Book Review: All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

Amanda Dykes brings another emotional tale with rich historical detail in her latest release All the Lost Places.

Book Blurb

1807
When a baby is discovered floating in a basket along the quiet canals of Venice, a guild of artisans takes him in and raises him as a son, skilled in each of their trades. Although the boy, Sebastien Trovato, has wrestled with questions of his origins, it isn’t until a woman washes ashore on his lagoon island that answers begin to emerge. In hunting down his story, Sebastien must make a choice that could alter not just his own future, but also that of the beloved floating city.

1904
Daniel Goodman is given a fresh start in life as the century turns. Hoping to redeem a past laden with regrets, he is sent on an assignment from California to Venice to procure and translate a rare book. There, he discovers a city of colliding hope and decay, much like his own life, and a mystery wrapped in the pages of that filigree-covered volume. With the help of Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, Daniel finds himself in a web of shadows, secrets, and discoveries carefully kept within the stones and canals of the ancient city . . . and in the mystery of the man whose story the book does not finish: Sebastien Trovato.

My Thoughts

It took me much too long to write this review because I honestly don’t know what to say. This book left me speechless. I smiled. I cried. And I flipped page after page, devouring the beautiful prose I’ve come to expect from Amanda Dykes. With the rich descriptions and fantastic characters, All the Lost Places transported me to Venice every time I picked the book back up.

The spiritual storyline provides a timely reminder about God seeing each of us and His plans for us. Dykes really knows how to touch the heart of the matter. Both Daniel and Sebastien had such beautiful stories, and the lessons they learned deeply resonated with me.

Overall, All the Lost Places is a beautiful and poignant novel that historical fiction fans will love.

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Jennifer Purcell

Featured Image by Sofia Iivarinen from Pixabay

About the Author

Jennifer Purcell is a Georgia native who loves to write about her faith and family. When she's not planted in front of her laptop or got her nose stuck in a book, she teaches children at an after school Bible club and at her church's Wednesday night youth program. You can check out her blog at justjenniferpurcell.com.

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