All tlhe Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

 

All the Lost Places is the first book that I have read by Amanda Dykes. It is a time slip novel with the story of a book within a book--different than other time slip historical novels that I have read in the past.

Part of All the Lost Places is set in 1807 when a baby is set in a basket and floats through a canal to a new home as in the way of Moses. Sebastian Trovato is then raised by a guild of artisans who all teach him a variety of trades. He is well loved but he doesn't really feel like he knows who he is and where he belongs.

In 1904, Daniel Goodman is fortunate to get a work assignment in Venice as he seeks to make restitution for past mistakes and to help his mother out of a predicament, which is also feels somewhat responsible for. Goodman goes to Venice and meets Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, and together they begin to unravel the mystery of a book, the mystery of Sebastian, and the mystery of who he is and his place in the world.

I'll be honest, it took me awhile to get invested in All the Lost Places. I struggled initially to connect with the characters and to gain footing into what was going on in this book. About half way through the book, that changed and I started to connect more with the characters and got more of a handle on the storyline. This novel is both deep and full of beautiful prose. I would encourage anyone to take the book and hide away in quiet with time to think and reflect through this book--and to persevere through the beginning until you start to understand the unfolding story. Dykes encourages readers through this storyline to think about their own life and who they are. I marked several passages to go back to and there are some great quotes in this book. There are themes of mercy, grace and redemption and most certainly a connection to God as our creator. There is also some romance but this is not really a romance novel. All the Lost Places is a timeless piece of literature.

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers through Interviews and Reviews. All opinions within this review are my own.

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