Keeper of Lost Things by: Ruth Hogan

Some stories find you when you need them most. The Keeper of Lost Things is one of those books—a tender, luminous debut that feels like discovering a handwritten letter tucked between the pages of a secondhand novel.

Ruth Hogan introduces us to Anthony Peardew, a man who has spent forty years collecting lost objects: a lime green hair bobble, a bone china teacup, a single earring. Each item carries a story, and Anthony has made it his life’s work to reunite these treasures with their owners. But when he bequeaths his mission—and his rambling mansion full of curiosities—to his assistant Laura, she inherits more than just objects. She inherits the possibility of healing.

This is magical realism at its most gentle and profound. Laura, recovering from heartbreak, finds unexpected friendship with the neighbor’s quirky daughter and the estate’s gardener. Together, they piece together the stories behind Anthony’s collection, and in doing so, discover their own paths forward. There’s even an irritable ghost for good measure.

Hogan’s prose is both whimsical and deeply moving, weaving together multiple timelines with the delicate precision of someone mending something precious. Perfect for readers who loved The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake or Garden Spells, this is a novel about the objects that anchor us, the connections that save us, and the beautiful, messy business of letting go.

Come browse. This one’s a keeper.

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