Book Review – All the Lost Places

All the Lost Places

by Amanda Dykes

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.

“Introspective, surprising, and achingly beautiful.”–Booklist starred review

My Thoughts

Every time I am privileged enough to be able to read an Amanda Dykes novel, I am left in awe and amazement. This one is no exception. As I finished reading, I found myself… stunned. Mostly just left unsure of how to begin crafting a review worthy of this beautifully sweet masterpiece.

Well. It’s been awhile. And I still don’t have the right words to fully explain this beautiful story.

So, instead, I will keep my review short and say that this is one amazing book.

It is a book about people finding themselves. Figuring out who they really are, and finding where they belong.

Two different time lines, woven together in a beautiful way.

I love, loved the setting. I have always wanted to visit Venice, and I could at least in a tiny way, do that through these pages.

If you are looking for a historical fiction novel that has something of substance, and is more than just an easy reading story, then please, do yourself a favor and read this book!

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS

AUTHOR BIO

Amanda Dykes’s debut novel, Whose Waves These Are, is the winner of the prestigious 2020 Christy Award Book of the Year, a Booklist 2019 Top Ten Romance debut, and the winner of an INSPY Award. She’s also the author of Yours Is the Night and Set the Stars Alight, a 2021 Christy Award finalist.