Lost Luggage

 

Lost Luggage by Samantha Tonge- literary fiction

A real charm of a read. Dolly and her sister Greta used to buy suitcases at auction each Christmas- ones who had not been claimed for over six months. Occasionally they would find some nice clothes and bits, at other times just a load of dirty washing. Since Greta died Dolly hasn't been herself, but now her neighbour Leroy who she gets on well with is leaving for Jamaica and Dolly feels a little left out. She bids for a steamer trunk as it looks different. On arriving home she leaves opening it until Christmas day as was her and Greta’s tradition. When she does she gets rather more than she bargained for and wants to find the owner to return some of the goods. When she finds a notebook of “ firsts” the trunk opens the door to things she would never have dreamed of. She is  egged on by Flo, her young neighbour of eleven, who has promised to widen her own horizons by going to guides as long as Dolly continues with the firsts.

This is one of those reads that quickly enveloped me and I quickly took to both Dolly and Flo. There’s a skill of writing characters where the reader becomes not only absorbed but invested in what's happening and this shines through the pages. Larger than life characters bring a smile sometimes hiding the sadness of their lives and this book has both the ups and downs of life in all its forms.One Life- live it. A treasure of a read and one I didn't want to end.

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Lost Luggage Brand new from the bestselling author of Under One Roof. One lost suitcase. Two strangers. And a notebook that will change lives. For almost fifty years, sisters Dolly and Greta have lived together – getting each other through the good times and the bad.

Except this year, Greta isn’t there and Dolly is feeling lost and alone. In memory of her sister, Dolly heads to the lost luggage auction where she and Greta go each Christmas. But her bid reveals a gift she never imagined. Amongst the clothes is the notebook of a reclusive woman who has hardly been outside for an entire year, but who isn’t ready to give up on life. The notebook’s contents resonate with Dolly. With the support of her neighbours, retired Leroy and eleven year old Flo, Dolly decides to take on the year of firsts Phoebe had planned. But, can you have a year of firsts when you’re seventy-two? And is Dolly ready to discover the notebook’s secrets, or are some secrets better left lost at the airport? Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/3bgCnBC

Author Bio – Samantha Tonge is the bestselling and award-winning author of over 15 romantic fiction titles published by HQ, and most recently Aria. Her first book for Boldwood, Under One Roof, was published in February 2022 and her move to Boldwood marks a broadening of her writing into multi-generational woman’s fiction. She lives in Manchester with her family. Social Media Links – Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaTongeAuthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamTongeWriter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthatongeauthor/ Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/SamanthaTongeNews Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/samantha-tonge