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Het bijzondere leven van Martha Vondeling
Martha wordt achtergelaten op het treinstation. Ze wordt in het koffertje waarin ze aangetroffen wordt naar het kantoortje voor gevonden voorwerpen gebracht. Omdat niemand haar komt halen groeit ze op in het kantoortje, waar ze opgevoed wordt door Moeder. Martha durft geen stap buiten het station te zetten, maar als ze brieven begint te ontvangen van iemand die zegt dat hij weet wie ze is, moet ze op onderzoek uit.
268 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
September 29, 2017
I have to admit that the cover is one of the reasons that I was drawn to the book and of course the description of the book about a young girl that grows up in a train station after being abandoned in a suitcase. 16-year-old Martha has been raised by an over religious "mother", and she is told she can't leave the train station because it would collapse if she did that. But, when her mother dies everything changes and she needs to find her birth mother to be able to run the lost property place in the train station. Then, there is the lost suitcase that is said to belong to Mel Evans, roadie to the Beatles...
The Finding of Martha Lost is an interesting and special book about a young girl coming of age. Martha has grown up in a train station, this is her world and she has never put her foot outside. However, everything is changing for her. I loved the whole train station world with its odd characters, from the old man with the bowler hat living below in the sewers to the young man in a roman costume. And Martha is a special girl, she can see everything she touches history from keys to hockey sticks.
The Beatles part of the story was something that I did not completely fall for. I was way more interested in the train world than what happened with the suitcase, and it didn't help that Max Cole, the man that found the suitcase, is an unpleasant person that Martha seems to fall for. He's POV in this book didn't feel interesting. I didn't mind the story about Mel Evens, but I could not really find myself that interested in the storyline with Max and the second half of the story when Max shows up at the train station just felt a little bit less interesting because if that. Still, it a charming book, I just wish I had been a bit more taken with the story and perhaps that it would have been a bit more magical realism in the story than Martha ability to touch and know things about objects past.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
The Finding of Martha Lost is an interesting and special book about a young girl coming of age. Martha has grown up in a train station, this is her world and she has never put her foot outside. However, everything is changing for her. I loved the whole train station world with its odd characters, from the old man with the bowler hat living below in the sewers to the young man in a roman costume. And Martha is a special girl, she can see everything she touches history from keys to hockey sticks.
The Beatles part of the story was something that I did not completely fall for. I was way more interested in the train world than what happened with the suitcase, and it didn't help that Max Cole, the man that found the suitcase, is an unpleasant person that Martha seems to fall for. He's POV in this book didn't feel interesting. I didn't mind the story about Mel Evens, but I could not really find myself that interested in the storyline with Max and the second half of the story when Max shows up at the train station just felt a little bit less interesting because if that. Still, it a charming book, I just wish I had been a bit more taken with the story and perhaps that it would have been a bit more magical realism in the story than Martha ability to touch and know things about objects past.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
March 17, 2016
The Finding of Martha Lost is a coming of age tale about a sweet, innocent and caring teenage girl who was found in the station as a baby, left in the lost property office, but was never claimed. Martha grew up in the train station, living with the woman she was brought up to call Mother, and helping to run the lost property office. She never dared to leave the station, as Mother told her it would crumble if she did, so she would not step outside the station for fear of destroying the only home and people she knew.
Before reading this book, I never would have thought it possible for a train station to feel so homely and magical. This story is filled with friendship, love, family, secrets, hope, magic and self-discovery. Who would have thought so much could happen in a train station. I will be people watching and looking for the magic myself next time I’m waiting for a train at the station. Perhaps I’ll even do a little spin.
I adored Martha’s love of books, and her belief that a book is more than just a book, but has a variety of stories connected to it. Her emotional connection with books really struck a chord with me, as books have played a big part throughout most of my life.
“If a book’s been found, the least I can do is read it. Then it won’t feel lost any longer.”
Martha is the main character in this story, but there is also a wonderful mix of other characters that are a part of Martha’s little world. There are some lovely characters that I couldn’t help but love. On the other hand, Martha’s unpleasant mother reminded me a little of the scary mother in Stephen King’s Carrie.
I wasn’t really interested in The Beatles side of the story, as I’m more of a Rolling Stones kind of a girl, but I do understand its importance, considering the location of the train station. It is for this reason that I give this book an overall 4 star rating, as this aspect didn’t hold my attention or feel as magical as the other parts of the story.
“I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?”
John Lennon
I think this will mostly appeal to fans of magical realism and young adult fiction.
I would like to thank the publisher, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers (Doubleday) for allowing me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Before reading this book, I never would have thought it possible for a train station to feel so homely and magical. This story is filled with friendship, love, family, secrets, hope, magic and self-discovery. Who would have thought so much could happen in a train station. I will be people watching and looking for the magic myself next time I’m waiting for a train at the station. Perhaps I’ll even do a little spin.
I adored Martha’s love of books, and her belief that a book is more than just a book, but has a variety of stories connected to it. Her emotional connection with books really struck a chord with me, as books have played a big part throughout most of my life.
“If a book’s been found, the least I can do is read it. Then it won’t feel lost any longer.”
Martha is the main character in this story, but there is also a wonderful mix of other characters that are a part of Martha’s little world. There are some lovely characters that I couldn’t help but love. On the other hand, Martha’s unpleasant mother reminded me a little of the scary mother in Stephen King’s Carrie.
I wasn’t really interested in The Beatles side of the story, as I’m more of a Rolling Stones kind of a girl, but I do understand its importance, considering the location of the train station. It is for this reason that I give this book an overall 4 star rating, as this aspect didn’t hold my attention or feel as magical as the other parts of the story.
“I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?”
John Lennon
I think this will mostly appeal to fans of magical realism and young adult fiction.
I would like to thank the publisher, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers (Doubleday) for allowing me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 16, 2016
What a sweet novel.
I’m fascinated by our ability to suspend our disbelief for some stories but not for others. Even though I could see the puppet strings, I still enjoyed this novel very much. Even though there were things that I thought were a bit too cutesy, too convenient, and, at times, unlikely, I still got immersed into the story.
The majority of the plot takes place in 1976 Lime Street Train Station in Liverpool, United Kingdom. I must confess that I am extremely fond of railway stations and trains, especially of those big, old-fashioned, European Railway Stations. I must also confess that even though this is set in England, all along I imagined the place looking like the movie set of HUGO and other similar movies. (I just image googled the place, and it looks pretty close to what I was imagining – go figure! :-) )
Our unreliable narrator is sixteen year old, Martha Lost. She works at the Lost and Found Office in Lime Street Station. Well, her mother is the employee, but Martha does most of the work. According to Mother, she was found on a train from Paris and since nobody claimed her for 90 days, Mother claimed her as her own. Also, Mother raised her to believe that if she was to step outside, the Lime Street Station will perish. Poor Martha. She believes what she’s told. Despite her mother’s strictness, Martha makes lemonade out the lemons she was dealt: she loves to spin around; she loves putting on a French accent. Also, despite her Mother’s disapproval, she loves to read and reads everything and anything that lands in the Lost and Found Office, because “if a book’s been found, the least I can do is read it. Then it won’t feel lost any longer”.
Mother is a religious nutcase who believes everything is the work of Satan. She's manipulative, cold and abusive.
Luckily for Martha, her tormentor perishes. So Martha’s left to figure everything out. Martha longs to find out her real identity and her birth parents. She’s got help from her dear friend, Elisabeth, who minds the next door café, and who’s always been there for Martha. Other people come into Martha’s life. The lanky eighteen-year-old, George Harris, is also an orphan. There is also William, a homeless man whom both Elisabeth and Martha take under their protection. It turns out William is an orphan as well. The four become real close friends and help Martha on her journey of (self) discovery.
Adventures take place as Martha steps outside her comfort zone. The story wouldn’t be complete without a villain, this time, an Aussie wannabe writer who’s trying to find the lost ashes of Mal Evans – a friend/roadie of the Beatles.
I'll leave it to that, as I'm afraid I already gave away too much.
Caroline Wallace is a very clever writer. I loved the way the story was written, the tone of the narration, the book and musical references, and even the Liverpudlian slang/colloquialisms.
One could argue that the characters were a bit too black and white but just think of it as a fairy tale where the good wins. Let’s face it, we all need these stories now and again.
Endearing, whimsy, with a touch of magic, "The Finding of Martha Lost" is a feel-good coming of age novel, well worth your time.
I've received this novel via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher, Random House UK, for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
Cover: 5 stars
I’m fascinated by our ability to suspend our disbelief for some stories but not for others. Even though I could see the puppet strings, I still enjoyed this novel very much. Even though there were things that I thought were a bit too cutesy, too convenient, and, at times, unlikely, I still got immersed into the story.
The majority of the plot takes place in 1976 Lime Street Train Station in Liverpool, United Kingdom. I must confess that I am extremely fond of railway stations and trains, especially of those big, old-fashioned, European Railway Stations. I must also confess that even though this is set in England, all along I imagined the place looking like the movie set of HUGO and other similar movies. (I just image googled the place, and it looks pretty close to what I was imagining – go figure! :-) )
Our unreliable narrator is sixteen year old, Martha Lost. She works at the Lost and Found Office in Lime Street Station. Well, her mother is the employee, but Martha does most of the work. According to Mother, she was found on a train from Paris and since nobody claimed her for 90 days, Mother claimed her as her own. Also, Mother raised her to believe that if she was to step outside, the Lime Street Station will perish. Poor Martha. She believes what she’s told. Despite her mother’s strictness, Martha makes lemonade out the lemons she was dealt: she loves to spin around; she loves putting on a French accent. Also, despite her Mother’s disapproval, she loves to read and reads everything and anything that lands in the Lost and Found Office, because “if a book’s been found, the least I can do is read it. Then it won’t feel lost any longer”.
Mother is a religious nutcase who believes everything is the work of Satan. She's manipulative, cold and abusive.
Luckily for Martha, her tormentor perishes. So Martha’s left to figure everything out. Martha longs to find out her real identity and her birth parents. She’s got help from her dear friend, Elisabeth, who minds the next door café, and who’s always been there for Martha. Other people come into Martha’s life. The lanky eighteen-year-old, George Harris, is also an orphan. There is also William, a homeless man whom both Elisabeth and Martha take under their protection. It turns out William is an orphan as well. The four become real close friends and help Martha on her journey of (self) discovery.
Adventures take place as Martha steps outside her comfort zone. The story wouldn’t be complete without a villain, this time, an Aussie wannabe writer who’s trying to find the lost ashes of Mal Evans – a friend/roadie of the Beatles.
I'll leave it to that, as I'm afraid I already gave away too much.
Caroline Wallace is a very clever writer. I loved the way the story was written, the tone of the narration, the book and musical references, and even the Liverpudlian slang/colloquialisms.
One could argue that the characters were a bit too black and white but just think of it as a fairy tale where the good wins. Let’s face it, we all need these stories now and again.
Endearing, whimsy, with a touch of magic, "The Finding of Martha Lost" is a feel-good coming of age novel, well worth your time.
I've received this novel via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher, Random House UK, for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
Cover: 5 stars
August 24, 2017
5 Words: Lost, family, love, truth, loss.
This book was full of wonder and whimsy, and I found it only too easy to suspend disbelief and plunge head first into Martha'a magical world.
Martha is a bit of a weird one, but from her story it's easy to see why. She has a bit of an old soul, a way of looking at the world that goes past the surface. At times she seems so worldly. Then something happens and you remember that she isn't, she's just this scared little girl who has never even left Lime Street Station, never felt the sun direct on her skin.
I did like that I was never quite sure of Martha. I was never sure what was in her head and what was real, what she saw in her visions or with her eyes. When she first described George Harris I wasn't sure what she truly meant, and it was only when properly introduced that I started to trust Martha more.
As insular as Martha's world is, the author has put so much into the setting. Sights and smells and colours and people. The descriptions were sometimes so vivid that I even felt a bit sick at times - sorry, William! I loved the music and dance and the passion of the characters. Except Mal. No one likes Mal.
There are lots of small mysteries, but there is also huge a thread of mystery throughout the story, and I have to admit that I hadn't worked it out until just a few paragraphs before the reveal! It was a great feeling, coming to the same conclusion at the same time as the character.
But what about that suitcase in the basement??
This was a wonderful, wistful, whimsical read, an enchanting story.
This book was full of wonder and whimsy, and I found it only too easy to suspend disbelief and plunge head first into Martha'a magical world.
Martha is a bit of a weird one, but from her story it's easy to see why. She has a bit of an old soul, a way of looking at the world that goes past the surface. At times she seems so worldly. Then something happens and you remember that she isn't, she's just this scared little girl who has never even left Lime Street Station, never felt the sun direct on her skin.
I did like that I was never quite sure of Martha. I was never sure what was in her head and what was real, what she saw in her visions or with her eyes. When she first described George Harris I wasn't sure what she truly meant, and it was only when properly introduced that I started to trust Martha more.
As insular as Martha's world is, the author has put so much into the setting. Sights and smells and colours and people. The descriptions were sometimes so vivid that I even felt a bit sick at times - sorry, William! I loved the music and dance and the passion of the characters. Except Mal. No one likes Mal.
There are lots of small mysteries, but there is also huge a thread of mystery throughout the story, and I have to admit that I hadn't worked it out until just a few paragraphs before the reveal! It was a great feeling, coming to the same conclusion at the same time as the character.
But what about that suitcase in the basement??
This was a wonderful, wistful, whimsical read, an enchanting story.
May 17, 2017
We need to talk about how I
found
myself feeling about The Finding of Martha Lost.
Cause I for sure am not lost about how I feel about this book.
You could say I am finding myself with quite a strong opinion.
Enough of the puns! Let's talk straight here.
This book had me hyped up about it ever since I got approved for it on NetGalley. It offered a wonderful premise: Martha was found in an abandoned suitcase in a train station, grew up there, and needs to find out who she is, as time is pressing. Secrets, trains and unicorns.
Okay, maybe not the unicorns so much.
This book had so much potential! Books, secret underground libraries, lost and found items, trains. And when I say secret underground libraries, I mean rainbow sorted libraries of lost books with dedications, spiral staircases and forgotten histories in a train station. God!
And yet. I just didn't like it.
And it makes me sad I didn't like it!
I super duper guilt tripped myself for not liking it SO MANY TIMES!!
I mean. Being a book worm, HOW can you not like the thought of secret libraries? TRAINS? I do feel like a failed bookworm now…
However, I have to say. Martha, the main character, was just... too daft. Too crazy. Too silly. There is a big difference between being cute and naive, and just being... unrealistic. And it's not just the main character. The choices everyone makes in this book... I struggle to find words for it. Let me present you with some examples.
Throughout the book, the main problem Martha has is that if she doesn't procure certain documents concerning herself, she will be evicted.
So, the normal course of action here would be, probably, to go to a certain government office and apply for them.
Now, I do understand that Martha is 16, a little bit naive and constantly abused by her insane fanatically religious mother, but.
Writing posters and leaving them on the walls of the train station for a mysterious stranger to find does not seem like a solution?? You do not hope strangers who send you books will come up with your National Insurance number? You also do not just do nothing for 30 days or so and hope it will somehow resolve?? More than that! If it was just Martha... But it really wasn't. Gonna just spoiler-tag this.
There are other things. I can get behind unicorns and fairytales, gosh, I read Ben Aaronovitch, but this... Martha can apparently close her eyes and see how the things she finds got lost? There are all these other things about her, like how she needs to drag a rock with herself when she leaves the station, cause at 16 years old she still thinks the station will crumble if she leaves, cause her mother told her a story when she was a kid?
That, and then there's the guy who's dressed like a Roman soldier. Okay, so later there is an explanation, but I'm all just like:
Now if you don't get that GIF, it's totally your fault.
So all this, coming from the person who LIKES stories about fairies and unicorns. But the problem with this was that it was... neither reality, NOR fairies and unicorns. It should have just gone one way or the other.
So, I feel like a super old and boring person right now, but it's just a NO. And believe me, I'm the one who's most disappointed by this, this was supposed to be an awesome book! I am still going to give it 3 stars, cause I think it's mostly me, and also because the ending was kind of sweet. But my bullshit meter is just beeping too loud.
If you liked my review, you can find it on my blog as well, along with others, so check it out.
Thank you to Transworld and Caroline Wallace for providing a copy for review in exchange to my honest opinion. Too bad the opinion wasn't too good, huh :(
Cause I for sure am not lost about how I feel about this book.
You could say I am finding myself with quite a strong opinion.
Enough of the puns! Let's talk straight here.
This book had me hyped up about it ever since I got approved for it on NetGalley. It offered a wonderful premise: Martha was found in an abandoned suitcase in a train station, grew up there, and needs to find out who she is, as time is pressing. Secrets, trains and unicorns.
Okay, maybe not the unicorns so much.
This book had so much potential! Books, secret underground libraries, lost and found items, trains. And when I say secret underground libraries, I mean rainbow sorted libraries of lost books with dedications, spiral staircases and forgotten histories in a train station. God!
And yet. I just didn't like it.
And it makes me sad I didn't like it!
I super duper guilt tripped myself for not liking it SO MANY TIMES!!
I mean. Being a book worm, HOW can you not like the thought of secret libraries? TRAINS? I do feel like a failed bookworm now…
However, I have to say. Martha, the main character, was just... too daft. Too crazy. Too silly. There is a big difference between being cute and naive, and just being... unrealistic. And it's not just the main character. The choices everyone makes in this book... I struggle to find words for it. Let me present you with some examples.
Throughout the book, the main problem Martha has is that if she doesn't procure certain documents concerning herself, she will be evicted.
So, the normal course of action here would be, probably, to go to a certain government office and apply for them.
Now, I do understand that Martha is 16, a little bit naive and constantly abused by her insane fanatically religious mother, but.
Writing posters and leaving them on the walls of the train station for a mysterious stranger to find does not seem like a solution?? You do not hope strangers who send you books will come up with your National Insurance number? You also do not just do nothing for 30 days or so and hope it will somehow resolve?? More than that! If it was just Martha... But it really wasn't. Gonna just spoiler-tag this.
There are other things. I can get behind unicorns and fairytales, gosh, I read Ben Aaronovitch, but this... Martha can apparently close her eyes and see how the things she finds got lost? There are all these other things about her, like how she needs to drag a rock with herself when she leaves the station, cause at 16 years old she still thinks the station will crumble if she leaves, cause her mother told her a story when she was a kid?
That, and then there's the guy who's dressed like a Roman soldier. Okay, so later there is an explanation, but I'm all just like:
Now if you don't get that GIF, it's totally your fault.
So all this, coming from the person who LIKES stories about fairies and unicorns. But the problem with this was that it was... neither reality, NOR fairies and unicorns. It should have just gone one way or the other.
So, I feel like a super old and boring person right now, but it's just a NO. And believe me, I'm the one who's most disappointed by this, this was supposed to be an awesome book! I am still going to give it 3 stars, cause I think it's mostly me, and also because the ending was kind of sweet. But my bullshit meter is just beeping too loud.
If you liked my review, you can find it on my blog as well, along with others, so check it out.
Thank you to Transworld and Caroline Wallace for providing a copy for review in exchange to my honest opinion. Too bad the opinion wasn't too good, huh :(
February 17, 2016
There can't be many writers who can turn an ordinary train station in the centre of a busy city into a magical world of wonder and discovery, but Caroline Wallace has done just that. The Finding of Martha Lost is a book that I have looked forward for many many months. I heard the author read from it at the Transworld event last year and was transfixed, my gasp, as she finished her reading was heard all over the room .... This story is beautifully told and that gasp was certainly not my last.
Martha is a sixteen-year-old girl who has never left Liverpool's Lime Street station. She was found there, and has stayed there. The woman who she called Mother always told her that if she left the station, it would crumble and be no more. Mother took Martha in when she was discovered abandoned on the Paris to Liverpool train, she gave her a home, but she didn't give her any love.
Despite that, Martha is a joyful, inquisitive girl who takes a thrill from spinning around the station concourse, eating lemon drizzle cake from the station cafe next to the Lost Property office and run by Martha's best friend Elizabeth. Martha loves to find things, she loves to return them to their owner. Martha loves lots of things. Martha sees and feels joy in her small world, she loves her friend Elizabeth who wears yellow stilettos and the latest fashions, who sings along to The Beatles and Cilla Black and protects Martha whilst still allowing her to find her own way.
Martha's skill for finding things, and her special magical touch that enables her to know just where a particular item was lost, and why, soon brings her to the attention of Max Cole, an Australian who is on the hunt for the lost ashes of Liverpool legend Mal Evans. Everyone in Liverpool knows about Mal; the Beatles' roadie and mate who was shot dead in America. His ashes went missing during the journey home to Liverpool. Max Cole claims that he's discovered an old suitcase full of Beatles' memorabilia and finding Mal's urn would make him a very rich man.
But, Martha needs to find the one thing that has always eluded her. Her identity. If she can't find out just who she really is and where she came from, then she will lose everything.
The Finding of Martha Lost is the heartbreaking, yet beautifully imagined story of how Martha begins to find herself. Accompanied by George, who dresses every day as a Roman soldier, and William who smells like a sewer and lives in the underground tunnels under the station, and of course, by Elizabeth - the colourful, loving cafe owner.
Caroline Wallace has cleverly interwoven the true story of Mal Evans and the missing suitcase into her fictional story of Martha and her missing heritage. Underneath Martha's joy and brightness is a startling vulnerability that only someone who has experienced pain could have expressed so beautifully. Her characters are all broken, yet are full of hope and belief, there is a darkness that overshadows each of them, yet as a team they are able to overcome their demons and begin to shine brightly.
This is a book that is written for book lovers and avid readers, by a book lover. When the reader discovers Martha's hidden book treasures they will feel delight and joy. It's like a Scouse Shadow of the Wind; the absolute love of the written word shines though, and Martha's explanation of how every book has more than one story will resonate with everyone that adores books and reading.
Love, being loved and how to love is the theme of this wonderful story, along with abandonment and rediscovery. Threaded with true Northern grit and Scouse humour, The Finding of Martha Lost is a story that should be savoured, enjoyed, digested and remembered for a long long time.
http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...
Martha is a sixteen-year-old girl who has never left Liverpool's Lime Street station. She was found there, and has stayed there. The woman who she called Mother always told her that if she left the station, it would crumble and be no more. Mother took Martha in when she was discovered abandoned on the Paris to Liverpool train, she gave her a home, but she didn't give her any love.
Despite that, Martha is a joyful, inquisitive girl who takes a thrill from spinning around the station concourse, eating lemon drizzle cake from the station cafe next to the Lost Property office and run by Martha's best friend Elizabeth. Martha loves to find things, she loves to return them to their owner. Martha loves lots of things. Martha sees and feels joy in her small world, she loves her friend Elizabeth who wears yellow stilettos and the latest fashions, who sings along to The Beatles and Cilla Black and protects Martha whilst still allowing her to find her own way.
Martha's skill for finding things, and her special magical touch that enables her to know just where a particular item was lost, and why, soon brings her to the attention of Max Cole, an Australian who is on the hunt for the lost ashes of Liverpool legend Mal Evans. Everyone in Liverpool knows about Mal; the Beatles' roadie and mate who was shot dead in America. His ashes went missing during the journey home to Liverpool. Max Cole claims that he's discovered an old suitcase full of Beatles' memorabilia and finding Mal's urn would make him a very rich man.
But, Martha needs to find the one thing that has always eluded her. Her identity. If she can't find out just who she really is and where she came from, then she will lose everything.
The Finding of Martha Lost is the heartbreaking, yet beautifully imagined story of how Martha begins to find herself. Accompanied by George, who dresses every day as a Roman soldier, and William who smells like a sewer and lives in the underground tunnels under the station, and of course, by Elizabeth - the colourful, loving cafe owner.
Caroline Wallace has cleverly interwoven the true story of Mal Evans and the missing suitcase into her fictional story of Martha and her missing heritage. Underneath Martha's joy and brightness is a startling vulnerability that only someone who has experienced pain could have expressed so beautifully. Her characters are all broken, yet are full of hope and belief, there is a darkness that overshadows each of them, yet as a team they are able to overcome their demons and begin to shine brightly.
This is a book that is written for book lovers and avid readers, by a book lover. When the reader discovers Martha's hidden book treasures they will feel delight and joy. It's like a Scouse Shadow of the Wind; the absolute love of the written word shines though, and Martha's explanation of how every book has more than one story will resonate with everyone that adores books and reading.
Love, being loved and how to love is the theme of this wonderful story, along with abandonment and rediscovery. Threaded with true Northern grit and Scouse humour, The Finding of Martha Lost is a story that should be savoured, enjoyed, digested and remembered for a long long time.
http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...
May 17, 2017
Martha Lost is lost. Supposedly abandoned on a train from Paris as a baby she was taken in by a lady she calls 'mother'. A very strict, almost cruel lady she controls Martha and makes her life miserable. When tragedy strikes, and facing eviction, Martha sets off to find out who she is. Helped by the enigmatic Elizabeth, her new friends and an anonymous person who communicates via a poster, Martha must discover her real identity before she loses everything she's ever known.
The Finding of Martha Lost is a beautiful, magical book that somehow manages to be both heart warming and heart breaking. The setting of Lime Street station was brilliant and I loved learning about all the secret, hidden places that the public don't normally get to see. It was lovely to see the sense of community that existed at the station and how everyone ralliued around and stood up for Martha. The fact that her friends were all outsiders/ misfits from the station too was very heart warming to read about and I really enjoyed reading about Martha's interactions with them.
Martha is a great, highly likeable character, who goes on a huge journey throughout the book as she tries to figure out who she is. It's not an easy journey for her and parts of it might make you cry but I so wanted her to succeed and have the love she wanted. Her love of books was a particularly nice touch and it was nice to read about her thoughts on the books she's read. I used to put books I really enjoyed under my pillow too so that part made me smile! There were times that she did frustrate me though particularly when she still believed mother's lies but overall I found her a very likeable character that I was sorry to leave at the end of the book. I also really liked Elizabeth who was such a strong, kind, sunny character who was always willing to stick up for other people. Her kindness towards Martha and her friends and her efforts to help them find themselves was beautiful to read about.
The author cleverly includes some of Liverpool's history into the story which I found fascinating to read about, particularly the Williamson tunnels which I had never heard about. I'm a huge Beatle fan so I loved reading about them and their mysterious roadie Mal Evans. I will definitely be finding out more about him!
The ending was lovely and I must confess too having a tear in my eye at the end. A great way to end a truly fabulous book!
This is the author's second book but the first I have read and I look forward to reading more by her.
Thank you very much to Hannah Bright, Transworld Publishers and netgalley for my proof copy. If you like magical, coming of age stories you'll love this book!
The Finding of Martha Lost is a beautiful, magical book that somehow manages to be both heart warming and heart breaking. The setting of Lime Street station was brilliant and I loved learning about all the secret, hidden places that the public don't normally get to see. It was lovely to see the sense of community that existed at the station and how everyone ralliued around and stood up for Martha. The fact that her friends were all outsiders/ misfits from the station too was very heart warming to read about and I really enjoyed reading about Martha's interactions with them.
Martha is a great, highly likeable character, who goes on a huge journey throughout the book as she tries to figure out who she is. It's not an easy journey for her and parts of it might make you cry but I so wanted her to succeed and have the love she wanted. Her love of books was a particularly nice touch and it was nice to read about her thoughts on the books she's read. I used to put books I really enjoyed under my pillow too so that part made me smile! There were times that she did frustrate me though particularly when she still believed mother's lies but overall I found her a very likeable character that I was sorry to leave at the end of the book. I also really liked Elizabeth who was such a strong, kind, sunny character who was always willing to stick up for other people. Her kindness towards Martha and her friends and her efforts to help them find themselves was beautiful to read about.
The author cleverly includes some of Liverpool's history into the story which I found fascinating to read about, particularly the Williamson tunnels which I had never heard about. I'm a huge Beatle fan so I loved reading about them and their mysterious roadie Mal Evans. I will definitely be finding out more about him!
The ending was lovely and I must confess too having a tear in my eye at the end. A great way to end a truly fabulous book!
This is the author's second book but the first I have read and I look forward to reading more by her.
Thank you very much to Hannah Bright, Transworld Publishers and netgalley for my proof copy. If you like magical, coming of age stories you'll love this book!
March 7, 2016
A little over a week ago I shared a review for one of my Books of the Year so far, In Her Wake. I spent probably more time than was needed deciding what to read next after finishing it because of the effect that book had on me. I picked up The Finding of Martha Lost because of an intriguing blurb, and because I know Lime Street Station. What I wasn't expecting was to come across a book that, whilst somewhat different to In Her Wake, has had a similar effect on me. It is a story I'll never forget, one that consumed me whilst I was reading it, and one with characters who I think will still be living in my thoughts some months down the line. It completely took me by surprise, and already I am recommending this book to anybody who will listen. I was talking about it to a girl I work with and I was practically hopping on the spot with excitement as I tried to tell her what this book was about without spoiling it too much, and that's the problem I have with this review, it's such a difficult book to discuss especially when there's so much I want to shout about.
My opener when discussing this book is to say it's about a girl called Martha Lost who lives in the lost luggage at Lime Street Station. Now, anybody who has visited Lime Street would ask how a girl could live in such a boxlike structure. But, The Finding of Martha Lost is set mostly in the 1970's and rather than the station it is today, Caroline Wallace has created the most unique, imaginative and magical place to set a story and in terms of setting alone, it's the best I've read this year and I thought to myself when reading it that I hadn't wished a place was so real and that I could visit it since Hogwarts. Even this week I've been walking through the station and looking at it differently, as if those tunnels and passageways that Caroline brought to life in my mind so well are suddenly going to appear and offer me access. The character of Martha Lost felt so real that I felt as if I was walking (I'm not brave enough to spin like Martha does every morning) her path, and that her legacy somehow lived on through the station. For a character to not even feel fictional, to feel like someone who actually lived is a rare thing for an author to achieve in a story but Caroline Wallace has with this remarkable piece of work.
I don't even want to talk about the plot too much because the story unfolds in a way that you really need to know as little as possible about it before you pick it up. Martha Lost has been lost since she was a baby, told by the woman who took her in, Mother, that she was abandoned in a suitcase on the train from Paris and since then, she's waited in the lost property at Lime Street Station for someone to claim her. Sixteen years later, and she's still hopeful. Martha is simply the most delightful character, with an outlook on life far beyond her young years and it wasn't that she was written older than she was meant to be, but because the life she's led so far has forced her to grow up fast and even then, there are numerous moments throughout the book where Martha comes across younger than she's meant to be because of her naivety and because she knows nothing of the outside world, because Mother told her the station will crumble if she leaves it. And so she builds a life for herself through lost property, where she has a unique ability to touch an item and find out its story, and through books and her wonderful best friend Elisabeth who runs a cafe on the station and offers advice and encouragement throughout the story to allow Martha the courage and strength to finally find out who she really is. There are numerous other characters vital to this story, but I really think readers should discover them for themselves.
Caroline Wallace is a wonderful writer, and behind all the magic there's a real story to be had here and it is certainly an emotional one in places as Martha finally starts to discover who she really is. I could fill this review with some of my favourite quotes from the book but it was perhaps the ones from Martha that stuck in my mind the most. "I read somewhere that most four-year-olds smile four hundred times a day, but then, by the time they become adults, they only smile twenty times a day. I'm not sure I want to be an adult." "People are always in a hurry. They only realise the worth of something after they lose it." Martha Lost isn't a character I could relate to as such, but Caroline allows the reader to connect with her, to understand her and, as the story progressed I felt as if Martha was offering hope to my own life. Showing that there are ways to get through those difficult moments that we sometimes have in life, and that's one of the great things about this story, I think people are going to take so many different things from it. Martha's love of books is perhaps one of the things book lovers will enjoy most about this book, especially when they discover something about where she stores them. If I had to compare Martha with somebody, I think it would have to be Matilda. Both her outlook on life and her upbringing. Her passion and love for books practically made the book glow in my hands and what it also did for me was make me think about the stories of books beyond the words within them, especially second hand books that have been passed around many different people.
I lived and breathed this novel whilst reading it, and I was close to bereft when I turned its final page. Caroline effortlessly captures the era this book is set in, and those sights and sounds, the music and the city come alive on the page. I wasn't ready to leave these characters or the setting behind but thankfully, it lives on in my mind and this isn't a book I'll only be reading once, but one that I will return to again and again and I can definitely see it becoming a favourite of mine and I'm almost certain it'll be on my Books of the Year list come December. It's one I think I'll read again and notice different things, and it'll become one of those books where it's like meeting up with old friends. The Finding of Martha Lost is a remarkable, magical, perfect novel that completely took me by surprise and offered me one of the most enjoyable reading experiences and journeys I have ever had in a book. Please if you have this book on your TBR, or think you would like to read it, do not even hesitate to push it right to the top of the pile because it's a decision you will not regret.
My opener when discussing this book is to say it's about a girl called Martha Lost who lives in the lost luggage at Lime Street Station. Now, anybody who has visited Lime Street would ask how a girl could live in such a boxlike structure. But, The Finding of Martha Lost is set mostly in the 1970's and rather than the station it is today, Caroline Wallace has created the most unique, imaginative and magical place to set a story and in terms of setting alone, it's the best I've read this year and I thought to myself when reading it that I hadn't wished a place was so real and that I could visit it since Hogwarts. Even this week I've been walking through the station and looking at it differently, as if those tunnels and passageways that Caroline brought to life in my mind so well are suddenly going to appear and offer me access. The character of Martha Lost felt so real that I felt as if I was walking (I'm not brave enough to spin like Martha does every morning) her path, and that her legacy somehow lived on through the station. For a character to not even feel fictional, to feel like someone who actually lived is a rare thing for an author to achieve in a story but Caroline Wallace has with this remarkable piece of work.
I don't even want to talk about the plot too much because the story unfolds in a way that you really need to know as little as possible about it before you pick it up. Martha Lost has been lost since she was a baby, told by the woman who took her in, Mother, that she was abandoned in a suitcase on the train from Paris and since then, she's waited in the lost property at Lime Street Station for someone to claim her. Sixteen years later, and she's still hopeful. Martha is simply the most delightful character, with an outlook on life far beyond her young years and it wasn't that she was written older than she was meant to be, but because the life she's led so far has forced her to grow up fast and even then, there are numerous moments throughout the book where Martha comes across younger than she's meant to be because of her naivety and because she knows nothing of the outside world, because Mother told her the station will crumble if she leaves it. And so she builds a life for herself through lost property, where she has a unique ability to touch an item and find out its story, and through books and her wonderful best friend Elisabeth who runs a cafe on the station and offers advice and encouragement throughout the story to allow Martha the courage and strength to finally find out who she really is. There are numerous other characters vital to this story, but I really think readers should discover them for themselves.
Caroline Wallace is a wonderful writer, and behind all the magic there's a real story to be had here and it is certainly an emotional one in places as Martha finally starts to discover who she really is. I could fill this review with some of my favourite quotes from the book but it was perhaps the ones from Martha that stuck in my mind the most. "I read somewhere that most four-year-olds smile four hundred times a day, but then, by the time they become adults, they only smile twenty times a day. I'm not sure I want to be an adult." "People are always in a hurry. They only realise the worth of something after they lose it." Martha Lost isn't a character I could relate to as such, but Caroline allows the reader to connect with her, to understand her and, as the story progressed I felt as if Martha was offering hope to my own life. Showing that there are ways to get through those difficult moments that we sometimes have in life, and that's one of the great things about this story, I think people are going to take so many different things from it. Martha's love of books is perhaps one of the things book lovers will enjoy most about this book, especially when they discover something about where she stores them. If I had to compare Martha with somebody, I think it would have to be Matilda. Both her outlook on life and her upbringing. Her passion and love for books practically made the book glow in my hands and what it also did for me was make me think about the stories of books beyond the words within them, especially second hand books that have been passed around many different people.
I lived and breathed this novel whilst reading it, and I was close to bereft when I turned its final page. Caroline effortlessly captures the era this book is set in, and those sights and sounds, the music and the city come alive on the page. I wasn't ready to leave these characters or the setting behind but thankfully, it lives on in my mind and this isn't a book I'll only be reading once, but one that I will return to again and again and I can definitely see it becoming a favourite of mine and I'm almost certain it'll be on my Books of the Year list come December. It's one I think I'll read again and notice different things, and it'll become one of those books where it's like meeting up with old friends. The Finding of Martha Lost is a remarkable, magical, perfect novel that completely took me by surprise and offered me one of the most enjoyable reading experiences and journeys I have ever had in a book. Please if you have this book on your TBR, or think you would like to read it, do not even hesitate to push it right to the top of the pile because it's a decision you will not regret.
September 22, 2016
Již od začátku jsem si říkal, jaký je tato kniha jeden velký mind-fuck, po přečtení se mi to jen potvrdilo. Nic to však nemění na tom, že se kniha až kupodivu strašně dobře čte. Zkrátka musíte číst dál a dál, bez ohledu na to, jak moc absurdní a šílené to zrovna je. A každý bude držet Martě palce, aby našla to, co chce. Ať už je to urna s popelem, maminka či životní štěstí.
January 13, 2016
We meet Martha a sixteen year old and supposedly Audrey Hepburn lookalike, who works at the lost property office at Lime Street station in Liverpool along with 'Mother'. Not actually her birth mother though as that's a mystery to Martha who has been lost since she was a baby. From the beginning she comes across as a happy, hardworking, and thoughtful young girl who at times is a little naive perhaps due to not having much of a childhood, what with working in the lost property office with little help from Mother.
The story follows Martha her best friend Elizabeth next door in the coffee shop, a Roman soldier and a mystery man hiding in the tunnels under the station as they aid her in the goal of finding out who she is and who she belongs to, but more importantly documents that prove she is a legitimate person otherwise she may lose everything.
As the story goes along we learn Martha has a special gift relating to the objects she gathers that have been lost by various people, here I find it to be wonderfully fairy tale like. Every item has a back story, some were meant to be lost while others weren't, and Martha can't help but yearn for her own story as to how she became lost....read the rest of my review here
The story follows Martha her best friend Elizabeth next door in the coffee shop, a Roman soldier and a mystery man hiding in the tunnels under the station as they aid her in the goal of finding out who she is and who she belongs to, but more importantly documents that prove she is a legitimate person otherwise she may lose everything.
As the story goes along we learn Martha has a special gift relating to the objects she gathers that have been lost by various people, here I find it to be wonderfully fairy tale like. Every item has a back story, some were meant to be lost while others weren't, and Martha can't help but yearn for her own story as to how she became lost....read the rest of my review here
January 20, 2018
"Das Fundbüro der Wünsche" ist ein nettes Buch für Zwischendurch, mehr aber auch nicht. Ich tat mich schwer in das Buch "reinzukommen" und erst ab der Hälfte, eher auf den letzten hundert Seiten, tat sich Spannung auf und mein Interesse war geweckt.
Durch den Roman zieht sich eine Nebengeschichte über die Beatles, die mir ehrlich gesagt zu sehr aufgebauscht worden ist. Ein stärkerer Fokus auf die tollen Charaktere wäre interessanter gewesen.
Alles in allem ist der Roman jedoch sehr flüssig geschrieben, hat einige interessante Wendungen und eignet sich für jene, die nicht nach einem allzu verschlingenden Buch suchen.
Durch den Roman zieht sich eine Nebengeschichte über die Beatles, die mir ehrlich gesagt zu sehr aufgebauscht worden ist. Ein stärkerer Fokus auf die tollen Charaktere wäre interessanter gewesen.
Alles in allem ist der Roman jedoch sehr flüssig geschrieben, hat einige interessante Wendungen und eignet sich für jene, die nicht nach einem allzu verschlingenden Buch suchen.
March 31, 2019
Martha ist sechzehn und lebt in Liverpool auf dem Bahnhof Lime Street Station, wo ihre schreckliche Stiefmutter das Fundbüro führt. Den Bahnhof kennt sie in- und auswendig, was auch nicht verwunderlich ist, hat ihn Martha doch in ihrem ganzen Leben noch nie verlassen und fürchtet, es könne etwas Schreckliches passieren, wenn sie auch nur einen Fuß über die Schwelle setzt.
Martha liebt 50er-Jahre-Kleider, Pirouettendrehen, Bücher und den Zitronenstreuselkuchen, den Elisabeth, die man mit Fug und Recht als Marthas beste Freundin bezeichnen könnte, im Bahnhofscafé backt. Und sie hat eine besondere Gabe: wenn sie eine Fundsache in die Hand nimmt, sieht sie im Geiste dessen Geschichte vor sich.
Nur ihre eigene Geschichte kennt sie nicht. Sie weiß nur, dass sie ein Findelkind war und angeblich in einem Koffer im Fundbüro abgegeben wurde. Das soll sich unbedingt ändern, und sie startet eine ungewöhnliche Aktion, um ihrer eigenen Identität auf die Spur zu kommen.
Eine andere Fundsache beschäftigt in diesem Sommer 1976 ganz Großbritannien, aber vor allem Liverpool: ein australischer Journalist ist an einen Koffer geraten, der angeblich verschollene Aufzeichnungen und Aufnahmen der Beatles enthält und dem "fünften Beatle" Mal Evans gehört hat. Verschollen ist im übrigen auch die Urne mit dessen Asche, die nach seiner Ermordung in Los Angeles nie bei seiner Familie angekommen ist.
Man ahnt es schon: Max, der Journalist aus Down Under, taucht in Liverpool auf und wittert den ganz großen Coup, wenn er zusätzlich zu dem sagenumwobenen Koffer auch noch Mal Evans' Asche auftreiben könnte ... und landet auf seiner Suche im Fundbüro der Lime Street Station.
Es ist wirklich ein Jammer. So viele schöne Ideen und eine Umsetzung, die mir überhaupt nicht gefallen hat. Der quirlige Audrey-Hepburn-Verschnitt Martha, die hyperreligiöse, überstrenge Stiefmutter, die patente Cafébesitzerin Elisabeth, die stets mit Tee, Kuchen und klugen Ratschlägen zur Stelle ist, ein Fahrgast, der stets im römischen Legionärsgewand unterwegs ist und ein rätselhafter Mann mit Melone auf dem Kopf und Angel im Schlepptau, dazu ein entzückendes Café, eine besondere Büchersammlung und andere Skurrilitäten ... aus alledem hätte man eine wundervolle Mixtur aus "Amélie" und "Hugo Cabret" zaubern können.
Doch das Buch wirkt unausgegoren, als könne es sich nicht entscheiden, ob es nun märchenhaft oder realistisch daherkommen soll. Die Figuren bleiben bloße Ideenträger und erwachen nicht wirklich zum Leben, was sicher auch daran liegt, dass sie sich teilweise so unlogisch, unverständlich und unglaubwürdig verhalten. Viel zu oft geschieht etwas unvermittelt, ohne dass die Motivation dahinter auch nur im Ansatz deutlich wird - als habe die Autorin einfach beschlossen, dass das nun zu passieren hat.
Ich mag phantasievolle Ideen und Geschichten, in denen sich die Grenzen der Realität verwischen, aber so, wie Caroline Wallace die Dinge hier präsentiert, wirkt es einfach nicht stimmig und vieles künstlich aufgebauscht oder verkompliziert. Auch die Persönlichkeitsentwicklung von Martha passt nicht. Selbst wenn man einbezieht, dass sie isoliert von Altersgenossen aufgewachsen ist und nie eine Schule besucht hat, wirkt sie viel zu naiv, was sich auch in der oft kindlich wirkenden Sprache niederschlägt (Pipi, Popo und so weiter ...)
Am schlimmsten war der Handlungsstrang um Max, Mal Evans und den Beatles-Koffer, obwohl der wirklich Potential gehabt hätte. Die Art, wie sich die Beziehung zwischen Max und Martha entwickelt, fand ich von vorne bis hinten unglaubwürdig und immer nervtötender, bis sie schließlich in einer so fragwürdigen wie unnötigen Aufregerszene gipfelte. Ein so schablonenhaft-platter Typ wie Max ist mir literarisch schon lange nicht mehr untergekommen.
Irgendwann habe ich nur noch weitergelesen, weil ich wissen wollte, wie Marthas Suche nach ihren Wurzeln ausgeht. Das Ende fand ich dann zwar einerseits nett, andererseits aber machte es das ganze aufgeblähte Gedöns auf den 200 Seiten vorher eigentlich komplett überflüssig.
Schade um so viel verschenktes Potential. Aber es gibt doch noch ein Extramäuschen für die tollen zugrundeliegenden Einfälle der Autorin.
Martha liebt 50er-Jahre-Kleider, Pirouettendrehen, Bücher und den Zitronenstreuselkuchen, den Elisabeth, die man mit Fug und Recht als Marthas beste Freundin bezeichnen könnte, im Bahnhofscafé backt. Und sie hat eine besondere Gabe: wenn sie eine Fundsache in die Hand nimmt, sieht sie im Geiste dessen Geschichte vor sich.
Nur ihre eigene Geschichte kennt sie nicht. Sie weiß nur, dass sie ein Findelkind war und angeblich in einem Koffer im Fundbüro abgegeben wurde. Das soll sich unbedingt ändern, und sie startet eine ungewöhnliche Aktion, um ihrer eigenen Identität auf die Spur zu kommen.
Eine andere Fundsache beschäftigt in diesem Sommer 1976 ganz Großbritannien, aber vor allem Liverpool: ein australischer Journalist ist an einen Koffer geraten, der angeblich verschollene Aufzeichnungen und Aufnahmen der Beatles enthält und dem "fünften Beatle" Mal Evans gehört hat. Verschollen ist im übrigen auch die Urne mit dessen Asche, die nach seiner Ermordung in Los Angeles nie bei seiner Familie angekommen ist.
Man ahnt es schon: Max, der Journalist aus Down Under, taucht in Liverpool auf und wittert den ganz großen Coup, wenn er zusätzlich zu dem sagenumwobenen Koffer auch noch Mal Evans' Asche auftreiben könnte ... und landet auf seiner Suche im Fundbüro der Lime Street Station.
Es ist wirklich ein Jammer. So viele schöne Ideen und eine Umsetzung, die mir überhaupt nicht gefallen hat. Der quirlige Audrey-Hepburn-Verschnitt Martha, die hyperreligiöse, überstrenge Stiefmutter, die patente Cafébesitzerin Elisabeth, die stets mit Tee, Kuchen und klugen Ratschlägen zur Stelle ist, ein Fahrgast, der stets im römischen Legionärsgewand unterwegs ist und ein rätselhafter Mann mit Melone auf dem Kopf und Angel im Schlepptau, dazu ein entzückendes Café, eine besondere Büchersammlung und andere Skurrilitäten ... aus alledem hätte man eine wundervolle Mixtur aus "Amélie" und "Hugo Cabret" zaubern können.
Doch das Buch wirkt unausgegoren, als könne es sich nicht entscheiden, ob es nun märchenhaft oder realistisch daherkommen soll. Die Figuren bleiben bloße Ideenträger und erwachen nicht wirklich zum Leben, was sicher auch daran liegt, dass sie sich teilweise so unlogisch, unverständlich und unglaubwürdig verhalten. Viel zu oft geschieht etwas unvermittelt, ohne dass die Motivation dahinter auch nur im Ansatz deutlich wird - als habe die Autorin einfach beschlossen, dass das nun zu passieren hat.
Ich mag phantasievolle Ideen und Geschichten, in denen sich die Grenzen der Realität verwischen, aber so, wie Caroline Wallace die Dinge hier präsentiert, wirkt es einfach nicht stimmig und vieles künstlich aufgebauscht oder verkompliziert. Auch die Persönlichkeitsentwicklung von Martha passt nicht. Selbst wenn man einbezieht, dass sie isoliert von Altersgenossen aufgewachsen ist und nie eine Schule besucht hat, wirkt sie viel zu naiv, was sich auch in der oft kindlich wirkenden Sprache niederschlägt (Pipi, Popo und so weiter ...)
Am schlimmsten war der Handlungsstrang um Max, Mal Evans und den Beatles-Koffer, obwohl der wirklich Potential gehabt hätte. Die Art, wie sich die Beziehung zwischen Max und Martha entwickelt, fand ich von vorne bis hinten unglaubwürdig und immer nervtötender, bis sie schließlich in einer so fragwürdigen wie unnötigen Aufregerszene gipfelte. Ein so schablonenhaft-platter Typ wie Max ist mir literarisch schon lange nicht mehr untergekommen.
Irgendwann habe ich nur noch weitergelesen, weil ich wissen wollte, wie Marthas Suche nach ihren Wurzeln ausgeht. Das Ende fand ich dann zwar einerseits nett, andererseits aber machte es das ganze aufgeblähte Gedöns auf den 200 Seiten vorher eigentlich komplett überflüssig.
Schade um so viel verschenktes Potential. Aber es gibt doch noch ein Extramäuschen für die tollen zugrundeliegenden Einfälle der Autorin.
March 8, 2016
I'm afraid I was a bit of a bibliomaniac book stalker about this title! The world of book lovers are very excited about "The Finding of Martha Lost," but what really intrigued me was the way all the reviewers and bloggers confessed that they had found it impossible to review this Young Adult novel; they had all struggled to formulate their responses and define the impact it had made on them. Of course, they all actually wrote exceptionally eloquently and competently about it - far better than I will manage today - but I was suddenly desperate to get hold of Wallace's novel and find out exactly what had left these critics literally lost for words.
Now I have read it, I totally understand their reaction! How do you write about something so magical, inspiring, uplifting, imaginative, unique and stunning? Wallace's command of language is so masterful, anything I attempt to put into words will be seriously inferior!
"The Finding of Martha Lost" is set in 1976, Lime Street Station, Liverpool. Martha was abandoned as a new born baby in a suitcase on the train from Paris in 1960 . Sixteen years later she still remains hopeful that someone will come to claim her from the lost property desk where waits; the station is her home and she has never ever taken a single step outside of it in all her life. As she waits, her life continues with mysteries to solve, secret tunnels under the station to discover and a suitcase that might have belonged to the Beatles to deal with. But Martha wants solve the mystery of who she is and who her birth mother is. The authorities have found out about her hiding out in the station and her time is running out. If she can't discover who she really is she will lose everything. After all, "to have your happy ending, you have to have your beginning."
I don't think I've read a book that is wholly set on a station before but it made me realise how well such a location lends itself to inspiring fiction. Stations are full of people, journeys, secrets, beginnings, endings and things that get left behind and forgotten. The building itself automatically creates a dramatic stage and Wallace ably evokes the atmosphere so that it is easy to visualise every nook and cranny. You feel as if you are standing there, pirouetting behind Martha and her group of colourful friends.
It's not just the setting and situation that are bewitching. It is the character of Martha. She is curious, vivacious, loving, warm, dramatic, energetic, colourful and out of a fairy tale. She spins and twirls across the platforms, oblivious to anything but seeing the best in things. Her infectious inquisitiveness seeps out of her, highlighting her childishness and naivety. Yet her observations about people, and the objects in Lost Property, indicate a more perceptive mind than many adults. Such observations often seem quirky and too fairy-tale like, but in reality they reveal deep insight and awareness. Martha also has a special gift: "When I rub my finger over something that is lost, I can tell how the item came to be lost." However, her real gift - her real magic, is being able to understand people's truths and hidden emotions.
Yes, this is a book of magic and wonder; where fairy tales and real life intermingle, producing an intoxicating brew which will leave you thirsting for more!
Martha collects books which she arranges by colour to create a "rainbow of secrets". It is her library of found books as she wants to "collect lost words and let them have a voice." She is concerned with showing respect for the books and seeing their beauty. Some of the books have inscriptions which "tell me a different story to the one in the book....these words weren't meant for me; it's like I've overheard a secret." The inscriptions are a secret message between the book giver and the book receiver; the reason for giving a book is another story of its own that interests her more than what is printed on the actual pages. Now I not only want to give even more books as gifts but inscribe every book I will bestow in the future!
Martha reflects on stories, books and language throughout the whole novel. The words "lost" and "found" are sprinkled across the pages as a constant reminder of Martha's need to "find" her birth mother and her own name. Her responses to books are so innocent yet so original and astute I am jealous of the way in which she is able to view the world.
Martha breaks all conventions. For example, of reading she says "Sometimes I think it's ok to meet characters and then create your own story for them.... If a character is killed or hurt and I'm not happy with that, I turn back to just before the events took a nasty twist." She is surely the most captivating and beautifully imagined character in children's fiction that I have come across in a very very long time.
As her search for her birth mother, name and National Insurance number continue, Martha begins to receive books in the post with inscriptions just for her. The books chosen are all brilliant choices to further illustrate the overriding themes of searching, of lost and found - for example: "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", "Great Expectations" and "Stranger in a Strange Land'. And the quotes about fairy tales scattered between the chapters are equally effective and from equally great literary voices. But they are not overly worthy, just gently reminding us of the continuation of Martha's fairy tale as she picks up the narrative and begins the next part.
There is more depth to the story than just a world of words and an enchanting sprite. It is an exploration of trust, friendship, questions and answers, love, safety, protection, being lost and being found. To borrow Martha wise words - "I wonder if being lost is more about waiting to be found."
The adjectives that follow "The Finding of Martha Lost" across Twitter are "remarkable, astounding, compelling, endearingly breathtaking, hypnotic, surreal and simultaneously innocent and wise". It's been a while since I've seen such unrestrained passion over a new novel! There were numerous blogs about this book and I can't list them all but three which I felt really captured the essence of Wallace's charming and whimsical book were bookaddictshaun, Lindasbookbag and fromfirstpagetolast. Have a look at their eloquent and thoughtful reviews. This is a Young Adult novel but the excitement and enthusiasm from the adult reviewers prove that children's fiction is pertinent to all ages and a great place to discover talented and innovative writers.
As other bloggers also found, this review took far too long to write and was a real challenge. Now as I come to an end, I feel bereft at leaving the world of Liverpool Lime Street and Martha's story.
Borrowing more words from the book, I'd like to end by repeating what is said to Martha: "You bring delight to all who cross your path."
I hope you also take the time to delight in Martha and her story.
Enormous thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review.
Now I have read it, I totally understand their reaction! How do you write about something so magical, inspiring, uplifting, imaginative, unique and stunning? Wallace's command of language is so masterful, anything I attempt to put into words will be seriously inferior!
"The Finding of Martha Lost" is set in 1976, Lime Street Station, Liverpool. Martha was abandoned as a new born baby in a suitcase on the train from Paris in 1960 . Sixteen years later she still remains hopeful that someone will come to claim her from the lost property desk where waits; the station is her home and she has never ever taken a single step outside of it in all her life. As she waits, her life continues with mysteries to solve, secret tunnels under the station to discover and a suitcase that might have belonged to the Beatles to deal with. But Martha wants solve the mystery of who she is and who her birth mother is. The authorities have found out about her hiding out in the station and her time is running out. If she can't discover who she really is she will lose everything. After all, "to have your happy ending, you have to have your beginning."
I don't think I've read a book that is wholly set on a station before but it made me realise how well such a location lends itself to inspiring fiction. Stations are full of people, journeys, secrets, beginnings, endings and things that get left behind and forgotten. The building itself automatically creates a dramatic stage and Wallace ably evokes the atmosphere so that it is easy to visualise every nook and cranny. You feel as if you are standing there, pirouetting behind Martha and her group of colourful friends.
It's not just the setting and situation that are bewitching. It is the character of Martha. She is curious, vivacious, loving, warm, dramatic, energetic, colourful and out of a fairy tale. She spins and twirls across the platforms, oblivious to anything but seeing the best in things. Her infectious inquisitiveness seeps out of her, highlighting her childishness and naivety. Yet her observations about people, and the objects in Lost Property, indicate a more perceptive mind than many adults. Such observations often seem quirky and too fairy-tale like, but in reality they reveal deep insight and awareness. Martha also has a special gift: "When I rub my finger over something that is lost, I can tell how the item came to be lost." However, her real gift - her real magic, is being able to understand people's truths and hidden emotions.
Yes, this is a book of magic and wonder; where fairy tales and real life intermingle, producing an intoxicating brew which will leave you thirsting for more!
Martha collects books which she arranges by colour to create a "rainbow of secrets". It is her library of found books as she wants to "collect lost words and let them have a voice." She is concerned with showing respect for the books and seeing their beauty. Some of the books have inscriptions which "tell me a different story to the one in the book....these words weren't meant for me; it's like I've overheard a secret." The inscriptions are a secret message between the book giver and the book receiver; the reason for giving a book is another story of its own that interests her more than what is printed on the actual pages. Now I not only want to give even more books as gifts but inscribe every book I will bestow in the future!
Martha reflects on stories, books and language throughout the whole novel. The words "lost" and "found" are sprinkled across the pages as a constant reminder of Martha's need to "find" her birth mother and her own name. Her responses to books are so innocent yet so original and astute I am jealous of the way in which she is able to view the world.
Martha breaks all conventions. For example, of reading she says "Sometimes I think it's ok to meet characters and then create your own story for them.... If a character is killed or hurt and I'm not happy with that, I turn back to just before the events took a nasty twist." She is surely the most captivating and beautifully imagined character in children's fiction that I have come across in a very very long time.
As her search for her birth mother, name and National Insurance number continue, Martha begins to receive books in the post with inscriptions just for her. The books chosen are all brilliant choices to further illustrate the overriding themes of searching, of lost and found - for example: "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", "Great Expectations" and "Stranger in a Strange Land'. And the quotes about fairy tales scattered between the chapters are equally effective and from equally great literary voices. But they are not overly worthy, just gently reminding us of the continuation of Martha's fairy tale as she picks up the narrative and begins the next part.
There is more depth to the story than just a world of words and an enchanting sprite. It is an exploration of trust, friendship, questions and answers, love, safety, protection, being lost and being found. To borrow Martha wise words - "I wonder if being lost is more about waiting to be found."
The adjectives that follow "The Finding of Martha Lost" across Twitter are "remarkable, astounding, compelling, endearingly breathtaking, hypnotic, surreal and simultaneously innocent and wise". It's been a while since I've seen such unrestrained passion over a new novel! There were numerous blogs about this book and I can't list them all but three which I felt really captured the essence of Wallace's charming and whimsical book were bookaddictshaun, Lindasbookbag and fromfirstpagetolast. Have a look at their eloquent and thoughtful reviews. This is a Young Adult novel but the excitement and enthusiasm from the adult reviewers prove that children's fiction is pertinent to all ages and a great place to discover talented and innovative writers.
As other bloggers also found, this review took far too long to write and was a real challenge. Now as I come to an end, I feel bereft at leaving the world of Liverpool Lime Street and Martha's story.
Borrowing more words from the book, I'd like to end by repeating what is said to Martha: "You bring delight to all who cross your path."
I hope you also take the time to delight in Martha and her story.
Enormous thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review.
September 14, 2016
3.75 stars
Martha Lost was left in the lost property office in Lime Street Station in Liverpool when she was a baby and 16 years later, she’s still there. Now Martha is on the hunt to find out who she is and where she came from while also helping other lost things find their home, including an old suitcase full of Beatles memorabilia.
This was a whimsical, fun read with a touch of magical realism about an innocent 16 year old discovering the world is more than just the lost property office. I really liked Martha and she definitely had an addictive sense of personality, even if she could be a little bit silly sometimes. She was infectious, I guess, and she had a way of bringing people together like Elisabeth, George Harris and William. Everyone had their own little story and everyone was lost and found in a way I guess. The sideline story about Mal Evans and The Beatles was pretty interesting and I didn’t know anything about it so I guess I was learning along the way. I really didn’t like Max nor the weird relationship that briefly happened - it was a little but abusive and manipulative at times I think and I don’t know why the others did’t try and nip it in the bud from the very start which was annoying.
I think people who live in Liverpool or know Liverpool well would like this as there’s so much tidbits about the area and about The Beatles history there. For me as someone who has never been, the city came alive for me in the pages, even though the majority of the book is set in the train station.
Martha Lost was left in the lost property office in Lime Street Station in Liverpool when she was a baby and 16 years later, she’s still there. Now Martha is on the hunt to find out who she is and where she came from while also helping other lost things find their home, including an old suitcase full of Beatles memorabilia.
This was a whimsical, fun read with a touch of magical realism about an innocent 16 year old discovering the world is more than just the lost property office. I really liked Martha and she definitely had an addictive sense of personality, even if she could be a little bit silly sometimes. She was infectious, I guess, and she had a way of bringing people together like Elisabeth, George Harris and William. Everyone had their own little story and everyone was lost and found in a way I guess. The sideline story about Mal Evans and The Beatles was pretty interesting and I didn’t know anything about it so I guess I was learning along the way. I really didn’t like Max nor the weird relationship that briefly happened - it was a little but abusive and manipulative at times I think and I don’t know why the others did’t try and nip it in the bud from the very start which was annoying.
I think people who live in Liverpool or know Liverpool well would like this as there’s so much tidbits about the area and about The Beatles history there. For me as someone who has never been, the city came alive for me in the pages, even though the majority of the book is set in the train station.
March 27, 2016
Eigentlich bin ich ja meistens kein Fan von Bücher, in denen nicht allzu viel passiert, spezielle Charaktere vorkommen und alles irgendwie skurril ist.
"Das Fundbüro der Wünsche" konnte mich aber trotzdem überzeugen. All das was mich sonst stört hat hier einfach gepasst und ich habe es als eine wunderschöne und zauberhafte Geschichte empfunden, die ihren ganz eigenen Charme hat.
Heldinnen, die unglaublich naiv sind, möchte ich sehr oft einfach nur an die Wand klatschen, Martha hingegen ist so naiv, dass es einfach nur niedlich ist. Sie ein unglaublich lieber Charakter, den man einfach nur gerne haben kann und in den Arm nehmen will. Auch viele der anderen Charaktere waren unglaublich sympathisch und jeder auf seine eigene Art etwas skurril.
Die Liebe zum Detail und auch die Erwähnungen von Bücherliebe haben das Buch zu einem wundervollen Leseerlebnis gemacht. Das Buch ist wirklich etwas Besonderes.
Es gab jedoch auch paar Abschnitte, die mich dann doch etwas gelangweilt haben, aber ich kann das Buch dennoch aus vollem Herzen empfehlen.
"Das Fundbüro der Wünsche" konnte mich aber trotzdem überzeugen. All das was mich sonst stört hat hier einfach gepasst und ich habe es als eine wunderschöne und zauberhafte Geschichte empfunden, die ihren ganz eigenen Charme hat.
Heldinnen, die unglaublich naiv sind, möchte ich sehr oft einfach nur an die Wand klatschen, Martha hingegen ist so naiv, dass es einfach nur niedlich ist. Sie ein unglaublich lieber Charakter, den man einfach nur gerne haben kann und in den Arm nehmen will. Auch viele der anderen Charaktere waren unglaublich sympathisch und jeder auf seine eigene Art etwas skurril.
Die Liebe zum Detail und auch die Erwähnungen von Bücherliebe haben das Buch zu einem wundervollen Leseerlebnis gemacht. Das Buch ist wirklich etwas Besonderes.
Es gab jedoch auch paar Abschnitte, die mich dann doch etwas gelangweilt haben, aber ich kann das Buch dennoch aus vollem Herzen empfehlen.
August 2, 2016
I adored this book.
Martha Lost is 16 years old and has never stepped foot outside Lime Steet Station. She’s a foundling. A phrase I’d never heard, meaning someone who has been abandoned and found by someone at birth. She believes that if she steps foot outside of Lime Street Station it will collapse in on itself.
Her world is extremely narrow and yet she is a beautiful soul.
Wallace has done an absolutely magnificent job of creating Martha and her world without making it feel twee. You want to read on, you want to know what happens to her. To her friends. And even though you know Lime Street Station couldn’t possible collapse if she set foot outside, you hold your breath, because – could it?
It’s set in the 1970’s heatwave and it’s magical, beautifully drawn and I didn’t want to put it down. I didn’t want Martha Lost’s world to end.
It’s a book I’d highly recommend if you fancy a change from all the death and destruction of the crime reads.
With thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for my copy. I’m thrilled to have been able to read it.
Martha Lost is 16 years old and has never stepped foot outside Lime Steet Station. She’s a foundling. A phrase I’d never heard, meaning someone who has been abandoned and found by someone at birth. She believes that if she steps foot outside of Lime Street Station it will collapse in on itself.
Her world is extremely narrow and yet she is a beautiful soul.
Wallace has done an absolutely magnificent job of creating Martha and her world without making it feel twee. You want to read on, you want to know what happens to her. To her friends. And even though you know Lime Street Station couldn’t possible collapse if she set foot outside, you hold your breath, because – could it?
It’s set in the 1970’s heatwave and it’s magical, beautifully drawn and I didn’t want to put it down. I didn’t want Martha Lost’s world to end.
It’s a book I’d highly recommend if you fancy a change from all the death and destruction of the crime reads.
With thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for my copy. I’m thrilled to have been able to read it.
December 19, 2019
I was really blummin' enjoying this until the utterly unnecessary .
Why why why do authors feel that they need to throw in sexual violence as a way of illustrating a character is bad?
Why why why do authors feel that they need to throw in sexual violence as a way of illustrating a character is bad?
March 25, 2017
Not good. Annoying and mostly very silly. Will finish it soon as I never totally give up on a book, but can't wait to get to the end of this one.
September 4, 2017
I can't remember what drew me to get this audiobook, because I'm generally way less picky about audiobooks than I am about books that I read myself. Audiobooks, for me, is a much better medium for stepping out of my normal comfort zone and reading patterns. On the other hand, if I get an audiobook (I use Audible) it often takes me a very long time to actually get to listening to it, and sometimes, even though I'm enjoying the story, it can take me a very long time to finish them once I start. So I can't remember why this one.
I chose it out of my unlistened to collection primarily because it was a relatively short listen at only 9-ish hours and I finished it in a couple of days. That's really fast for me.
At first I was a little unsure of whether or not I was enjoying it. I couldn't really figure out if the style was annoying me a little or not. Eventually I got used to it and eventually I decided I kind of liked it's sort of naive simplicity. I think that happened right around the time when I discovered I really liked the main character, Martha.
At one point in the novel another character describes 16-year-old Martha as an adult trapped in a child's body. I have to disagree with this. Yes, Martha can pretty much look after herself in that she can pay bills, mind a job and feed herself. In many other ways, though, Martha is like a much younger child trapped in a 16-year-old body. She's not stupid, but she's very naive due to the upbringing she's had, even to the point of almost complete innocence. At one point I wondered if she might be slightly intellectually disabled, but really I think it's just that her upbringing was so restrictive and the sheer multitude of things she has never learned or experienced that much younger children take for granted. It's almost impossible to not be fond of her, and because I became fond of her, it was impossible to not enjoy the story.
I chose it out of my unlistened to collection primarily because it was a relatively short listen at only 9-ish hours and I finished it in a couple of days. That's really fast for me.
At first I was a little unsure of whether or not I was enjoying it. I couldn't really figure out if the style was annoying me a little or not. Eventually I got used to it and eventually I decided I kind of liked it's sort of naive simplicity. I think that happened right around the time when I discovered I really liked the main character, Martha.
At one point in the novel another character describes 16-year-old Martha as an adult trapped in a child's body. I have to disagree with this. Yes, Martha can pretty much look after herself in that she can pay bills, mind a job and feed herself. In many other ways, though, Martha is like a much younger child trapped in a 16-year-old body. She's not stupid, but she's very naive due to the upbringing she's had, even to the point of almost complete innocence. At one point I wondered if she might be slightly intellectually disabled, but really I think it's just that her upbringing was so restrictive and the sheer multitude of things she has never learned or experienced that much younger children take for granted. It's almost impossible to not be fond of her, and because I became fond of her, it was impossible to not enjoy the story.
December 2, 2017
Oh what a lovely story it was. I loved the quirky characters each one of them so weird and special in their own way. I didnt care too much for this whole Beatles part of the story but it sure was an interesting twist to read in the end that parts of that at least is true.
Mostly i loved the stories to each character, so in the end this book comes with more than just one story to tell. A lovely, charming read i would recommend anytime!
Mostly i loved the stories to each character, so in the end this book comes with more than just one story to tell. A lovely, charming read i would recommend anytime!
May 10, 2018
Recensione sul blog
Buona lettura
https://sognotrailibri.blogspot.it/20...
Buona lettura
https://sognotrailibri.blogspot.it/20...
October 7, 2021
3.5 Out of the ordinary, whimsical coming of age fairy tale with a happy ending.
December 18, 2024
This novel has a rather interesting history as I read it years ago; decided to sell it (along with some other books) to make shelf room; then recalled that I didn't dislike the book enough to see it go, so I put it back on my shelf. I've never given it a proper review until now, but for all the trouble this book has been through, I'd say it has deserved it!
The Finding of Martha Lost, by Caroline Wallace, is a standalone work of historical fiction, with a dash of magical realism, set in late 1970s England. Here, readers are introduced to the titular Martha, who has lived in Liverpool Lime Street Station all of her life after having been found in an abandoned suitcase. Over the years, she has been tasked with operating the lost properties office and, in turn, has befriended numerous members of the station's staff. However, after suffering mental abuse and confinement at the hands of her overbearing adoptive mother (known only as Mother), Martha finds herself unexpectedly tasked with proving her identity, lest she lose the only home she's ever known. Her job is to reunite owners with their missing belongings, after all - but can Martha uncover the missing parts of her own story?
Sometimes novels purporting to be charming and whimsical often miss the mark. Thankfully, in this case, such descriptors are warranted. The Finding of Martha Lost is charming and whimsical, to be sure, as well as touching and pleasantly quirky. While this isn't an action-driven story, per say, there is an underlying "quest" Martha undertakes, namely discovering her identity and obtaining legal proof of it to secure her place in both Liverpool Lime Street Station and the outside world. One attribute I appreciated from the start was that the station's environs come alive and never feel immobile even though most of the plot's action and events occur in this single location. Rather than put Martha on the move, she remains at the station and undertakes her identity search chiefly by writing questions on posters in order to obtain answers to her parentage. While keeping the setting static could have turned the plot stale, it, instead, brings the station to life alongside its characters.
Speaking of which, the term "colorful characters" feels appropriate as the novel's cast is a vibrant rainbow. To start, most of the secondary characters are more than just bystanders: they serve important roles and retain their own individual personalities. William, a homeless man who lives in the station, functions as a parallel character to Martha as both are "lost" in their own ways. His backstory is heartbreaking and allows Martha to interact with someone who, despite his haggard appearance and selective mutism, opens her perspective onto the world and the past at large. Another noteworthy side character would be George Harrison (not the Beatle), a young man who frequents the station dressed like a Roman soldier. He, too, functions as a way for Martha to experience another side of life as George lives and works in the outside world. His caring heart serve as a balm to Martha, who struggles to come to grips with what she may face should she ever step foot outside the station. Her interactions with both George and William are sweet, sympathetic, and genuine, and each of these character pairings draw out more sides and colors to Martha's own personality.
A character tied for first place (alongside Martha) as my favorite would be Elisabeth, who owns a coffee shop next to the lost properties office. Elisabeth is a great friend to Martha, and while she bears some rough edges, she serves as a bold antithesis to Martha's mousy nature. Elisabeth made me snicker at her quick wit and sheer nerve, but these traits are never overplayed. She is compassionate, willing to lend a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on, and encourages Martha in her efforts to learn about her past. On her own, Elisabeth is opinionated, free spirited, and possesses a hilarious don't-give-a-darn attitude. Just as she's unafraid to go toe-to-toe with a random jerk, she also doesn't shy away from chastising Martha when it comes to forging her own path in life outside of the station. Not to mention Elisabeth is always willing to share some of her shop's baked goods (lemon drizzle cake, anyone?). Most importantly, her dynamic with Martha is heartwarming, even sisterly, and it's hard not to enjoy every moment when Martha and Elisabeth are together.
Last but not least, I have to discuss Martha, the protagonist. I adored Martha! I loved her active, vibrant imagination as she invents backstories about everyone she meets (even if none of it is true). She is an innocent soul who twirls to the proverbial beat of her own drum, but she's not completely daft or confused as she has Elisabeth to help sort her out. Martha is an easy character with whom to sympathize as she searches for the truth about her past. She has been fed lies by her adoptive mother, and, thanks to this, Martha feels she is just as lost as the items in the lost properties office. When pressured to uncover her identity, Martha undertakes the task in her own way. While, metaphorically, her approach is akin to a nervous, reluctant child dragging her feet, she eventually takes it seriously and it's easy to mentally cheer her on.
It is through Martha where the story's magical realism element comes into play, which is small but not unimportant. She possesses an affinity for finding lost items (Elisabeth frequently calls her a "good little finder"). When Martha touches a lost object, she can see what happened to it, how it was used, and to whom it belonged before it went missing. Many times she uses this skill to help reunite items with their owners, but other times witnessing what befell an item breaks her heart. This can be related to her own view of herself: Martha herself is lost as she is unsure of her real name, her real parents, and her real place in the world. Without revealing spoilers, the reveal of Martha's true identity is a nice, smile-worthy twist. Thus, The Finding of Martha Lost, while spending much of its time searching for the lost, by no means stays in this vein, satisfied with providing characters - and readers - with answers.
Another noteworthy aspect to this novel is the incorporation of some minor history, especially as it pertains to Liverpool and some of its famous denizens. While the historical element isn't strong enough for me to classify this as "hardcore" historical fiction, it does make the most of its setting, time period, and cultural significance. The most interesting tidbit here dealt with the liver bird. This mythical bird is considered to be a local symbol for the city of Liverpool itself, and two such creatures adorn the roof of the Royal Liver Building. According to legend, if these two liver birds were to break free and fly away, Liverpool would crumble into the ground.
This concept of being "chained" to one spot is paralleled with Martha's plight. Martha believes, and reaffirms many times, that she is the train station's own resident liver bird. Should she ever vacate the station, the structure would collapse. This is a lie, of course, and yet another falsehood perpetuated by her adoptive mother. But it is one Martha clings to throughout most of the story. She firmly believes the station's survival depends on her presence: not in a cocky sort of way but in a spirit of one who is shouldering a burden too great for her to bear. Lime Street Station is a part of Martha just as she feels she is a part of it: it is her home, her workplace, her haven, and a physical manifestation of her soul. This connection delivers a level of depth to Martha's character as she takes this role seriously, despite it being a lie. It lends a sense of maturity and responsibility to her carefree sixteen year old mind and temperament, and it further endeared her as a character to me.
Another interesting historical detail the novel incorporates involves Liverpool's most famous faces, The Beatles. (Just to note, some of these details didn't come to light until long after the 1970s, the time period for this novel, so there is creative license at play.) According to a BBC News article, a suitcase supposedly full of Beatles memorabilia was sold in an Australian flea market back in 1990. 1] (Another article claims the purchaser's name was Fraser Claughton, who paid $36 American dollars for it.) On the surface, it appeared the case contained "concert programmes, photos and unreleased recordings" and is believed to have belonged to Mal Evans, a former Beatles sound recordist. Sadly, upon closer inspection, the contents were deemed to be "laser-scanned photos from the 1990s" and there were no rare recordings. [2]
In the novel, the suitcase becomes a minor background tidbit, as well as Mal Evans, a high-ranking sidekick to The Fab Four. According to this article, Evans started out as a roadie but rose through the ranks and became an important background figure for The Beatles. As the piece states, "Evans was so 'Beatle in-crowd' that he was one of the few outsiders the band actually let perform on its recordings," some of which include "Yellow Submarine," "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite," and "A Day in the Life." Again, Evans becomes a little nugget in the book's grand scheme of things, but it's a fun little nugget, especially as Elisabeth fiercely defends Evans' contributions, calling him the fifth Beatle. As a whole, these inclusions of local Liverpool trivia and Beatles history lend a sense of character and color to the story. [3]
Naturally, an underlying theme in The Finding of Martha Lost is the search for self-worth. Martha feels emotionally adrift because she doesn't know about her past, so finding even small scraps of the truth help keep her hope afloat. This moral is never hammered home but allowed to play out organically as Martha continues her search. Other subtler messages deal with the nature of family and using discernment. Martha sees her friends as like family to her, showing that, even if she never discovers her birth parents, she is not alone in the world as she is surrounded by people who care about her. In turn, they care too much to allow her to wallow in misery, cling to her mother's gaslighting, or fall for a conniving womanizer decades other than her. Usually it is Elisabeth who stands as the voice of reason, but rather than have her spout trite platitudes, the book's latent moral about developing and displaying emotional acumen is presented more in a proper show don't tell manner.
My only negative comments towards this novel concern its inclusion of somewhat frequent profanities (chiefly spouted by a minor male character) and an attempted rape that occurs in one of the book's final chapters. These content concerns threaten to put a stain on an otherwise gently humorous, wholesome story. However, while the harsher language and attempted rape seem excessive and maybe were not needed, they do make sense in context, so I can overlook these flaws. They're worth pointing out (you can peruse more details below in the Content section), but I hope it won't be enough to detract readers. It didn't detract me, and I'm glad to have made an acquaintance with this book.
Overall, The Finding of Martha Lost is a warm, whimsical story filled with compelling, humorous characters who invite readers into their world. Even though that world just happens to be a Liverpool train station, it's a realm that becomes a joy to visit thanks to its vibrant cast and gently developed missing identity plot. For readers searching for an uplifting story, look no further. Though the word lost might be in its title, this novel is a delightful treasure waiting to be found.
Content:
Language - Occasional to somewhat frequent PG to PG-13 level language (including British swears), as well as sporadic f-words, are spoken throughout, but nothing becomes too pervasive. (One minor male character speaks most of the harshest profanities.)
Violence - Nothing in terms of anything graphic or gory. Mother is verbally and emotionally abusive towards Martha, criticizing her choices and making sure Martha never ventures from the station. For a time, Martha falls for Mother's gaslighting attempts but eventually sees the manipulation for what it is. Lastly, station management sends two thugs to try to beat Martha up with cricket bats when she can't produce proof of her identity. However, other characters come to her aid, threaten to turn on the thugs, and fiercely defend Martha's plight to management. Lastly, during a flashback, we're told that a child wet himself during a moment of intense stress.
Sexual Content - Martha, who is sixteen, eventually befriends a nearly 40 year old divorced man. Though she prefers to keep things friendly, he declares he "loves" her, later kisses her, and admits he wants to have sex with her. Martha, to her credit, doesn't encourage these sentiments though she still views him as a friend (other characters discourage the relationship). In the end, the man corners Martha in her apartment and attempts to rape her. (There are mentions of him tearing her nightgown, revealing her nipples, and undoing his pants and exposing his genitals.) However, a male character comes to Martha's rescue and beats up the would-be rapist before he can do any further harm to Martha. The attacker is then called out for his disgusting actions towards an underage girl and driven out of town. Elsewhere, Martha jokingly salutes a brass male statute's genitals. Lastly, a character reveals she once considered having an abortion but decided not to follow through with it (nothing is related in any detail).
Sources:
[1] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainm...
[2] https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-x...
[3] Ibid
The Finding of Martha Lost, by Caroline Wallace, is a standalone work of historical fiction, with a dash of magical realism, set in late 1970s England. Here, readers are introduced to the titular Martha, who has lived in Liverpool Lime Street Station all of her life after having been found in an abandoned suitcase. Over the years, she has been tasked with operating the lost properties office and, in turn, has befriended numerous members of the station's staff. However, after suffering mental abuse and confinement at the hands of her overbearing adoptive mother (known only as Mother), Martha finds herself unexpectedly tasked with proving her identity, lest she lose the only home she's ever known. Her job is to reunite owners with their missing belongings, after all - but can Martha uncover the missing parts of her own story?
Sometimes novels purporting to be charming and whimsical often miss the mark. Thankfully, in this case, such descriptors are warranted. The Finding of Martha Lost is charming and whimsical, to be sure, as well as touching and pleasantly quirky. While this isn't an action-driven story, per say, there is an underlying "quest" Martha undertakes, namely discovering her identity and obtaining legal proof of it to secure her place in both Liverpool Lime Street Station and the outside world. One attribute I appreciated from the start was that the station's environs come alive and never feel immobile even though most of the plot's action and events occur in this single location. Rather than put Martha on the move, she remains at the station and undertakes her identity search chiefly by writing questions on posters in order to obtain answers to her parentage. While keeping the setting static could have turned the plot stale, it, instead, brings the station to life alongside its characters.
Speaking of which, the term "colorful characters" feels appropriate as the novel's cast is a vibrant rainbow. To start, most of the secondary characters are more than just bystanders: they serve important roles and retain their own individual personalities. William, a homeless man who lives in the station, functions as a parallel character to Martha as both are "lost" in their own ways. His backstory is heartbreaking and allows Martha to interact with someone who, despite his haggard appearance and selective mutism, opens her perspective onto the world and the past at large. Another noteworthy side character would be George Harrison (not the Beatle), a young man who frequents the station dressed like a Roman soldier. He, too, functions as a way for Martha to experience another side of life as George lives and works in the outside world. His caring heart serve as a balm to Martha, who struggles to come to grips with what she may face should she ever step foot outside the station. Her interactions with both George and William are sweet, sympathetic, and genuine, and each of these character pairings draw out more sides and colors to Martha's own personality.
A character tied for first place (alongside Martha) as my favorite would be Elisabeth, who owns a coffee shop next to the lost properties office. Elisabeth is a great friend to Martha, and while she bears some rough edges, she serves as a bold antithesis to Martha's mousy nature. Elisabeth made me snicker at her quick wit and sheer nerve, but these traits are never overplayed. She is compassionate, willing to lend a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on, and encourages Martha in her efforts to learn about her past. On her own, Elisabeth is opinionated, free spirited, and possesses a hilarious don't-give-a-darn attitude. Just as she's unafraid to go toe-to-toe with a random jerk, she also doesn't shy away from chastising Martha when it comes to forging her own path in life outside of the station. Not to mention Elisabeth is always willing to share some of her shop's baked goods (lemon drizzle cake, anyone?). Most importantly, her dynamic with Martha is heartwarming, even sisterly, and it's hard not to enjoy every moment when Martha and Elisabeth are together.
Last but not least, I have to discuss Martha, the protagonist. I adored Martha! I loved her active, vibrant imagination as she invents backstories about everyone she meets (even if none of it is true). She is an innocent soul who twirls to the proverbial beat of her own drum, but she's not completely daft or confused as she has Elisabeth to help sort her out. Martha is an easy character with whom to sympathize as she searches for the truth about her past. She has been fed lies by her adoptive mother, and, thanks to this, Martha feels she is just as lost as the items in the lost properties office. When pressured to uncover her identity, Martha undertakes the task in her own way. While, metaphorically, her approach is akin to a nervous, reluctant child dragging her feet, she eventually takes it seriously and it's easy to mentally cheer her on.
It is through Martha where the story's magical realism element comes into play, which is small but not unimportant. She possesses an affinity for finding lost items (Elisabeth frequently calls her a "good little finder"). When Martha touches a lost object, she can see what happened to it, how it was used, and to whom it belonged before it went missing. Many times she uses this skill to help reunite items with their owners, but other times witnessing what befell an item breaks her heart. This can be related to her own view of herself: Martha herself is lost as she is unsure of her real name, her real parents, and her real place in the world. Without revealing spoilers, the reveal of Martha's true identity is a nice, smile-worthy twist. Thus, The Finding of Martha Lost, while spending much of its time searching for the lost, by no means stays in this vein, satisfied with providing characters - and readers - with answers.
Another noteworthy aspect to this novel is the incorporation of some minor history, especially as it pertains to Liverpool and some of its famous denizens. While the historical element isn't strong enough for me to classify this as "hardcore" historical fiction, it does make the most of its setting, time period, and cultural significance. The most interesting tidbit here dealt with the liver bird. This mythical bird is considered to be a local symbol for the city of Liverpool itself, and two such creatures adorn the roof of the Royal Liver Building. According to legend, if these two liver birds were to break free and fly away, Liverpool would crumble into the ground.
This concept of being "chained" to one spot is paralleled with Martha's plight. Martha believes, and reaffirms many times, that she is the train station's own resident liver bird. Should she ever vacate the station, the structure would collapse. This is a lie, of course, and yet another falsehood perpetuated by her adoptive mother. But it is one Martha clings to throughout most of the story. She firmly believes the station's survival depends on her presence: not in a cocky sort of way but in a spirit of one who is shouldering a burden too great for her to bear. Lime Street Station is a part of Martha just as she feels she is a part of it: it is her home, her workplace, her haven, and a physical manifestation of her soul. This connection delivers a level of depth to Martha's character as she takes this role seriously, despite it being a lie. It lends a sense of maturity and responsibility to her carefree sixteen year old mind and temperament, and it further endeared her as a character to me.
Another interesting historical detail the novel incorporates involves Liverpool's most famous faces, The Beatles. (Just to note, some of these details didn't come to light until long after the 1970s, the time period for this novel, so there is creative license at play.) According to a BBC News article, a suitcase supposedly full of Beatles memorabilia was sold in an Australian flea market back in 1990. 1] (Another article claims the purchaser's name was Fraser Claughton, who paid $36 American dollars for it.) On the surface, it appeared the case contained "concert programmes, photos and unreleased recordings" and is believed to have belonged to Mal Evans, a former Beatles sound recordist. Sadly, upon closer inspection, the contents were deemed to be "laser-scanned photos from the 1990s" and there were no rare recordings. [2]
In the novel, the suitcase becomes a minor background tidbit, as well as Mal Evans, a high-ranking sidekick to The Fab Four. According to this article, Evans started out as a roadie but rose through the ranks and became an important background figure for The Beatles. As the piece states, "Evans was so 'Beatle in-crowd' that he was one of the few outsiders the band actually let perform on its recordings," some of which include "Yellow Submarine," "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite," and "A Day in the Life." Again, Evans becomes a little nugget in the book's grand scheme of things, but it's a fun little nugget, especially as Elisabeth fiercely defends Evans' contributions, calling him the fifth Beatle. As a whole, these inclusions of local Liverpool trivia and Beatles history lend a sense of character and color to the story. [3]
Naturally, an underlying theme in The Finding of Martha Lost is the search for self-worth. Martha feels emotionally adrift because she doesn't know about her past, so finding even small scraps of the truth help keep her hope afloat. This moral is never hammered home but allowed to play out organically as Martha continues her search. Other subtler messages deal with the nature of family and using discernment. Martha sees her friends as like family to her, showing that, even if she never discovers her birth parents, she is not alone in the world as she is surrounded by people who care about her. In turn, they care too much to allow her to wallow in misery, cling to her mother's gaslighting, or fall for a conniving womanizer decades other than her. Usually it is Elisabeth who stands as the voice of reason, but rather than have her spout trite platitudes, the book's latent moral about developing and displaying emotional acumen is presented more in a proper show don't tell manner.
My only negative comments towards this novel concern its inclusion of somewhat frequent profanities (chiefly spouted by a minor male character) and an attempted rape that occurs in one of the book's final chapters. These content concerns threaten to put a stain on an otherwise gently humorous, wholesome story. However, while the harsher language and attempted rape seem excessive and maybe were not needed, they do make sense in context, so I can overlook these flaws. They're worth pointing out (you can peruse more details below in the Content section), but I hope it won't be enough to detract readers. It didn't detract me, and I'm glad to have made an acquaintance with this book.
Overall, The Finding of Martha Lost is a warm, whimsical story filled with compelling, humorous characters who invite readers into their world. Even though that world just happens to be a Liverpool train station, it's a realm that becomes a joy to visit thanks to its vibrant cast and gently developed missing identity plot. For readers searching for an uplifting story, look no further. Though the word lost might be in its title, this novel is a delightful treasure waiting to be found.
Content:
Language - Occasional to somewhat frequent PG to PG-13 level language (including British swears), as well as sporadic f-words, are spoken throughout, but nothing becomes too pervasive. (One minor male character speaks most of the harshest profanities.)
Violence - Nothing in terms of anything graphic or gory. Mother is verbally and emotionally abusive towards Martha, criticizing her choices and making sure Martha never ventures from the station. For a time, Martha falls for Mother's gaslighting attempts but eventually sees the manipulation for what it is. Lastly, station management sends two thugs to try to beat Martha up with cricket bats when she can't produce proof of her identity. However, other characters come to her aid, threaten to turn on the thugs, and fiercely defend Martha's plight to management. Lastly, during a flashback, we're told that a child wet himself during a moment of intense stress.
Sexual Content - Martha, who is sixteen, eventually befriends a nearly 40 year old divorced man. Though she prefers to keep things friendly, he declares he "loves" her, later kisses her, and admits he wants to have sex with her. Martha, to her credit, doesn't encourage these sentiments though she still views him as a friend (other characters discourage the relationship). In the end, the man corners Martha in her apartment and attempts to rape her. (There are mentions of him tearing her nightgown, revealing her nipples, and undoing his pants and exposing his genitals.) However, a male character comes to Martha's rescue and beats up the would-be rapist before he can do any further harm to Martha. The attacker is then called out for his disgusting actions towards an underage girl and driven out of town. Elsewhere, Martha jokingly salutes a brass male statute's genitals. Lastly, a character reveals she once considered having an abortion but decided not to follow through with it (nothing is related in any detail).
Sources:
[1] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainm...
[2] https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-x...
[3] Ibid
April 15, 2016
My review of ths truly wonderful book.
The finding of Martha Lost isn't just a book its a fully immersive reading experience...
If you can remember the heyday of the Beatles, Cilla Black, jukeboxes and the long hot summer of 1976 you’ll find a particular affinity within the pages of Martha Lost. If you can’t remember this era you’ll enjoy a little jaunt back into a magical past set in an unlikely location and peopled with larger than life characters.
This is one of the hardest books to categorize, I found it totally unique, mesmerising and wonderful. With faint reminders of Neverwhere and the book of lost things I did expect it was going to be more of a fantasy than it turns out to be, it’s certainly otherworldly yet all of it is based firmly in our world with very real human characters and Liverpool locations familiar by reputation If never actually visited. Lime street station, the Liver buildings, the Cavern club.
We meet Martha as she spins around the station greeting familiar faces all quirky and larger than life. Martha lives in the station with the revoltingly cruel Mother who runs the lost property office and has an apartment above it. I honestly thought Martha was about 6 years old at first and got a little confused when I realized she’s 16 years old and had to turn back a few pages and begin again. This is a coming of age story with real charm and a heroine I absolutely adored, though I did wish she would stop spinning everywhere – she made me dizzy!
Martha is a foundling, not only does she live above and work within the lost property office she belongs to it. This is where she was found as an abandoned baby and has been waiting ever since for someone to turn up and claim her.
Meanwhile she spends her days reuniting missing umbrellas, stray false teeth and abandoned books with their owners, creating a library of lost books and utilising her unique skill of being able to see the circumstances in which items went missing just by touch. But she can’t find out who she belongs to.
Next door is a coffee bar run by Martha’s friend Elisabeth who shows her support of Martha by providing large quantities of lemon drizzle cake and a shoulder to lean on, we meet an enigmatic Roman soldier called George and the very smelly but strangely loveable outcast William. Alongside Martha’s story is the parallel tale of the lost ashes of Mal Evans ex-Beatles roadie – a real character woven into this story who plays his own Post mortem part in Martha finding herself.
I must admit I wasn’t sure about reading this book from the description – it almost sounded a little silly and very far fetched and I worried I may be a little too pragmatic to enjoy it ….. WRONG on all counts. I read an excerpt of it on a blog which piqued my interest – I just HAD to read on.
The finding of Martha Lost, will I feel, stay with me for some time. It’s one of those books which made me feel bereft after finishing it as though I’d suddenly lost touch with a whole group of lovely friends.
It charmed and captivated me throughout and the ending was just perfect.
The finding of Martha Lost isn't just a book its a fully immersive reading experience...
If you can remember the heyday of the Beatles, Cilla Black, jukeboxes and the long hot summer of 1976 you’ll find a particular affinity within the pages of Martha Lost. If you can’t remember this era you’ll enjoy a little jaunt back into a magical past set in an unlikely location and peopled with larger than life characters.
This is one of the hardest books to categorize, I found it totally unique, mesmerising and wonderful. With faint reminders of Neverwhere and the book of lost things I did expect it was going to be more of a fantasy than it turns out to be, it’s certainly otherworldly yet all of it is based firmly in our world with very real human characters and Liverpool locations familiar by reputation If never actually visited. Lime street station, the Liver buildings, the Cavern club.
We meet Martha as she spins around the station greeting familiar faces all quirky and larger than life. Martha lives in the station with the revoltingly cruel Mother who runs the lost property office and has an apartment above it. I honestly thought Martha was about 6 years old at first and got a little confused when I realized she’s 16 years old and had to turn back a few pages and begin again. This is a coming of age story with real charm and a heroine I absolutely adored, though I did wish she would stop spinning everywhere – she made me dizzy!
Martha is a foundling, not only does she live above and work within the lost property office she belongs to it. This is where she was found as an abandoned baby and has been waiting ever since for someone to turn up and claim her.
Meanwhile she spends her days reuniting missing umbrellas, stray false teeth and abandoned books with their owners, creating a library of lost books and utilising her unique skill of being able to see the circumstances in which items went missing just by touch. But she can’t find out who she belongs to.
Next door is a coffee bar run by Martha’s friend Elisabeth who shows her support of Martha by providing large quantities of lemon drizzle cake and a shoulder to lean on, we meet an enigmatic Roman soldier called George and the very smelly but strangely loveable outcast William. Alongside Martha’s story is the parallel tale of the lost ashes of Mal Evans ex-Beatles roadie – a real character woven into this story who plays his own Post mortem part in Martha finding herself.
I must admit I wasn’t sure about reading this book from the description – it almost sounded a little silly and very far fetched and I worried I may be a little too pragmatic to enjoy it ….. WRONG on all counts. I read an excerpt of it on a blog which piqued my interest – I just HAD to read on.
The finding of Martha Lost, will I feel, stay with me for some time. It’s one of those books which made me feel bereft after finishing it as though I’d suddenly lost touch with a whole group of lovely friends.
It charmed and captivated me throughout and the ending was just perfect.
August 19, 2016
3,5 Sterne
Als ich das Buch angefangen habe zu lesen, ist mir sogleich der wundervolle Schreibstil der Autorin aufgefallen. Ihre Worte hüllen einen ein und lassen eine total warmherzige Atmosphäre entstehen, sodass man sich sofort wohl in der Geschichte fühlt. Das war für mich ziemlich überraschend, da ich Bahnhöfe bisher nur mit viel Hektik und Ungemütlichkeit in Verbindung gebracht habe. Der Lime-Street Bahnhof ist jedoch das genaue Gegenteil. Er strahlt förmlich, was vor allem einer Person zu verdanken: unser Protagonistin Martha. Sie sprüht nur so vor kindlicher Freude und Lebendigkeit.
Dass Martha nicht wie andere 16 Jährige ist, merkt man bereits beim ersten Kennenlernen. So kommt sie einem u.a. viel jünger vor. Grund hierfür ist die Erziehung ihrer Ziehmutter, die man am besten mit den Worten religiöse Fanatikerin bzw. Spinnerin beschreibt. Sie hat Martha mit aller Strenge erzogen und teilweise auch misshandelt. Marthas unverblümte, naive Art hat mich aber nicht im Geringsten gestört. Im Gegenteil! Das war gerade das, was Martha so liebenswert gemacht hat.
Martha hat den Lime-Street Bahnhof bisher nie verlassen, da „ihre Mutter“ ihr erzählt hat, dass, wenn sie ihn verlassen sollte, er einstürzen würde. Das möchte sie natürlich auf keinen Fall, immerhin ist der Bahnhof das Zuhause von ihr und ihren Freunden.
Jetzt habe ich schon viel über Martha erzählt, aber ihre besondere Gabe noch gar nicht erwähnt. Wenn Martha verlorene Dinge berührt, dann kann sie die Geschichte dahinter sehen, d.h. sie sieht wie der Gegenstand verloren gegangen ist. Dieser Aspekt hat dafür gesorgt, dass ich mich ein bisschen wie im Märchen gefühlt habe.
Marthas Leben wird ganz schön durcheinandergewirbelt, als sie eines Tages ein Brief erreicht, in dem ihr ein anonymer Schreiber verrät, dass er etwas über ihre Vergangenheit und ihre richtigen Eltern weiß. Ihre Neugier wird dadurch natürlich sofort geweckt und es beginnt eine spannende Spurensuche. Nebenbei dürfen wir weiter das Leben am Bahnhof verfolgen. Ich kann euch sagen, dass sie Seiten nur so dahingeflogen sind. Habe ich das Buch einmal beiseitegelegt, dann konnte ich es kaum erwarten wieder in Marthas Welt einzutauchen.
Dass ich bis jetzt nur lobende Worte für das Buch übrig hatte, ist so, weil ich in der ersten Hälfte wirklich nichts zu bemängeln hatte. In der zweiten Hälfte sah das leider etwas anders aus. Hier gab es ein/zwei Wendungen bzw. Ereignisse, die mir die Geschichte ein wenig vermiest haben. 1.) Weil es einfach total übertrieben war. 2.) Weil ein großer Schritt in Marthas Leben in wenigen Sätzen abgehandelt wurde 3.) Weil die Autorin damit gesorgt hat, dass mich Marthas Naivität auf einmal tierisch genervt hat. Außerdem konnte ich auch das Verhalten einiger anderer Personen nicht ganz nachvollziehen Und viertens, weil das Geschehen zwischenzeitlich sehr verwirrend wurde und ich nicht mehr ganz durchgeblickt habe.
Zum Glück hat mir das Ende wieder gefallen :)
Als ich das Buch angefangen habe zu lesen, ist mir sogleich der wundervolle Schreibstil der Autorin aufgefallen. Ihre Worte hüllen einen ein und lassen eine total warmherzige Atmosphäre entstehen, sodass man sich sofort wohl in der Geschichte fühlt. Das war für mich ziemlich überraschend, da ich Bahnhöfe bisher nur mit viel Hektik und Ungemütlichkeit in Verbindung gebracht habe. Der Lime-Street Bahnhof ist jedoch das genaue Gegenteil. Er strahlt förmlich, was vor allem einer Person zu verdanken: unser Protagonistin Martha. Sie sprüht nur so vor kindlicher Freude und Lebendigkeit.
Dass Martha nicht wie andere 16 Jährige ist, merkt man bereits beim ersten Kennenlernen. So kommt sie einem u.a. viel jünger vor. Grund hierfür ist die Erziehung ihrer Ziehmutter, die man am besten mit den Worten religiöse Fanatikerin bzw. Spinnerin beschreibt. Sie hat Martha mit aller Strenge erzogen und teilweise auch misshandelt. Marthas unverblümte, naive Art hat mich aber nicht im Geringsten gestört. Im Gegenteil! Das war gerade das, was Martha so liebenswert gemacht hat.
Martha hat den Lime-Street Bahnhof bisher nie verlassen, da „ihre Mutter“ ihr erzählt hat, dass, wenn sie ihn verlassen sollte, er einstürzen würde. Das möchte sie natürlich auf keinen Fall, immerhin ist der Bahnhof das Zuhause von ihr und ihren Freunden.
Jetzt habe ich schon viel über Martha erzählt, aber ihre besondere Gabe noch gar nicht erwähnt. Wenn Martha verlorene Dinge berührt, dann kann sie die Geschichte dahinter sehen, d.h. sie sieht wie der Gegenstand verloren gegangen ist. Dieser Aspekt hat dafür gesorgt, dass ich mich ein bisschen wie im Märchen gefühlt habe.
Marthas Leben wird ganz schön durcheinandergewirbelt, als sie eines Tages ein Brief erreicht, in dem ihr ein anonymer Schreiber verrät, dass er etwas über ihre Vergangenheit und ihre richtigen Eltern weiß. Ihre Neugier wird dadurch natürlich sofort geweckt und es beginnt eine spannende Spurensuche. Nebenbei dürfen wir weiter das Leben am Bahnhof verfolgen. Ich kann euch sagen, dass sie Seiten nur so dahingeflogen sind. Habe ich das Buch einmal beiseitegelegt, dann konnte ich es kaum erwarten wieder in Marthas Welt einzutauchen.
Dass ich bis jetzt nur lobende Worte für das Buch übrig hatte, ist so, weil ich in der ersten Hälfte wirklich nichts zu bemängeln hatte. In der zweiten Hälfte sah das leider etwas anders aus. Hier gab es ein/zwei Wendungen bzw. Ereignisse, die mir die Geschichte ein wenig vermiest haben. 1.) Weil es einfach total übertrieben war. 2.) Weil ein großer Schritt in Marthas Leben in wenigen Sätzen abgehandelt wurde 3.) Weil die Autorin damit gesorgt hat, dass mich Marthas Naivität auf einmal tierisch genervt hat. Außerdem konnte ich auch das Verhalten einiger anderer Personen nicht ganz nachvollziehen Und viertens, weil das Geschehen zwischenzeitlich sehr verwirrend wurde und ich nicht mehr ganz durchgeblickt habe.
Zum Glück hat mir das Ende wieder gefallen :)
March 12, 2017
3.5 stars. An interesting story with a cast of unique characters...and a little magic.
March 25, 2019
Kniha s niekoľkými príbehmi je vždy zaujímavá. Akurát, že mňa zaujal len ten vymyslený, o Marte Stratenej, ktorú niekto odložil na železničnej stanici ako bábätko a ujala sa jej žena pracujúca v stratách a nálezoch. No nebola jej dobrou matkou. Napriek tomu mám z celej knihy taký živý pocit šťastia, je tam veľa hudby, tanca, čaju a koláčov, kníh, listov a ľudí, ktorí sa v istom okamihu musia nájsť. A áno, aj stratených vecí. Marta dokáže rozpoznať dotykom, komu a ako sa daná vec stratila, a preto ju neskôr vie vrátiť. Takéto mini príbehy sú najlepšie. (Predstavujem si to ako film podobný Amélii z Montmartru. Len je to britské a všade znie Beatles.) No čo sa mi veľmi páčilo, je jej dúhová kniznica v pivnici... Miluje stratené a nevyzdvihnuté knihy, si ich odkladá a kupuje, a potom usporadúva podľa farieb na chrbte. Marta je presvedčená, že je legendou (tak ako bájne holuby) a nemôže opustiť liverpoolsku stanicu Lime Street (inak by došlo k jej zničeniu) a celých 16 rokov je iba toto jej svet. Nepozná skutočných rodičov, no musí začať klásť tie správne otázky, aby sa dozvedela pravdu. Príbeh o Malovi, pravej ruke kapely Beatles, ktorý podnietil autorku k napísaniu knihy je... proste je súčasťou románu, ale nebralo ma to. Konce sa dajú rozmotať, keď sa dostaneme na ich začiatok. Ach, mohla by som pokračovať, ale zase by som všetko vyzradila. Je to fakt pekný príbeh.
July 30, 2017
The Finding of Martha Lost was on my to-read list for a while, I loved the sound of a girl being found and brought up at a lost and found office in a station, the premise seeming both quirky and magical, a la Hugo. However, while there were some fantastical elements to the story, and a fascinating array of characters surrounding Martha, the actual story didn't capture my attention like I hoped it would.
Rather than being magical and charming, it was often unexpectedly harsh – and the whole storyline surrounding a missing case of supposed Beatles memorabilia and the Australian journalist on the hunt for answers and riches making his way into Martha's life was just completely off-putting. A real shame, as I would've loved a magical tale of a bookish girl who was lost (both literally and figuratively) growing up and finding her way in life, but instead what I read was an often harrowing story not fully explored because of unnecessary events taking centre stage.
The one unexpected plus side was that I read this book in the week before I visited Liverpool (where the story takes place) myself, which wasn't planned though a happy coincidence as it meant some of the places mentioned were already familiar to me on my visit!
Rather than being magical and charming, it was often unexpectedly harsh – and the whole storyline surrounding a missing case of supposed Beatles memorabilia and the Australian journalist on the hunt for answers and riches making his way into Martha's life was just completely off-putting. A real shame, as I would've loved a magical tale of a bookish girl who was lost (both literally and figuratively) growing up and finding her way in life, but instead what I read was an often harrowing story not fully explored because of unnecessary events taking centre stage.
The one unexpected plus side was that I read this book in the week before I visited Liverpool (where the story takes place) myself, which wasn't planned though a happy coincidence as it meant some of the places mentioned were already familiar to me on my visit!
March 27, 2016
The Finding of Martha Lost is sweet, quirky and charming, with magic and wonder flowing through every page, as 16-year-old Martha embarks on a search for her birth mother and her true identity.
Martha is a delightful character, naive in some ways and worldly beyond her years in others. I loved the way her story is weaved together with the underlying Beatles theme. The other colourful characters' personalities also shine out of the page and really bring the book to life.
The Finding of Martha Lost is a very easy, enjoyable read. It's a journey of self-discovery, with gentle humour and a few darker moments thrown into the mix. I've never been to Liverpool myself, and the book makes me want to visit Lime Street Station, spin around for a while and then watch people go by and wonder about their individual stories. The descriptions were so vivid and beautifully written that I could picture the station and its occupants as I read.
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Martha is a delightful character, naive in some ways and worldly beyond her years in others. I loved the way her story is weaved together with the underlying Beatles theme. The other colourful characters' personalities also shine out of the page and really bring the book to life.
The Finding of Martha Lost is a very easy, enjoyable read. It's a journey of self-discovery, with gentle humour and a few darker moments thrown into the mix. I've never been to Liverpool myself, and the book makes me want to visit Lime Street Station, spin around for a while and then watch people go by and wonder about their individual stories. The descriptions were so vivid and beautifully written that I could picture the station and its occupants as I read.
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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