As a book reviewer, I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher or author to facilitate this review. I received no other compensation, and all opinions are always 100% my own.
At 11 years old, Lisavet Levy is not too old for fairy tales. Her father tells her of a mysterious place called “time-space” that exists to store the world’s memories, and of the time keepers who access it through magical watches. But it’s 1938 in Germany, and when the sound of trampling feet and breaking glass fill the street outside, her father bundles her up and shoves her through a door–and she discovers the tales were true! Her father never returns so Lisavet grows up in this liminal space between worlds and beyond time, learning about the world from its memories and its specters. When she begins to see men entering the space to destroy certain memories, she learns how to preserve at least some of them, at risk of being discovered and forced back to live within time again.
Meanwhile in 1965, Amelia is mourning the death of the uncle who raised her, Ernest Duquesne. At his graveside, she’s confronted by the unsettling Moira O’Donnelly, who claims she worked with him and insists on moving in with the grieving girl. In spite of their prickly relationship, Moira tells Amelia that people have been destroying the watches that allow access to the time-space, so that only government officials can enter and choose which memories will be allowed to survive. Amelia wants nothing to do with it or with Moira. However, the more she learns, the more intrigued about the past she becomes. Is her own story as rigidly determined as she has always assumed?
The Book of Lost Hours is an enchanting yarn. It’s a paean to the power of memory to shape our stories. With a deft brush, it addresses serious issues such as government overreach, the power of ideas, and the ability of common people to preserve them and fight. At the same time, it tells a love story between two people, between parents (and parental figures) and children. What are we willing to sacrifice to protect those we love? What price would be counted too much? A lyrical, well-plotted tale, this one is highly recommended.