The Library of Lost and Found

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick         Audio Book:   10 hrs., 28 mins          Hardback Book:  352 pages                       

Much like her mother who was meek and mild and went along 100% with whatever her husband said all of her life, Martha Storm was meek and mild and backed up from confrontation and no matter what burden anyone laid on her, she dealt with it without complaint.     Martha loved to read and organized a book club  at her local library.   The funny thing about it was, most of the people in the bookclub didn’t read the titles they were supposed to but were always there to bring more work to Martha, one lady who complained of a bad back had fanagled a deal with Martha where she would bring her laundry in to to the bookclub with her and Martha would take the woman’s laundry with her to wash, dry and repair the woman’s clothes then return them to the woman’s home without so much as a farthing for her efforts.    She got roped into repairing papier mache’ dragons’ heads for the local Chinese New Year annual celebration,  she ended up moving back home in order to take care of her aging parents until their deaths after which she was left with a house full of all sorts of things to sort through because her sister was always evasive and would never commit to coming over and going through their parents thigns  with Martha.   When it came to work, her sister always had something better to do, using her failing relationship with her husband or her two kids as her main excuses and of course her me time with her friends as if Martha never needed any me time.   Her boss at the Library took major advantage of her, leaving her out of memos, not telling her when an author event got cancelled even though he had put Martha in charge of setting it up and buying the food, decorations and so forth and when Martha dragged all the stuff to the Library the night of the event only to see on the poster CANCELLED scrawled across it in big letters.   It was like she was invisible.   She tried several times to get better positions at the Library when a staff member would leave but was always passed over by her boss for a younger person.    She could never say no to anyone no matter what the project and ended up spending all of her time, darning her nephews and nieces clothes for her sister, running errands for other people,  taking care of one of the book club attendees plants and fish (for months now), being at every one’s beck and call waiting on them hand and foot and getting nothing not even respect in return.   This was Martha’s life until one day, a local used bookseller came across a book of fairytales with a dedication personally handwritten by the author to Martha.    He tracked her down and dropped it off at the Library for her.   Her life totally turned around when she read the mysterious dedication and begun a hunt to track down where the book came from.    Family mysteries and secrets are revealed in this story that takes Martha back to her childhood.   Her life is turned upside down in this tale that shows sometimes things aren’t always as we think they are.   Well told and a good, gripping story. Of a woman adrift just sort of floating through life who comes to grips with some harsh realities and finds nothing is as she thought it was and her whole life up to that moment had been lived in lies.   Good book, I would recommend this tale to Middleschoolers on up.    It has an 1890s feel even though it is set from the 1960s to current.   Well done, Phaedra Patrick.  

 - Shirley J