The Lost Manuscript is one of the most unusual books I've read so far this year, and it was a great introduction to Cathy Bonidan's writings. I do feel the title is a bit of a misnomer; I think I would have called it The Found Manuscript.

Anne-Liese is on a vacation without something to read (sacrilegious, to be sure), but she found a manuscript of a novel in the night stand of her hotel room. She reads this story and cannot remain untouched by the plot, but since it is obviously a manuscript, she feels she must find the original author and return it to him.

The entirety of this novel is written in letters to various people involved with the manuscript: one in finding out who wrote the book in the first place, two in finding out the circuitous route it took to get to Anne-Liese's motel room, and three in finding out who wrote the last half of the story. In all the letters new friendships are forged and old friendships are strengthened.

The book itself is a satisfying tale that ties up all the loose ends and brings closure to the story. At times, the plot dragged for me, but in the end, it became so compelling that I stayed up way too late to finish reading it. This is a strong Four Star Book.

St Martin's Press and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed the sense of authenticity that the exchanged-letters format brought to this book, even though I'm not typically a fan of that style. The book moves rather quickly and is good for a single sit-down if you have a couple hours to commit -- by your favorite picture window or sunning next to a pool. This brought a fresh perspective to the whole "Paris letters" sub-genre that's emerged in tandem present/historical fiction where the story revolves around both past and present characters.

What a great story! Written through letters, we follow Anne-Lise after she finds an old manuscript and tracks down the authors and the manuscript's journey over 30 years. As we follow the investigation, we learn about those touches by the manuscript. As the friendships and story developed, I was enthralled. I read it in one afternoon. This is a translation from the original French, and it reads beautifully. Higgly recommended!

It’s a little melodramatic and purple prose-y at times, but The Lost Manuscript was an entertaining enough distraction for a few hours—a quick and easy read that I could picture folks devouring while sunning themselves on the beach or by the pool (if social distancing permits, of course!).

Parts of this book made me laugh out loud—like when Anne-Lise poked fun at IKEA by referring them as “the Nordic people with their twisted sense of humor.” I liked also Maggy’s character (though I thought her romantic arc with William was eh). Moreover, certain aspects of the epistolary form were wielded to maximum effect—such as when William sent Anne-Lise a brisk and formal letter, and this was immediately followed by his suave and flirtatious note to Anne-Lise’s best friend Maggy. That made me laugh, too.

The writing for the most part was decent and entertaining. Sometimes, though, it felt kind of artless (such as the analogy “like chronic pain that resists the strongest painkillers”) or even ignorant (such as when one character joked that America is a country “lacking a few centuries of history”—insinuating that American history began only upon Columbus’ arrival).

Other times it was baffling. For example, Maggy writes at one point about people who had experienced “attacks of primal racism.” What does this mean? 😂 What is “primal racism”? Is there non-primal racism? Why are we singling out the former? Does racism somehow relate to an early stage in our evolutionary development? Or is it just primal/essential/central to our societies?

Something about the story itself just didn’t do it for me. Objectively, I recognized when moments of poignancy occurred and that the characters each had their own difficulties to contend with. But I just couldn’t connect with any of them or their stakes; I couldn’t bring myself to be moved by their tragedies and miracles.

And because I didn’t feel investment in or connection to any characters (whose narrative voices started to blend together by the end), the network of friends and lovers that developed as a result of the life-changing manuscript didn’t really impress me. :( Womp womp.

Finally, I want to end on a positive note: the ending to this book was quite beautiful, and I thought that it wrapped up the story—which spanned 6 months, 2 continents, and 5 countries—quite nicely.



Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All quotes were taken from an uncorrected advance proof and will be checked against the final copy.

I received an advance copy of, The Lost Manuscript, by Cathy Bonidan. This book is told through letters from Anne-Lise and others. Its an interesting story, good characters.

The premise and story of this book is really interesting and unique. The author's writing style is beautiful, and the translation is wonderful. I did enjoy the epistolary style!

However, with that said, on a personal level, I found it difficult at times to really connect with the characters. I found the storyline jumpy at times, and just didn't find myself drawn into the story in the way I was hoping to.

I hope that others will take the opportunity to read this book and decide for themselves, but, sadly this was just not a right fit for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thanks to St. Martin's and NetGalley for this eARC.

I love an epistolary novel, and very much liked the sound of this one - about a book found in a hotel room that had been lost for 30 years and the group of people it had an effect on. Unfortunately, the execution didn't work for me. Some of this may have been the translation, because, for example, the different letter-writers did not sound that different. I also found some of the prose a little treaclely. This was a not-for-me book that may be more enjoyable for others.

The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan
Anne-Lise finds an old manuscript left in a night stand next to her hotel bed. Having forgotten to bring a book on her vacation, Anne-Lise reads the manuscript, was profoundly touched by it and is determined to find the authors, since it appears obvious that it was started by one author and completed by another.
Her journey on this quest is quite remarkable. New friendships are made and new places are visited, culminating in a surprising ending. The story line is a nice read and well written, but i thought the letter writing format was distracting. The characters lacked depth and became quite confusing.
4 stars

I so wanted to like this book once I realized it was epistolary book which means it was similar to Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I finished it but it was a chore and I think the difference between the two ad why I could not connect is the lack of description of the characters. Cathy spend little to no time to describe our characters or even their settings. She stuck to the letters at hand and what was going on. The whole book read like disembodied voices with no foundation. These characters all write actual letters in 2016 which I find hard to believe. Long, lengthy letters. It isn't until the end that a few emails come into play. I just find it hard to believe. And it started to get on my nerves that very letter had P.S. and P.S.S. I guess if I was going to give this book a grade I would give it C+. With some edits, it could quickly move to A/B range but there would need to some work done on her part. Maybe you will have a different reading experience than I did.

A Parisian woman, Anne-Lise Briard is on Holiday and while she's looking for something to read, finds an anonymous manuscript in the bedside drawer of the hotel. She falls in love with the story, but has no idea of the adventure she's about to take and the people she's going to meet. THE LOST MANUSCRIPT (StMartinsPress) by Cathy Bonidan is a story of nearly a dozen people, mostly strangers who come together and through letters become friends. It's a novel for readers who love the written word and believe letters and books can create magic and heal people.

Anne-Lise sends a letter and a copy of the manuscript to the enclosed address and discovers its the writer, Sylvestre Fahmer. He says he wrote the first half thirty years ago, but doesn't know who wrote the second half and the little poems in the margins. He apparently left it in the Montreal airport, gave up writing and is now suffering from depression. Anne-Lise and Sylvestre begin a relationship through letters and it gives him some hope. They will solve this mystery together.

Once they start sending letters and meeting others on the search, she discovers people have been touched by this manuscript. People involved discover long-lost love stories, intimate secrets, feel less alone in their loneliness and their lives are made better.

The authors of the second half and poems are eventually discovered at the end. THE LOST MANUSCRIPT will hook you at page one, so be ready to read straight through when you pick it up.

"Once we've reached the last page, we feel more vulnerable to beauty. We look at the people we pass with an unusual benevolence that extends to our own reflection. I understand that this story helps us to smile and to put perspective of those trivial things that have the power to weigh us down." The LOST MANUSCRIPT

The premise of THE LOST MANUSCRIPT was so interesting - a found manuscript is finished by an unknown author, and the story so moving that the finder leads a merry chase to track down the mystery writer! I found it to be a whimsical and eloquent tale.

What I missed, when I requested the book, was that it was told in epistolary format. While it's not one that I am generally fond of (because it is all tell, and no show), Bondian's characters are quirky and delightful, and they take us on an unusual journey. Anne-Lise Briard finds a manuscript in a nightstand, and whatever story it tells so moves her that she decides she MUST return it to the author. (Who, interestingly, does not want her to find, and who she reluctantly drags into her madness.)

Anne-Lise reminds me of my own mother-in-law, who can make friends with anyone and have them spilling their life story in minutes - only Anne-Lise manages to do this all via mail. The letters are heartfelt and earnest, and remind me what a dying art letter writing is. If you've ever had a pen pal, you'll be all the more impressed by that which she accomplishes solely by writing. As connection after connection is made, friendships form, romances bloom, all drawn into her hunt for the simple reason that the manuscript they read so profoundly touched them.

There are a few twists as Anne-Lise unravels the mystery of the unknown writer.

While the writing is beautiful, the format renders the characters a little flat at times. While their personality comes through in the writing, I feel like I didn't know much about them. As the characters accumulate, I confess it could be difficult at times to keep the minor characters straight, (but that could be a function of my foggy brain, in all honestly).

So while I didn't always love the format itself, the mystery and the characters kept me turning pages until the very end.

This book is a love letter (pun unintended) to the power of a good story.

A quick and cute read about a literary mystery. I didn’t love the format it’s written in - which is letters written between the characters - and I think it’s because it didn’t give the characters the depth they deserved, when we only get to hear their voices in letters.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. What would you do if you found a manuscript in the nightstand in your hotel room. Like most people I would read it. This book took on a journey that I enjoyed. I cant wait to read Cathy Bonadin's next book.

First of all - this was such a nice book to read. It is full of idea richness and guides you to find the answer somewhere in the story quick and slow at the same time. That's how it felt to me - you want to finish it to find that last piece of puzzle but you also want to savour it so you can keep it somewhere near your heart and always on your mind.

This book is written in a form of letters where an array of different characters come together and change each other lives and discover that meaning of life - at least what life means to them. They do that whilst looking for an author of a manuscript.

As the description on the cover states this whole book is like a puzzle that you have to solve and you just must read it fast because the story itself lures you with its short chapters and you are so engrossed in the novel.

I have to give a huge praise for the translator Emma Ramadan that translated this book from French. She did a marvelous job and you honestly can't feel that something is missing in the English version.

I loved the fact that all the characters are different age, different professions, interesting life choices and definite connection to that book that makes this a lovely read.

And since this book is a 'book of life' somehow you don't expect the suspense part of it. And it just fits right perfectly there, from one page to another, and it leads you to some unbelievable but yet truly believable happenings in life.

How it all comes together is a perfect way of finishing a joy of this book that makes you think about yourself and those around you - but not in a regrettable way, but a reflective one.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a lyrical novel! Took us on a journey with Unexpected twists and turns. Characters, relationships and places were well developed and likable. Whatnot to visit all of the places described in this book.

What a wonderful book! The author's style is wonderful and easy to follow. She has created interesting, well fleshed out characters. I found myself connecting to them which made me very interested in the actual plot. It was a quick read and it moved fast. I personal enjoy novels with characters who write letters back and forth. It brings a realism to the book. I absolutely loved it and definitely recommend reading it.

I would like to thank Cathy Bonidan, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Lost Manuscript, is a beautiful story about a group of strangers who become a family while solving the mysteries of a 30 year old love novel.

This story has absolutely ruined me in the best possible way. I know a story told by letters is not for everyone but I devoured the book, and was completely heartbroken when it was over. I needed to read more about the characters and I’m trying to not spoil the book, but I was so invested in their lives that I just wasn’t satisfied for it to end. Also if this is truly based on a true story I need the name of manuscript, I would love to read the story that brought all those people together.

Sad to say, I struggled to read and finish this book. I did finish it but found it disjointed and lacking any great substance.

The book has promising story idea, but the pacing is slow. The characters need to be flushed out little more. Author could have explored more whatifs.

The premise drew me in right away. A secret/unknown collaboration of a book?! So cool! This story is told in a letter format and documents the journey as more and more people are involved or are involved again with this lost manuscript.

Honestly, this letter writing format, although sweet and made me want to be more with physically writing letters (ps: SAVE THE USPS), wasn't particularly my favorite style to read. It felt chunky, but I understand how it progresses this novel in a way that is more personal and more involved with each character's thoughts. This format was also great for slowly revealing each of the character's personalities and hardships, a much more realistic pace of understanding a stranger. Just not my cup of tea.

Otherwise, this story was definitely interesting in that it touches upon so many other facets of life that I didn't think would be involved in a seemingly lighthearted, contemporary fiction novel. From elderly loneliness to criminalization stereotypes, this story tackles so much more than a lost story. This story is also a fun mystery of sorts that you get to discover more of with every letter.