter takes an imaginative, fairy tale like trip to find the book and save his mother's shop.A book that is truly whimsical and fantasy like that I thought was good, but my eyes did glaze over several times during the search for this book. I think that had it been a little shorter, I would have enjoyed it more.Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
    • 3/5
      I love the positive vibes generated by this story. Walter Lavender Jr is a sweet, thoughtful kid who sets out on a mission to find a magical Book that has been taken from his mother’s bakery. The Book is responsible for creating magical desserts that keep Walter’s family bakery in business. I really enjoyed the first third of the story. Once Walter heads out on his adventure, the story really slowed down for me. However, overall I did enjoy The Luster of Lost Things. Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Need an escape from today's dire and discouraging headlines? Care to view the world through a pair of fresh, young, observant eyes? Then here is a book for you. 12-year-old Walter Lavender, Jr. struggles with being understood and finding his own voice. Yet, he's masterful at helping others find the lost things of their lives. Maybe, just maybe, in helping others find their lost objects, he may yet find his lost father. There are magical moments; "a-ha" moments; moments of clever yet simple problem solving - all as observed through young Walter's lens. Watch carefully as this young man find his place in the world - a world large and rich with tremendous possibilities - so many more than the secure world her knew could provide. I am grateful to author Sophie Chen Keller her publisher - Random House and Goodreads First Reads for having provided an advanced uncorrected copy of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.Synopsis (from publisher's website):In this story for readers of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and A Man Called Ove, when all seems lost, he finds what matters most.Walter Lavender Jr. is a master of finding. A wearer of high-tops. A maker of croissants. A son keeping vigil, twelve years counting. But he wouldn’t be able to tell you. Silenced by his motor speech disorder, Walter’s life gets lonely. Fortunately, he has The Lavenders—his mother’s enchanted dessert shop, where marzipan dragons breathe actual fire. He also has a knack for tracking down any missing thing—except for his lost father. So when the Book at the root of the bakery’s magic vanishes, Walter, accompanied by his overweight golden retriever, journeys through New York City to find it—along the way encountering an unforgettable cast of lost souls. Steeped in nostalgic wonder, The Luster of Lost Things explores the depths of our capacity for kindness and our ability to heal. A lyrical meditation on why we become lost and how we are found, from the bright, broken heart of a boy who knows where to look for everyone but himself.
    • 4/5
      If you hate descriptions, beautiful, luscious, complex descriptions this book is not for you. On the other hand.......