All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

The audio version of this review can be found on Episode 56: A Bookchat about Double the Lies with Patricia Raybon & a Review of All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

The Book

When all of Venice is unmasked, one man’s identity remains a mystery . . . 

1807

When a baby is discovered floating in a basket along the quiet canals of Venice, a guild of artisans takes him in and raises him as a son, skilled in each of their trades. Although the boy, Sebastien Trovato, has wrestled with questions of his origins, it isn’t until a woman washes ashore on his lagoon island that answers begin to emerge. In hunting down his story, Sebastien must make a choice that could alter not just his own future, but also that of the beloved floating city.

1904

Daniel Goodman is given a fresh start in life as the century turns. Hoping to redeem a past laden with regrets, he is sent on an assignment from California to Venice to procure and translate a rare book. There, he discovers a city of colliding hope and decay, much like his own life, and a mystery wrapped in the pages of that filigree-covered volume. With the help of Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, Daniel finds himself in a web of shadows, secrets, and discoveries carefully kept within the stones and canals of the ancient city . . . and in the mystery of the man whose story the book does not finish: Sebastien Trovato.

THE REVIEW

The words of the author themselves are comprised of beautiful prose that paints pictures of a crumbling city of Venice and illustrate the hope of its residents. Alongside that historical component is the story of Daniel, a man who seeks to repair his past. While beginning a new job he meets Vittoria, a vibrant woman who helps him uncover the mysteries surrounding a book he is translating. Inevitably, the two stories collide, weaving the distant past and past into a rich tapestry of events and emotions. 

This story is leisurely paced with mild action and some of the Venetian history was difficult to follow and fully understand. The several secondary characters were interesting and easy to decipher. All the Lost Places has themes of forgiveness and grace woven throughout with very mild violence during the climatic scene. Both stories have sweet romances. 

THE AUTHOR

Amanda Dykes is a drinker of tea, dweller of redemption, and spinner of hope-filled tales who spends most days chasing wonder and words with her family. She’s the winner of the 2020 Christy Award Book of the Year, a Booklist 2019 Top Ten title, and the winner of an INSPY award for her debut novel, Whose Waves These Are. She’s also the author of Set the Stars Alight (a Christy Award finalist), Yours is the Night (recipient of the Kipp Award, Christy Award finalist), All the Lost Places (starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Foreword), and three novellas. Find her online at amandadykes.com.

Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.