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The Lost Library
“Sometimes magic calls to us. Other times, it simply leaves the door open.” Sidney Everly is always waiting for it to happen. She’s not sure what it is, but the anticipation has left her uneasy. Her small hometown of Kent is under water, both of her parents are gone, and the baby she and her husband hope for is out of reach. When all of Kent’s words disappear—the ink running from its pages like water on glass—and an unknown infant is delivered to her doorstep, Sidney will be forced to choose between the stories she loves and a child she didn’t expect. Exploring themes of adoption, loss, and what it means to be family, The Lost Library is the tale of two worlds coming together to erase the Void that exists between them.
193 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2020
6 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Steph Whitacre
2 books5 followersSteph Whitacre is a writer, editor, and word nerd who specializes in helping brilliant people zero in on ideas and share their stories. Steph is the co-author of The Volunteer Project: Stop Recruiting. Start Retaining.—a work that draws from her background in family and student ministries. The Lost Library is her first fiction novel.
Steph lives outside Atlanta with her husband, Tim, and their son, Landon. Her best days are spent enjoying a laugh or going on an adventure with family and friends. She can be found online at stephwhitacre.com and @stephwhitacre.
Steph lives outside Atlanta with her husband, Tim, and their son, Landon. Her best days are spent enjoying a laugh or going on an adventure with family and friends. She can be found online at stephwhitacre.com and @stephwhitacre.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 31, 2020
Excellent work and first novel, solid 4.5 star
Highly recommended read. It's short and sweet, with an intriguing story plot that end up nicely wrapped. I was super close to give it a 5 stars and it honestly deserves it seeing as it is a self-publishes first novel. You wouldn't know by the professional style and thoroughness in wrapping up ideas one after the other. I did feel it was a bit too short for the amount of material that was covered. It gives a sense that there could be much more to the story than this short telling. And indeed, there's really a great opportunity here for world building. I find myself wanting to know more about the fantasy world inside this novel which did not receive the attention it deserves. I have a lot of questions about Irengale, and there's definitely a huge opportunity for world building with it. Why is there a griffin in that world? Who is he really? What was that war before anything started? Who was the previous King? What kind of individual is Silas? How will he related to Noah when he comes back? What happened to Noah back in Irengale? Can I wish for a trilogy out of this??
And back to Kent, I find myself wanting to know more about the library. I wished there had been more details about the storm and the constant rain. Maybe more "atmosphere" building around the gloominess surrounding those who stayed.
Anyway, I don't think all of my questions had any goal or place in this novel. My take is that more than anything else it was mostly about Sidney and her longing to be a Mom, with a wish granted in "extreme" circumstances but with a footnote to it, so to speak. The human side of the story was very well developed, the tensions and emotions between Sidney, Will and Noah very well written. Throughout the novel, we get a good insight of what it takes to be in this unique family dynamic. So, in that regard, I believe this novel was more a "human" story more than fantasy :-) Excellent work with heat potential, so here's to hoping I will see more work in the future possibly around Noah or Tük, hopefully in Irengale. Fingers crossed!
Highly recommended read. It's short and sweet, with an intriguing story plot that end up nicely wrapped. I was super close to give it a 5 stars and it honestly deserves it seeing as it is a self-publishes first novel. You wouldn't know by the professional style and thoroughness in wrapping up ideas one after the other. I did feel it was a bit too short for the amount of material that was covered. It gives a sense that there could be much more to the story than this short telling. And indeed, there's really a great opportunity here for world building. I find myself wanting to know more about the fantasy world inside this novel which did not receive the attention it deserves. I have a lot of questions about Irengale, and there's definitely a huge opportunity for world building with it. Why is there a griffin in that world? Who is he really? What was that war before anything started? Who was the previous King? What kind of individual is Silas? How will he related to Noah when he comes back? What happened to Noah back in Irengale? Can I wish for a trilogy out of this??
And back to Kent, I find myself wanting to know more about the library. I wished there had been more details about the storm and the constant rain. Maybe more "atmosphere" building around the gloominess surrounding those who stayed.
Anyway, I don't think all of my questions had any goal or place in this novel. My take is that more than anything else it was mostly about Sidney and her longing to be a Mom, with a wish granted in "extreme" circumstances but with a footnote to it, so to speak. The human side of the story was very well developed, the tensions and emotions between Sidney, Will and Noah very well written. Throughout the novel, we get a good insight of what it takes to be in this unique family dynamic. So, in that regard, I believe this novel was more a "human" story more than fantasy :-) Excellent work with heat potential, so here's to hoping I will see more work in the future possibly around Noah or Tük, hopefully in Irengale. Fingers crossed!
December 6, 2020
This was an absolutely beautiful book. It was magical--but not TOO magical--and had a love story--but not TOO much of a love story--and it was family and it was stories and evoked such a sense of place(s). I know the author, and it was delightful to suss out pieces of her life in the characters and their feelings, but it stands on its own. It's evocative of Narnia and A Wrinkle in Time (which is mentioned throughout) and I absolutely loved it.
December 3, 2020
Wow. What a delightful book!
This story is everything a fairy tale should be. It has all the wisdom, and heart, and wonder of our favorite stories from childhood without any of the trite or cliched devices that would mark this as just another fairy tale. It’s something adults will love as much as younger readers, and Steph’s ability to turn a phrase—to twist an innocuous statement into an emotional gut-punch—is thrilling to see as a fellow writer. I devoured this beautiful book, which conjures so much of the nostalgia of books like A Wrinkle In Time or Narnia, in one day.
A beautiful addition to your library. Well done, Steph!
This story is everything a fairy tale should be. It has all the wisdom, and heart, and wonder of our favorite stories from childhood without any of the trite or cliched devices that would mark this as just another fairy tale. It’s something adults will love as much as younger readers, and Steph’s ability to turn a phrase—to twist an innocuous statement into an emotional gut-punch—is thrilling to see as a fellow writer. I devoured this beautiful book, which conjures so much of the nostalgia of books like A Wrinkle In Time or Narnia, in one day.
A beautiful addition to your library. Well done, Steph!
March 31, 2021
A fascinating interaction of a "modern world," where a childless young mother and father receive a baby on their doorstep, that unknowingly invites a "nearby" fantasy world to enter and leave singular unexpected consequences: one, the erasure of text from all of a local library's books! And that's just the beginning. What follows in the altered world that works around this is difficult in some places to describe. Nonetheless, this altered set of circumstances is bravely and courageously accepted by the new parents who are especially loving and tender, in the raising of the child with everyone facing a modified everyday life. Rich narrative description--Whitacre is skillful with words--of certain moments occurring over decades describe the path the baby-child-man must follow, in his quest here or possibly elsewhere back in the unusual place from which he came.
June 4, 2025
THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews