Lost & Found: When everything is falling apart, sometimes all you need is a friend

by James Gould-Bourn

' Heartwarming and life affirming! A rare gem of a read!' Heidi Swain

'Hits that sweet spot between being properly funny and gut-punchingly emotional' - Sun

'Reading it made me want to dance. An absolute gem of a book' - Katie Marsh

Ronnie has resigned himself to a life of loneliness.

His life in the crumbling seaside town of Bingham-on-Sea never seemed that bad, but since the loss of his father, the highlights of Ronnie's solitary days include manning the lost property office at the bus station where he works, and plaguing his local GP with increasingly outlandish ailments. Forgotten or underestimated by all those around him, Ronnie is lost, and he's not expecting to be found.

But when a chance encounter leads Ronnie to reluctantly foster Hamlet, an unwanted stray dog, his empty days begin to fill with all manner of new responsibilities and experiences.

Can these two lost souls help each other to find a new lease of life?

Praise for James

'Uplifting' WOMAN & HOME
'Touching and often hilarious... A truly joyful read' PRESS & JOURNAL
'Fresh and very, very funny. An absolute gem of a book' KATIE MARSH

333 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 12, 2023

About the author

James Gould-Bourn was born and raised in Manchester. He is an award-winning screenwriter and has previously worked for various landmine-clearance NGOs in Africa and the Middle East. Bear Necessity is his first novel.

Reviews

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually wasn't sure what to think of this book at first because the first bit seemed slow but I plowed on because I could relate to the character alot.
I loved how it all eventually fell into place for Ronnie, Hamlet and all the other characters.
This is actually a great heart warming book about friends, animals, and yes, dogs.
I really enjoyed it and its a book I would read again.
It is one of my top faves.

[Priya · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to describe this book using a single word, it would be delightful! Not exactly what I expected it to be when I read the blurb which promised a bittersweet story about a man who is looking for purpose in his life! It turned out to be a heartwarming read about life, friendship, trust and the power of a pet dog to transform your existence!

Ronnie has lately been feeling very lonely; having lived in the small town of Bingham all the 42 years of his life, he works at the bus depot, cleaning the buses and taking care of the lost and found property room. He doesn't have a partner or friends and after losing his father, the only parent he has known since he was a young child, he is convinced that even his shadow has deserted him, that's how alone he finds himself. Convinced that he has a new life threatening illness everyday he visits the doctor so often that he is labelled a hypochondriac!
When he unexpectedly has to foster a dog named Hamlet for a couple of days, his life changes in a way he couldn't have imagined.

Given the topic, the book was surprisingly funny and there were many scenes where I was laughing out loud. In conveying such a serious topic in a way that was not bleak but full of hope, the author has done a brilliant job.

I loved the way Ronnie gradually makes connections because of Hamlet though they were both wary of each other. Giving him a reason to go out, Hamlet makes it possible for Ronnie to meet people and understand people around him better. His neighbour, his boss at work, the homeless lady who always frequented the bus depot - he is able to see beyond the face they each present to the world.

My favourite part of the book was the relationship between Ronnie and his dad, which we get to experience through his memories of the years when they were each other's only friend. As he recalls the times they spent doing activities each thought the other wanted to do, the laughter they shared and the little things they did that bound them together, it's clear how much love and care there was between them and the extent to which Ronnie misses his dad brought a lump to my throat. Ronnie opening up to Hamlet about his dad was so emotional. When he reflects on why he is so unattached, you can't help but feel for him. When the tentative connections he makes become friendships, it is so nice to see him happy.

The other characters in the story also were fun to meet and in fact each of them brings something fresh to the story. The descriptions of Hamlet and his quirks in particular were so cute as was how much personality had! Ultimately this was a very satisfying feel good read.

[Vanessa Wild · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ronnie lives in a run down seaside town and works at the local bus station in the Lost Property Office as well as actually cleaning the buses. He’s a hypochondriac, visiting his doctor for all sorts of minor ailments. He’s been living on his own since his father died and is feeling quite isolated, a lone wolf. One day he acquires a dog by the name of Hamlet who is in need of fostering. Little does he know how much he will change his life….

What a wonderfully quirky and delightful little story this is! It’s about loneliness, the power of friendship and how the companionship of a dog can turn your life around. It’s also about finding yourself which is symbolised by the loss and return of Ronnie’s shadow. It’s beautifully and humorously written. Ronnie is such a great character and I loved Hamlet, the wonder worker! I also loved travelling with them on their journey together and meeting the rest of the eclectic cast along the way. A heartwarming, uplifting and touching read which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a pleasure to read it.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started reading about a man who had lost his shadow, I didn’t think I’d finish the book, as it seemed a ridiculous concept. However, I am SO glad I persevered as Lost & Found is a delightful story which made me both laugh and cry.

I love the author’s sense of humour but I also loved the realism when describing the protagonist’s loneliness and lack of self worth that I think everyone feels at some time in their life. Ultimately, it is a very enjoyable, feel good book about friendship and trust, with well written, believable characters and a nice happy ending. 4.5*

Thank you to The Book Club Reviewer Group for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

[Holly Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was just wonderful.

The story is heartwarming and filled with humour and lovely characters. There is an element of sadness and loneliness for Ronnie but it is such a joy to see how his circle grows and he finds purpose in life.

Hamlet was entertaining to read about and I enjoyed hearing about his expressions whenever Ronnie was talking to him.

A lovely little story!

[Laura Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really enjoyable read about a man and his lost shadow, a book about loneliness, friendship and grief. But having said all that I was really invested in Ronnie and how he navigates life without his Dad, the way in which he ends up with Hamlet is a lovely twist to a funny and at times sad story that ultimately ends up with an ending fitting for all the characters involved.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forty-two-year old Ronnie has a dilemma – he’s lost his shadow. An irony, considering he’s in charge of the lost property department at the bus depot where he works.
He’s surrounded by umbrellas, hats, scarves and glasses – but there is no sign of his shadow.
Ronnie has lost so much more in life, too – abandoned by his mother as a young child, he was brought up by a loving but clueless father, who encouraged him never to trust anyone.
Now his father is dead, and Ronnie is truly friendless.
Will his luck change when he delivers a load of old dog toys from the lost property office to a canine rescue centre?
Somehow Ronnie finds himself in charge of Hamlet, a morose, ugly and unfriendly mutt, wo looks like “something the plumber might extract from the clogged drain of the only shower in a crowded student dorm”.
As the two misfits settle into an uneasy alliance, Ronnie gradually discovers that life is better with other people in it.
But there is still no sign of his shadow …
What a joy of a story! I loved it from its very opening pages – the loss of the shadow is such an intriguing idea, and an excellent metaphor for the loneliness and isolation of a man facing a bleak future.
Alongside the central metaphor, there is a litany of hilarious similes that made me laugh out loud on every single page. This is a writer who knows how to use words to extract humour and pathos in equal measure.
The odd bunch of people who gradually infiltrate Ronnie’s life are just as skilfully portrayed. There’s Brian who treats his cat like a dog, Cate, who desperately wants to rehome all her canine charges, Harriet, a widow who couldn’t save her husband and now wants to save the world, Mrs Higgins, an elderly neighbour Ronnie has spent his life trying to avoid, his irritating boss Alan - even his doctor who sees patients as a necessary evil, has a part to play in the story.
While there’s bleakness behind the laughter, in the description of Ronnie’s home town of Bingham-on-Sea, where the Ferris wheel rusts eerily by the sands of a once-popular seaside resort; in the very real loneliness of Ronnie and all the other characters; in the sad reality of his childhood without a mother, this story is never depressing.
Author James Gould-Bourn has pulled off a tricky feat by presenting a masterful exploration of the sad reality of loneliness while keeping the reader laughing all the way through.
A lovely book to start the year and give us all hope that no matter what life throws at us,things always get better.

[Farah G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the fact that many of the issues that this book touches upon - health fears, loneliness, abandonment - are quite sad, ultimately this story was quite sweet and had a number of uplifting notes.

As a young child, Ronnie's mother abandoned him, running away with the next-door neighbour's husband. Brought up by his well-meaning but mistaken father, Ronnie was taught to believe that nobody should be trusted.

As a result, at the age of 42 and having lost his father, with whom he had a very loving relationship, Ronnie is stuck with a dead-end job at the Lost and Found office in the bus shelter, and is suffering from an extreme form of loneliness that actually leads him to believe that even his own shadow has abandoned him!

The lost shadow is used as an interesting metaphor throughout the story, and is about the only ailment - imaginary or otherwise - that Ronnie does not take to his long-suffering doctor, who has long ago pigeonholed him as a hypochondriac.

Things begin to change when Ronnie unexpectedly finds himself taking care of a dog. Hamlet, who has been named not after the Shakespeare play but a nearby town, is is both suspicious and unattractive, yet slowly he and Ronnie begin to build a new life - and a different version of themselves - together...

This book will have huge appeal for doglovers, who will not be in the least surprised at how having a dog can revolutionize Ronnie's life. But its appeal goes wider than that. It's a lovely story and a hopeful one despite the challenges Ronnie faces. Read it if you need a boost.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Veronika Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally read this in a day, finishing at one o’clock in the morning. It has everything. It’s sad, hilariously funny at times, poignant, includes an ugly but lovable dog called Hamlet (no not after the Prince of Denmark – after the next town where he was found, which happens to be called Hamlet) and a group of mismatched lonely protagonists.

‘He likes you,’ said Cate. ‘I can see it in his eyes.’
Ronnie looked at Hamlet. Hamlet’s dodgy eye also looked at Hamlet.
‘Really?’ said Ronnie. ‘And which eye would that be exactly?’
‘The gammy one. It only rolls around like that when he likes someone.’

Ronnie has lost his shadow. He has no idea how or why, only that he can no longer see it. Maybe that is why Hamlet is so wary of him. Dogs can sense things. Ronnie also visits the doctor – the only medical professional (loosely speaking) in run-down Bingham-on-Sea – every couple of weeks, having consulted Google and convinced he has everything from tetanus to a lump on his bum and a tropical disease only caught in a country he has never been to (or even heard of). He can’t tell the doctor about his missing shadow though as it’ll make him sound even madder than the doctor already thinks he is.

The doctor scenes are hilarious. ‘Yes,’ said Dr Sterling. ‘I can feel it.’
Ronnie swallowed and braced himself for the news. ‘What do you think it is?’
‘I think it’s your bum cheek.’
Ronnie sighed. ‘Not that round thing, the other round thing?’
‘That’s your other bum cheek.’
‘I don’t think you’re taking this very seriously.’
‘I’m not.’
‘Well that’s comforting,’ said Ronnie.
‘I’m not here to comfort you. Watch The Golden Girls if you want comfort. I’m here to tell you whether or not you have a legitimate medical complaint, and as per usual, you do not.’

Ronnie is a hypochondriac. And lonely since his father died. His mother had run off with the neighbour 35 years ago and his dad became his only friend. Ronnie works at the bus station with Carl and their boss Alan. He has been put in charge of the Lost & Found office, except no-one wants to claim any of it back. Except homeless woman Pearl that is, only none of it belongs to her. In the end Alan tells him to get rid of it. Ronnie can’t just dump it, so he takes most of it to the charity shops, but they don’t want the part chewed dog toys, so he takes them to the dog shelter and that’s where he meets Cate … and Hamlet. And somehow Cate manages to persuade him to take Hamlet home with him for a few days.

I love Cate. She’s knowledgeable about everything, a mine of useless trivia, unless you are a contestant on University Challenge, everyone tells her.

And it’s through Hamlet that he meets Brian who wants to train his cat to be a dog, Harriet who sits on the beach every day atop what looks like a life guard’s watchtower, and how he befriends the neighbour whose husband ran off with his mum.

This is such an enjoyable read. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a book in 2023 that will make their spirit soar.

Many thanks to @Tr4cyF3nt0n for inviting me to be part of the #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ronnie is 42 years old and lives in Bingham-on-Sea, a rundown seaside town. He cuts a lonely figure, working in the lost property office at the bus station and sometimes cleaning the buses – and seemingly without having any friends. He visits his GP, Dr Sterling, far too often and lives with only his father’s ashes for company.
Then one day, he ends up at a dog rescue centre and despite initially having no intention to rehome a dog, he is persuaded to foster an ugly little thing called Hamlet.
The humour seems a bit silly initially (Ronnie claims to have lost his shadow), but as you get into the book more, you appreciate its poignancy. I especially loved the dialogue between Ronnie and his dad. There are some wonderful other characters too, such as Harriet and Cate. It also highlights how many people are lonely, for a variety of reasons – working by themselves, living alone, being widowed or single, etc.
I really loved this book and read it over a couple of days. You really feel for Ronnie and little Hamlet and can see how they benefit from each other and how much having Hamlet has a knock-on effect for Ronnie, as he begins getting out more and meeting more people.
I would definitely be interested in reading more from this author. In fact, I’ve just ordered his previous novel, which sounds equally wonderful.
9.5 out of 10

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming and heart-warming story about the value of friendship and social contact in our modern isolating world.

Ronnie, aged 42, having lost both his mother in childhood, and recently his father, lives a lonely purposeless life in a rapidly declining small seaside town in Northern England. He returns from his job as a bus cleaner each evening to an empty house, where the only contact he has is with the elderly woman across the road, whose husband had run off with Ronnie’s mum years ago.

He is conned into taking care of an ugly dog called Hamlet by the young woman at the dog rescue centre in the town. He does not want a dog, but he gradually comes to appreciate the company of his canine house mate and to reach out to those around him and begin to make unexpected friendships.

Ronnie’s story mirrors that of many lonely single people today, when friendships are considered to be those formed by “meeting” distant people through Facebook or Instagram, who we may never get to know face to face.

Having grown up in an English seaside town, this story brought back many memories and tugged at my heart strings. And it made me laugh out loud on occasion, and frequently smile, as I read of Ronnie’s struggles to emerge from the “shadows” of his Past.

An easy read with a powerful message about Life in our 21st Century world.

[Emma Minazza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, Ronnie loses something but gains a dog. His first encounters with Hamlet isn't great at first but their relationship comes along, wouldn't say friendship at first but something flourishes between them.

I felt for Ronnie from the start, losing a family member and being alone can be hard and it takes time to heal, mourn and move on. Hamlet came into Ronnie's life at the right time and think they helped each other, given a new perspective on each other's lives at a time most needed for both of them.

This is a good book and I will look out for more by this author.

[Kathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first 5 star read of the year! I absolutely adored this book. As an introverted dog owner who didn't really have friends, I related to Ronnie so much. Once I adopted my first dog, I became more social because of him and now have many friends that I have met through my association with the dog world! I go out and do things - sometime with our dogs and sometimes without. The book captures it perfectly - it's not a conscious decision to go meet people and do things, it just sort of happens! I will definitely be reading the author's other book and would love to see a sequel to this one.

[Mrs A & Mr R Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a little unsure of this book for the first few chapters but very soon I was drawn into a very sad and poignant tale of a 42 year old man who was completely on his own and was then abandoned by his own shadow too. This soon became a delightful and compelling read about loneliness and self worth and it shows how we can misinterpret what people say to us as being negative, when the actual meaning was quite the opposite. Beautifully written in a very gentle style, this is an uplifting tale that warmed my heart and I’m very glad I didn’t abandon it after the first couple of chapters.

[Calyn Wilkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book once I got into the first few chapters. The story is filled with sadness but also joy and at times I laughed out loud. It made me feel very kind of emotion. The relationship between the main character and the ugly dog Hamlet is one of the most heartwarming stories I have read for a long time. Loneliness is at the heart of this novel and I’m sure that everybody has felt it at some point so can totally relate to the character and wish him well.
Thanks to the book reviewer group for the early opportunity to read this. I definitely recommend.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a slow burn for me but the story and the characters drew me in. Such a delightful and uplifting story - it will warm the cockles of your heart. Loved the main character of Ronnie - as his character emerged and he grew as a person. Maybe we all need a Hamlet in our lives.
A story of chance encounters. Of friendship. And of hope.
I wasn't sure about the missing shadow at the start but as other people have said maybe it represents depression.
This book was quirky and delightful - and I really enjoyed it.

[Monica Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ronnie lives an isolated life especially after his father dies. Even before that though, Ronnie was an introverted man with no life to speak of, his life seems to be so lonely and bleak.

Anyway, one day a stray dog named Hamlet comes along and changes things forever.

This is a sweet story of two lost souls who find each other and who slowly affect the other in ways that neither of them could have anticipated.

I have to admit that the thing with the shadow didn't really work for me, but otherwise I liked this book.

4 stars from me.

[Philippa Mckenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is utterly charming. Ronnie is our hapless hero. Missing his shadow, badgering his GP, manning the lost property office at the local bus station and keeping the village buses clean is all part of Ronnie's everyday life since he lost his dad.

He's isolated and lonely until little dog, Hamlet comes into his life and everything changes.

Adorable and heartwarming, this book gave me all the feels. I look forward to more from this author.

[julie young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really wasn't sure when I started reading this book,but I am really glad I continued reading. What an incredibly well written description of a desperately lonely man, told with great emotion and sense of loss whilst also being laugh out loud funny. My heart quickly filled with empathy for Ronnie as he flounders to find happiness and companionship following the loss of his father.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely beautiful book. I went from laughing to feeling emotional over and over. This is one of those beautiful books that will stay with me and will definitely be on my read and read again shelf.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

[Yvette Salmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started this book it was with an open mind. It’s a book about a man who loses his shadow. But wow what a book, you can really relate to the main character. Really glad I read it and would recommend.

[Kamini Mehta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Ronnie has a simple life and isn't really looking to change things, but isn't really happy either. He slowly finds that complications can turn into positives and a life can be full when it had felt a little empty.

[Katie Ludlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down.

Ronnie is such a likeable character and I love how he ended up making a close friendship group, mainly because of his dog.

Very easy to read and just enjoy.

[Beccy Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpected 5* read
This book was beautifully written and so descriptive- the seaside town, the lost property office and Hamlet
Amazing read!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is the second I have read by this author & highly recommend it.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant book written by James Gould-Bourn! Honestly, I desperately need this man to write more books! He is amazing with his words.
Everything in this book is just so excellently captured.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's amazing how much bigger life gets when you open yourself up enough to let friends in. Especially when it starts with the ugliest of dogs.