Lost

A writer's search for his family's tragic past in World War II becomes a remarkably original and riveting epic, brilliantly exploring the nature of time and memory.

Reviews

‘Daniel Mendelsohn has written a powerfully moving work of a 'lost' family past, reminiscent of the richly expansive prose works of Proust and the elusive texts of W.G. Sebald. A remarkable achievement.’ Joyce Carol Oates
‘Epic and personal, meditative and suspenseful, tragic and at times hilarious, “The Lost” is a wonderful book.’Jonathan Safran Foer
‘A stirring detective work in its own right, “The Lost” is set in the context of stories of the enigmatic interventions of God in human affairs, and deepened by reflections on the inescapable, incomprehensible part that chance plays in history.’ J.M.Coetzee
‘A gripping detective story, a stirring epic, a tale of ghosts and dark marvels, a thrilling display of scholarship, a meditation on the unfathomable mystery of good and evil, ‘The Lost’ is as complex and rich with meaning and story as the past it seeks to illuminate. A beautiful book, beautifully written’ Michael Chabon
‘(Mendelsohn) is a brilliant storyteller, influenced by the Greek masters he so admires, eschewing the chronological, looping forward and back, teasing the reader with hints of what the gods may have in store.’ Sunday Times