The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan
Longhand writing is going to become a thing of the past. Stationary is only going to be used as staying completely still, not as a piece of beautiful paper to write correspondence to a friend. It’s sad how our lives have become only a technological community. New generations don’t know how to socialize or look people in the face.
This book represents what we are losing and what we could gain by putting ourselves out there. Just the other day I had a wonderful conversation with a woman in South Africa and gave her my home address and she has already responded with her address and no it was not a scammer. I was having problems with a Amazon issue which she resolved with great aplomb.
Anyways, I have already sent a letter to her and hopefully she will respond in kind to tell me of her country.
This book is remarkable about trust and loyalty and opening up. It’s also about saying your sorry!
Needless to say I recommend this book and the author kept me turning the pages to see who read the manuscript next and how it affected them. I know the book has affected me!

Thank you to the authors and publishers who work so diligently for us the readers.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Such a sweet story. Loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

An absolutely beautiful book with pages upon pages of lyrical words and phrases winding through story after story. It’s all intertwined to solve a 30-year-old mystery and I was so sad to see it end! I would have loved more to the ending! Where are more details of Anne-Lise or David or Laura?! Highly suggest you take a chance on this one!

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC.

This is a book about a partially completed manuscript that was found 30 years later in a completed state and in a mysterious location.

The book was chaptered as handwritten letters between characters that had possession of the book at one time. I actually enjoyed how the story unfolded as we got to know each writer better through their letter and got clues about the manuscript’s journey.

This was much more interesting than I anticipated (and described). Book lovers should like this one.

I loved this mystery revealed in exchanged letters.

On vacation, Anne-Lise Briard looks for something to read in her hotel room and finds a manuscript left in a bedside drawer. She sends the pages to an address she finds halfway through, trying to locate the author.

The recipient replies, saying he lost the piece on an airplane decades ago. He confesses, however, that he wrote only half of what she sent him and doesn’t know who finished it.

We’re sent on an entrancing journey as Anne-Lise writes anyone who may have seen the manuscript, and finds it has impacted many lives in profound ways. The ending will truly surprise you as the unknown author is finally revealed.

THE LOST MANUSCRIPT is a charming read, especially for those who adore books, lovely letters, and romance. Why, that’s everyone I know!

4 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 12 Jan 2021

Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#TheLostManuscript

DNF. This novel is written in a letter format and I just couldn't connect with the characters in a way that encouraged me to continue through the story. This was a bummer as I found the initial description of the plot to be incredibly interesting and unique. I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the tale of a longlost manuscript rediscovered and attempts to trace its path. I found this to be a somewhat cumbersome read. The writing style of the letters, while old-fashioned and reminiscent of both letter writing of the past and popular 19th century authors, seemed a bit laborious in a 20th century context and I found it hard to follow the story and absorb details.

I couldn’t get attached to the characters either, although I feel that I should have, so the story mostly plodded along for me.

I think this could be a wonderful book if you like this particular writing style and while I loved the letter-writing format and the jaunts around Europe, those were the highlights for me.

I absolutely loved this book. The story was so original, the characters were loveable. I'm so glad I read this book, I flew through it in a day!

The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan is an excellent story that draws the reader along a path of correspondents all crossing paths due to one simple manuscript.

I loved that this book was written solely in written letters. I love when the intricate plot of a novel is unraveled in the form of a letter. Something that seems so simple becomes fascinating and intimate. Somehow it is easier to unearth emotions and express innermost thoughts when one is able to place it into a well-thought letter.

The concept of Anne-Lise Briard finding a manuscript in a hotel and in the process of seeking answers and its owner, crossing paths with many people that she would have never encountered, therefore all involved affecting and altering one another’s lives is fascinating.

I loved meeting each character and seeing each evolve and unwrap. It was a wonderful journey to be a part of.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

The Lost Manuscript is a fun and uplifting story told through the exchanging of letters (and a few e-mails). I've gotta tell you, this book made me think back fondly of the days when I had a pen pal, and friends to whom I wrote actual letters and sent them through the mail! It made me want to find some friends willing to revive the practice.
The story begins when Anne-Lise Briard, while on holiday, discovers a manuscript in the drawer of the nightstand in her hotel room. Half way through that manuscript, there is an address. Anne-Lise decides to send the pages to the address and thanks the author for the "enjoyable reading experience". She is shocked when she receives a response which indicates that the manuscript had been lost for 30 years! Not only that, but the second half of the manuscript was written by a different author. At this point, Anne-Lise decides to embark on the epistolary adventure of tracing the journey the manuscript has made during those three decades, and to discover the identity of the second author.
As the story progresses, we meet several characters, and learn how this wonderful manuscript has touched so many readers, and often changed their lives. I loved the mystery of discovering where else the manuscript had been, and how it ended up being passed from one person to the next, all the way back to when it was originally lost on a plane to Montreal
Books truly do have the power to change our lives. They can change our perspective, give us hope, take us to faraway lands that we've never seen before, show us the past, or speculate about the future This book was a perfect reminder of that. I would recommend this book and thank NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Anne-Lise finds a manuscript in a nightstand drawer in a hotel where she is staying. She finds a way to return it to the writer. But she receives the biggest surprise; the manuscript was lost 30 years ago. Even more surprising perhaps, the second half was not written by the same person.

What follows is a search initiated by Anne-Lise to figure out the entire path of the manuscript. What happens along the way is that she learns how much the manuscript has impacted everyone who read it. It also introduces her to an interesting batch of characters.

I liked that the entire book was written in letters. That format always appeals to me.

Some parts of the search were more interesting than others and I also liked some of the characters more than others.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thanks!

I loved the Guernsey feel to this and felt a bit of the lingering spirit of Joanne Harris. This is a testament to the power of words to span across time and space and to bind people in the most charming and unexpected ways.

Perfectly immersive and sometimes whimsical, this is a sumptuous treat that is romantic in love story as well as in ambience and sense.


In an age of lost or virtual connection, the epistolary form is a welcome way to step into engagement and it works here as a reflection of the numerous ways books and letters can wind their spell around us.

I confess that it took two trial runs for me to be in the perfect mood for this.... but I am glad I saved it for that unparalleled moment of intersection between my mood and the right book for it.

As this is a translation, I am hoping more of Bonidan's work is filtered through for English readers.

(shared also on twitter, facebook and instagram as well as Goodreads )

I really enjoyed the concept of this book; the journey of a complete stranger discovering another person’s lost manuscript and tracking down its author.

It was interesting that the entire book took place in hand written letters between people. The effort the author put into the words chosen in these letters was very evident. I had to looks some of them up! You could tell all of these characters valued the relationships forged from corresponding with each other through these written documents.

I enjoyed getting to know all the characters a little deeper through each letter. So, if you enjoy a story where the characters use old-school methods to get to know each other and create lifelong friendships, this is the book for you! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC

"Sometimes there is a clear connection between a book and a reader; it can’t just be a coincidence."

Cathy Bonidan spins a heartwarming epistolary work of art that spans a myriad of people connected and changed upon reading a forgotten manuscript that has traveled over continents and seas. This theme was reminiscent of Paul Fleischman's Whirligig, in which a child completes his community service hours as discipline for drunk driving by leaving whirligigs across the U.S., which ultimately affect people who find them, inspiring them to act on heart rather than external expectations.

The Lost Manuscript revolves around a draft of a book the audience never reads, but through little snippets each letter writer compose, we might not know the exact words of the book, but we understand the significance, meaning, and ambiance behind the coveted read.

We follow Anne-Lise, a middle-aged Belgian woman, who vacations by a Finistère beach with her husband and two teenaged children. She comes across a forgotten manuscript and reads it, kickstarting her journey reconnecting not only the lost manuscript with its original author but also the mysterious secondary writer who finished the draft as well as backtracking the other individuals from across the world whom the manuscript positively influenced.

She sleuths with her friend who knows the manager of the hotel the manuscript was housed, and together, they play Sherlock and Watson or even children, determining a mystery or trying to find the origins of a treasure chest they found buried in the woods of a backyard.

Bonidan writes very eloquently, and the style fits the book very well. She highlights a message that many books can tell stories, but few can inspire the reader and spark true change, and she flawlessly integrates the growth of each character-- distinct with their own nightmares, dreams, and charisma.

I cannot recommend The Lost Manuscript enough, and it is a book that everyone must read.

Courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a beautiful story I could not put it down.

This was the first time I have read a book in the form on letters going back and forth, and while I did not think I would enjoy it, I found that I actually did. I truly believe a good book has the power to change one's life, which is exactly the case in The Lost Manuscript.

The plot line was enjoyable from the start and the characters were well written. I especially enjoyed seeing the impact the manuscript had on the lives of the people who encountered it.


Thank you #NetGalley, author Cathy Bonidan and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Rarely do you get an inside perspective on how a book changes so many lives so deeply as you do in The Lost Manuscript. For most books, you might read a review or see a social media post from a reader, but this book's approach is a novel (like how I did that!) way to be a part of the journey of discovery (both self and literary), renewal and growth. Bonidan navigates this successfully through a series of letters and interesting characters. This people, places, timeline, and relationships can be complicated, so you may find it helpful to create a cheat sheet as you go along. Thanks to #netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy. Pre-order for the January 2021 release.

Fantastic book about, what else, a lost manuscript. Anne-Lise finds the lost manuscript in a hotel nightstand, and there begins the journey to find the author, or authors, of said manuscript. This book hits a sweet spot for me, the heavenly intersection of books about books, friendships new and old, and travel, with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure. Lovely without being 'cozy' or cutesy or cloying. I definitely enjoyed this charming tale, and I'm grateful to #NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Expect more good things to come from this author.

This book explores the power a book can hold over people and how it can bring people together. As an American who hasn’t gone abroad, it was difficult to follow in some places but a fun read.

I loved every second of reading this book, honestly couldn't put it down. This was just the kind of entertaining read I needed.

The Lost Manuscript is a charming tribute to the power of a good story and the effect it can have on anyone who encounters it. This book is epistolary and tells the story of a manuscript that passes from hand to hand until Anne-Lise Briard discovers it and decides to trace its past to find the author of the manuscript--and the second author who wrote the ending of the book! As she encounters the various hands that have held this lost manuscript over the last thirty years, she discovers the impact it has had on all of its readers. She gets to know Sylvestre, the original author, and many other unique souls as she traces its roots until she finds the person who ended the novel--and perhaps a happy ending for its original author as well!

This book is a gorgeous tribute to the power of a story. Anyone who loves to read will be completely enchanted by this story. The writing is gorgeous and poetic and I wanted to highlight every other line for its profound impact on me. The only downsides to this story were my own lack of knowledge of France and western Europe that made me miss some of the reference. I would have also liked to see more character development in Anne-Lise as she really seems to be more like the narrator than an actual character. Overall, however, this book was a book lover's dream and I absolutely loved it!