Published: 28/04/2022
The captivating story of a woman attempting to reconnect to her absent father through a book of fairy tales he wrote and dedicated to her, Block's engrossing debut touches on themes of family, loss and mental illness with immense skill and sensitivity.
Waterstones Scottish Book of the Month for May 2022
The Lost Storyteller is the heartwarming and evocative debut novel from a stunning new voice in fiction, Amanda Block. Perfect for fans of Ruth Hogan, Jessie Burton and Diane Setterfield.
Rebecca hasn't seen her father Leo since she was six. Her family never talk about him, and she has long since pushed him firmly to the back of her mind. All she knows is that, once upon a time, he was a well-loved children's TV star.
But when a journalist turns up uninvited at her office, asking questions about her once-famous father, Rebecca starts to wonder whether there is more to Leo's absence than she realised. Then, looking for answers, she unearths a book of fairy tales written by Leo and dedicated to her - but what use are children's stories to her now, all these years later?
Tentatively, Rebecca tries to piece together her father's life, from the people he used to know and her own hazy memories. Yet her mind keeps returning to the magical, melancholic fairy tales, which seem to contain more truth than make-believe. Perhaps they are the key to unlocking the mystery of her father, the lost storyteller; to revealing who he was, what he went through - and even where he might be now...
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 9781529360806
Number of pages: 400
Weight: 280 g
Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 28 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
A powerful novel about the bond between fathers and daughters, and how stories connect us all. I loved it - Jenny Colgan
I've been lost in The Lost Storyteller's marvellous pages . . . brilliantly written and high concept with a moving story and vivid characters. But it also has that special indefinable SOMETHING. One of my books of the year - Tracy Rees, bestselling author of The Rose Garden
Captivating, moving and profound. I loved it! A spellbinding novel about the power of the stories we tell both to ourselves and to others. - Tracey Emerson
Absolutely beautiful . . . A cleverly wrought tale of fathers and daughters, and a bond buried so deep that it is lost to folklore - Polly Crosby, author of The Illustrated Child
The Lost Storyteller is a deeply evocative book about family and the redemptive power of stories, all wrapped up in some of the most beautifully affecting fairy tales I've ever read. If you like stories that tug at your heart and show you a different way of looking at love, loss, betrayal and redemption, you will enjoy this heartwarming tale . . . I loved this book - Buki Papillon, author of An Ordinary Wonder
Completely engaging . . . A lovely reflection on the power and magic of stories - Marianne Cronin, author of The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot
. . . Beautifully, sensitively told. Block reminds us that people don't always behave as we want them to, and maybe because of that, there are few things so powerful as the ability to be kind - The Wee Review
Beautifully revealed, with a lovingly drawn conclusion - Zoe West, Woman and Home
A warm, immersive read that weaves folklore through a story of self-discovery that touches on what it means to be a daughter, the ramifications of the past and daring to follow your heart - Kate Sawyer, author of The Stranding
A captivating and richly mesmerizing read - Buzz Magazine
A beguiling, gorgeous book about fathers and daughters and the stories that bind and redeem us - YOU magazine
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