About the book:
Title: All the Lost Places
Author: Amanda Dykes
Genre: Inspirational Historical Fiction
When all of Venice is unmasked, one man's identity remains a mystery . . .
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.
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.
Purchase Links Amazon || B&N || Baker Book House|| CBD
My Thoughts:
"Found means someone was searching for you, running after you. You, the greatest treasure in all the world. That is what Trovato--Found--means. Sebastien Trovato, you are Found. Always and forever. Gathered up into Giuseppe's great big arms and carried into our hearts from that moment on."
When I receive an Amanda Dykes novel I know I will need to take the time to prepare myself for what I will experience between the pages of her book, and All the Lost Places was no different.
This is an exquisite novel of adventure; both in body and soul. The reader follows Daniel as he travels to Venice to both redeem his past and translate a rare book, The Book of Waters. Along the way the story of Sebastien, the baby floating in a basket emerges and becomes intertwined with Daniel's.
At some point, and I can't exactly pinpoint when it happened but this story stopped being about these two men and turned inward and became my story. Nearly fifty-seven years ago I was found. I was an infant who needed a family and my parents were the ones who found me and took me home. And forty-six years ago at a church service with Joni Eareckson Tada speaking God tapped on my shoulder telling me it was time to commit my life to Him and I was found by the God who created me.
This is what an Amanda Dykes novel does to a reader. She creates the characters and the story but with her masterful writing ability and lyrical prose, the story becomes about the reader.
All I can say is this is a must-read!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
About Amanda Dykes
Amanda Dykes has written and published a few short stories including, “Bespoke: a Tiny Christmas Tale“, the critically-acclaimed bicycle story that invited readers together to fund bicycles for missionaries in Asia. A former English teacher, she has a soft spot for classic literature and happy endings. She is a drinker of tea, a dweller of Truth, and a spinner of hope-filled tales, grateful for the grace of a God who loves extravagantly. Also, by Amanda Dykes: “Tin Can Serenade” and “A Song in the Night” featured in the Message in a Bottle Romance Collection. You can connect with Amanda at the following locations:
Website || Facebook || Instagram || Twitter
I received a second copy of the book so, I'm going to give it away here on my blog. To enter you must be a blog follower and leave a comment with your favorite Christmas Carol. The giveaway will start today and will end on December 20, 2022.
3 comments:
My favorite Christmas song is Joy to the World. I would love to win this book. I couldn’t sign up for the launch team this time because I already had 3 books I need to get read to review. I knew I couldn’t get it read in a timely fashion. I don’t know where to follow your blog. Please tell me where to do that.
Your review and personal testimony woven into it brought tears to my eyes...thank you so much for sharing your heart!
Amanda, you are so welcome! Every time I thought about what to say in my review God kept bringing back to my adoption as well as my salvation; and it summed up my overwhelming feelings of the story.
Merry Christmas my sweet friend!
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