Review – Lost by Jacqueline Davies
I picked up Lost by Jacqueline Davies based on a recommendation by Melissa Wiley via Twitter. I really loved this book and haven’t seen it anywhere, so am happy to give it some airtime it rightfully deserves.
(I need to tell you that it’s hard to tell you the plot without giving something away, so I’ll do my best.)
Lost is about Essie, a 17-year-old Jewish girl who lives in Manhattan in 1911. She works at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, which means she can’t take care of her 6-year-old sister, Zelda, quite so much, but Essie promises to make it up to Zelda.
Essie is tasked with helping one of the new girls, Harriet, at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, and they quickly become friends. There’s something about Harriet that Essie relates to, something tragic and sorrowful. Something about her that’s lost.
As you dig deeper into Lost, you learn that Essie’s mental state might not be all that stable. The author wonderfully goes back and forth between the present and the past, putting a puzzle together that slowly takes shape.
Essie has to navigate through loss and despair so she can get to acceptance and move forward with her life. Woven in with Essie’s journey is the fictionalized account of the disappearance of Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold, a wealthy heiress.
And I know I don’t have a lot to say about Lost, but it was really good! I love the historical aspect of the book, and the author’s imagining of what happened to Dorothy Arnold. This book reminds us how far we’ve come in so little time. It’s terrible what wages used to be, how hard employers were allowed to work their employees, and in what conditions those employees were expected to work. I would offer this book to a young adult so they could get a glimpse of how things used to be, and how important and amazing it is that we’ve come so far. I ate this book up, and I’m sure young adults will as well.
Rating: 90 out of 100
Check out Jacqueline Davies website.
No other blogger has read and reviewed this book. 
Book source: I checked this book out from the library.
And one more thing? If you click on one of the Lost links and buy something from Amazon, I’ll make a commission! Mwahahahaha!! Maybe with the pennies I make I’ll be able to call someone who cares.
You can thank the FTC for this disclosure!
| Tags: jacqueline davies, lost, melissa wiley 17 comments »
February 8th, 2010 at 7:17 am
WOW…this really sounds great. I had never heard of it before reading your post, so thanks Trish –glad you enjoyed it!
[Reply]
February 8th, 2010 at 7:40 am
I read a book growing up about that factory and loved the history of the time period. Thanks for the review.
[Reply]
February 8th, 2010 at 8:36 am
I haven’t heard of this one before but it does sound really good and I just love the cover. Your blog looks fantastic Trish!
[Reply]
February 8th, 2010 at 10:40 am
I just added it to my wish list!
[Reply]
February 8th, 2010 at 10:47 am
You convinced me… put this one request at the library.
[Reply]
February 8th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Your review made me add this one to my wish list. It sounds like a great book with a lot of atmosphere and interesting characters. I will have to let you know what I think of it. Glad to hear that you loved it so much!!
[Reply]
February 9th, 2010 at 6:46 am
Interesting. I know a bit about the factory and the horrible work conditions, especially for women. I’ll have to put this on the ole wish list.
[Reply]
February 9th, 2010 at 8:32 am
I haven’t heard of this book before, but it sounds like a good one…though I’ve had a few somber reads lately… thanks for the review.
[Reply]
February 9th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Your review is the first I’ve heard about this book but the premise sounds wonderful. I just reserved it at my library.
[Reply]
February 9th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I read this one last month, after being intrigued by the summary. I agree with you — it’s definitely worth a read and I’m surprised it’s so under-the-radar. I felt like the mystery was a little obvious, but it didn’t bother me because the story so poignantly covers an emotional journey. This was a bittersweet and moving book. I also loved the description of the time period and the sense of place. I’m glad you’re giving it some coverage!
[Reply]
February 10th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Trish, I hadn’t heard of this book either, before reading your well-written review, but it sounds like a book my younger daughter and I would enjoy. This year, I became enamored with historical fiction, and may need to add this book to my (already mountainous) TBR pile. : )
[Reply]
February 11th, 2010 at 7:42 am
I’ve never seen a historical novel about the events at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, and this sounds really good. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
[Reply]
February 12th, 2010 at 6:04 pm
I found this one at the library last month and loved it too!
http://corinnesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2010/01/review-lost-by-jacqueline-davies.html
[Reply]
February 15th, 2010 at 11:51 am
Never heard of this one but it sounds quite interesting. I assume the despair originates from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory? This is an interesting time period in U.S. history. Thanks Trish.
[Reply]
February 16th, 2010 at 8:51 am
It sounds interesting, I want to know what a shirtwaist factory is for one thing. It sounds like a hard one to review, one where you don’t want to end up spoiling the plot. The cover is fantastic btw.
[Reply]
February 21st, 2010 at 7:34 am
I’m adding this to my wish list. Sounds like an awesome read. THanks!
[Reply]
July 16th, 2010 at 7:48 am
I read this book and found it poignent and life afirming. It is true to historical time. It is a shame that it has not been publicized more widely. It is well worth reading.
[Reply]