Book Review: The Library of Lost and Found

The Library of Lost and Found
by Phaedra Patrick
Park Row, 2019
352 pages

Forty-something librarian and self-appointed super woman Martha Storm exists for one purpose only: to help others any way she can. Whether it’s fish sitting, hemming pants, or repairing a paper mâché dragon, Martha just can’t seem to say no. She still lives in the same house where she cared for her parents until their deaths, and she has no plans for change, until a mysterious book shows up at the door of the library.

Inside the book she finds stories that she wrote as a young girl alongside some that were told to her by her beloved late grandmother Zelda. How did these stories come to be published and why is the inscription made out to her by Zelda – three years after her death? Against the advice of her sister, Martha sets out on a journey to find out where this special book came from. In the process she discovers the truth about her family’s troubled history, makes some surprising new friends, and learns how to take care of herself first.

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Thanks to TLC Book Tours for sending me a copy of The Library of Lost and Found to review. All opinions are my own.

If you are a fan of family drama then you will love The Library of Lost and Found. Everything about Martha Storm and her relationships screams dysfunction but not in an off-putting way, more in a way that makes you feel sorry for Martha. She literally can’t say no to anyone, making lists in her Wonder Woman notepad to keep track of all the projects she has volunteered for or been asked to do. Flashbacks to her childhood reveal an equally dysfunctional family life filled with discord, mostly centered around her controlling father and free-spirited grandmother Zelda. As secrets are unveiled you begin to see what made Martha the way she is.

I’m going to give a shoutout to my personality type loving friends and say that I’m typing Martha as a very unhealthy enneagram 2/obliger. If you don’t know what that means, check out The Road Back to You, Reading People, or The Four Tendencies to learn more about these personality frameworks (they are really fascinating and useful). If you already know what I’m talking about, then you are shaking your head in dismay right now. Poor Martha doesn’t stand a chance against a domineering parent and friends that don’t hesitate to take advantage.

But I don’t think it’s too much of a spoiler to tell you that in the end Martha does learn how to stand up for herself. She learns a little about self-care and reexamines some of her decisions as she decides how to go forward. The Library of Lost and Found features themes of regret, forgiveness, and finding a sense of self. It’s about relationships and knowing how to care for each other properly. I really enjoyed this book and will probably read more from this author in the future.