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The Lost Girl
ONE OF LOVEREADING's BOOKS OF THE YEAR . . .
A heart-rending story of loss and enduring love, set between the darkest days of Paris and the sunshine of Provence.
Her daughter disappeared four years ago. . .
Since her daughter went missing four years earlier, celebrated photographer Kurtiz Ross has been a woman alone. Her only companion her camera. Since Lizzie disappeared, she has blamed and isolated herself, given up hope. Until, out of the blue, an unexpected sighting of Lizzie is made in Paris.
Could this lead to the reconciliation she has dreamed of?
Within hours of Kurtiz arriving in Paris, the City of Light is plunged into a night of hell when a series of terrorist attacks bring the city to a standstill. Amid the fear and chaos, a hand reaches out. A sympathetic stranger in a café offers to help Kurtiz find her daughter.
A stranger's guiding light
Neither knows what this harrowing night will deliver, but the other woman's kindness - and her stories of her own love and loss in post-war Provence - shine light into the shadows, restoring hope, bringing the unexpected. Out of darkness and despair, new life rises. New beginnings unfold.
Dare she believe in a miracle?
Set during a time of bloodshed and chaos in one of the most beautiful cities on earth and along the warm fragrant shores of the Mediterranean, Kurtiz discovers that miracles really can happen . . .
Praise for The Lost Girl:
'A story to savour, complete with wonderful settings stretching from Paris to the glorious countryside of southern France' Dinah Jefferies, Number One Sunday Times bestselling author of The Tea Planter's Wife
'A great and compassionate writer' Danuta Kean, Guardian
'Mesmerising, haunting and extraordinarily relevant' Lovereading
'A gripping tale' Sunday Post
'The perfect holiday read that manages to keep you guessing the whole way through' Living France
'A story of love and loss, of sadness and great joy' The Middle East
A heart-rending story of loss and enduring love, set between the darkest days of Paris and the sunshine of Provence.
Her daughter disappeared four years ago. . .
Since her daughter went missing four years earlier, celebrated photographer Kurtiz Ross has been a woman alone. Her only companion her camera. Since Lizzie disappeared, she has blamed and isolated herself, given up hope. Until, out of the blue, an unexpected sighting of Lizzie is made in Paris.
Could this lead to the reconciliation she has dreamed of?
Within hours of Kurtiz arriving in Paris, the City of Light is plunged into a night of hell when a series of terrorist attacks bring the city to a standstill. Amid the fear and chaos, a hand reaches out. A sympathetic stranger in a café offers to help Kurtiz find her daughter.
A stranger's guiding light
Neither knows what this harrowing night will deliver, but the other woman's kindness - and her stories of her own love and loss in post-war Provence - shine light into the shadows, restoring hope, bringing the unexpected. Out of darkness and despair, new life rises. New beginnings unfold.
Dare she believe in a miracle?
Set during a time of bloodshed and chaos in one of the most beautiful cities on earth and along the warm fragrant shores of the Mediterranean, Kurtiz discovers that miracles really can happen . . .
Praise for The Lost Girl:
'A story to savour, complete with wonderful settings stretching from Paris to the glorious countryside of southern France' Dinah Jefferies, Number One Sunday Times bestselling author of The Tea Planter's Wife
'A great and compassionate writer' Danuta Kean, Guardian
'Mesmerising, haunting and extraordinarily relevant' Lovereading
'A gripping tale' Sunday Post
'The perfect holiday read that manages to keep you guessing the whole way through' Living France
'A story of love and loss, of sadness and great joy' The Middle East
400 pages, Hardcover
Published September 26, 2017
About the author
Carol Drinkwater
40 books417 followersCarol Drinkwater is an Anglo-Irish actress, author and filmmaker.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
February 9, 2018
This is a moving, sensitively written and emotionally affecting n0vel from Carol Drinkwater set in Paris and post-war Provence. The narrative blends fact and fiction, including storylines from the past and the present, focusing on the theme of The Lost Girl that come to connect together beautifully. Kurtiz Ross, a famous war photographer, lost her daughter, Lizzie, who disappeared four years ago. Her life fell apart, she is estranged from Oliver, her husband, trapped in a cycle of self blame and now a sighting of Lizzie in Paris propels her and Oliver to the French city. It is November 2015, the parents have to confront the horrors of the Bataclan multiple terror attacks in Paris, a city swamped by the repercussions with panic, anxiety, fear overflowing amidst the tragedy of loss and grief that unfolds. Oliver goes off to try and find Lizzie amidst the concert going crowd whilst Kurtiz waits, her fears magnifying in the nightmares of that night.
Kurtiz happens to encounter the kindness and compassion of an elderly former actress, Marguerite, the two women connect as Marguerite relates heartrending memories of post war Provence, the love between her and Charlie, and the secrets between them. The people at the concert are taken hostage. What is captured is the spirit of humanity, the sense of community as people show amazing courage in their support of each other, a testimony to all that is the best of Paris, a city facing hearbreaking outrages. In a tale that incorporates unexpected twists, there is suspense and tension as we wait with bated breath to see what happens and Kurtiz is forced to confront her past. This is an atmospheric, well written and compelling book that outlines how global issues affect ordinary peoples' lives and the ordeals faced by parents on the worst of nights. The story is enhanced with the connections to the past revealed by Marguerite. A fantastic read that I recommend highly. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph.
Kurtiz happens to encounter the kindness and compassion of an elderly former actress, Marguerite, the two women connect as Marguerite relates heartrending memories of post war Provence, the love between her and Charlie, and the secrets between them. The people at the concert are taken hostage. What is captured is the spirit of humanity, the sense of community as people show amazing courage in their support of each other, a testimony to all that is the best of Paris, a city facing hearbreaking outrages. In a tale that incorporates unexpected twists, there is suspense and tension as we wait with bated breath to see what happens and Kurtiz is forced to confront her past. This is an atmospheric, well written and compelling book that outlines how global issues affect ordinary peoples' lives and the ordeals faced by parents on the worst of nights. The story is enhanced with the connections to the past revealed by Marguerite. A fantastic read that I recommend highly. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph.
September 4, 2017
I really enjoyed this author's books about her experiences on her olive farm and remember reading her earlier fiction with pleasure. I didn't enjoy this book at all: I didn't like any of the characters or how they behaved. I thought the characters were put together to learn from each other but I didn't think this happened. I really disliked how Kz refers to her new friend as the old lady. I don't know why it angered me so much or why I resented the way things worked out.
I did skip through the last hundred or so pages because I really wasn't enjoying the story unfold or seeing any of the characters developing.. I thought it was all a bit unrealistic and everyone behaved implausibly.
I did skip through the last hundred or so pages because I really wasn't enjoying the story unfold or seeing any of the characters developing.. I thought it was all a bit unrealistic and everyone behaved implausibly.
August 16, 2017
The Lost Girl is the most emotional story that I have ever read by Carol Drinkwater. The scenes have been described so well that I had tears in my eyes. The storyline is based on the unfolding of the November 2015 Paris atrocities on television that effected everyone. In The Lost Girl. As people attempted to lift from beneath their feet others who were no longer members of their party, merely felled, bullet ridden corpses. Some were on their mobiles, begging, pleading for assistance. people began to flood the scene, from other bars! restaurants, from neighboring blocks. They were hugging one another, weeping. Highly recommend reading. This is Carol Drinkwater at her very best with characters and words and with the know how to describe scenes that makes you feel you are right there in the scene.
July 3, 2017
This a superbly written and highly entertaining book which I really enjoyed. I have read a few of Carol drinkwater's memoirs before but this book is obviously very different to those.
The story is told from three different times, and unusually for me, I found each story as interesting as each other. You know from the blurb that each story fits together so it was intriguing to read on and discover how they are connected.
I thought all the characters were well drawn, well developed and quite realistic. As a mum I felt huge sympathy for Kurtis, it's very difficult to get the balance between family life and what you want to do. Losing a child or having them involved in a hostage situation is obviously a parents worse nightmare and I read the parts involving that with my heart in my mouth. I so wanted Kurtiz to find her daughter and her to be safe. In this situation you can almost feel her fear and panic as she tries to find out if they are OK. I loved the contrast between the hostage situation and the developing love story between Charles and Marguerite, which was very sweet to read about. Even though I did want to shake Marguerite at times for not realising what she had.
It was quite brave of the author to use such a recent event in her book as it's an event that everyone remembers so there wasn't any room to change the story at all. The author describes these parts with great sensitivity and keeps very true to the story. This helped increase the tension in the book for me as I remember a lot about the events of this night and the realisation that there probably were people like Kurtiz waiting to hear news outside the venue made the story more poignant and heartbreaking.
Huge thank you to Sarah Hardwood and Michael St Joseph publishers for my copy of this book.
The story is told from three different times, and unusually for me, I found each story as interesting as each other. You know from the blurb that each story fits together so it was intriguing to read on and discover how they are connected.
I thought all the characters were well drawn, well developed and quite realistic. As a mum I felt huge sympathy for Kurtis, it's very difficult to get the balance between family life and what you want to do. Losing a child or having them involved in a hostage situation is obviously a parents worse nightmare and I read the parts involving that with my heart in my mouth. I so wanted Kurtiz to find her daughter and her to be safe. In this situation you can almost feel her fear and panic as she tries to find out if they are OK. I loved the contrast between the hostage situation and the developing love story between Charles and Marguerite, which was very sweet to read about. Even though I did want to shake Marguerite at times for not realising what she had.
It was quite brave of the author to use such a recent event in her book as it's an event that everyone remembers so there wasn't any room to change the story at all. The author describes these parts with great sensitivity and keeps very true to the story. This helped increase the tension in the book for me as I remember a lot about the events of this night and the realisation that there probably were people like Kurtiz waiting to hear news outside the venue made the story more poignant and heartbreaking.
Huge thank you to Sarah Hardwood and Michael St Joseph publishers for my copy of this book.
April 19, 2018
Novel set in PARIS and PROVENCE
Kurtiz Ross, a celebrated war photographer, has given up on work, on relationships, on the whole of life since her daughter, Lizzie, went missing four years ago. And then the girl is spotted on some Parisian news footage by Kurtiz and so she and her estranged husband, Oliver, rush to Paris to attempt to track their daughter down. Oliver thinks it likely that the now-twenty-year-old would attend a rock concert at the Bataclan that evening so he goes there while Kurtiz waits for news at a nearby bar/bistro.
Only hours later, Paris is plunged into a series of terrorist attacks. Kurtiz, passing time in the bistro, has been pinned by an aged actress, Marguerite Courtenay, who proceeds to tell her life story. This account of her youth in Paris in 1947, her meeting with Charlie Gilliard and their subsequent life together in Provence, forms the second plotline to the novel. As the horrors of the night in Paris unfold, Marguerite reaches out to support the younger woman and ultimately, she is able to bring hope and to help Kurtiz live again.
This novel is quite beautifully crafted from the first word to the very last. Drinkwater is very skilful at describing scenes of great brutality and doesn’t shy away from the graphic details which bring it to life. The description of – Dieppe 1942, as Charlie attempts to piece together the bits of his blown-apart comrades will stay with me for a long time and the section describing the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in 2015 is utterly gripping – nothing short of superb.
It is very apparent that Drinkwater is an experienced and accomplished travel writer; The Lost Girl is full of brilliant descriptions of place. She recreates the atmosphere and the characters found in a typical Parisian bistro to perfection and her descriptions of the area around Grasse, with its flower-filled fields and air full of the scents of roses and wild herbs creates a longing in the reader to go and experience this place for yourself.
All in all, this is quite flawless writing, with a fairly profound message. Basing her novel on the horrific events in Paris on November 2015 and including a powerful and moving account of Kurtiz’ experience in Palestine, allows the writer to explore the brutality and idiocy of war and demonstrate how it is capable of depriving men of any scrap of humanity. But the same events are used to highlight the best human qualities, the way in which people can pull together in the face of atrocity to reach out to and help each other.
The Lost Girl is a superb read and not one you can easily put down. Drinkwater takes the reader through panic, terror, anguish, and pain but at the end leaves you with a sense of peace and the hope and belief that what is best in human nature will ultimately win through.
Kurtiz Ross, a celebrated war photographer, has given up on work, on relationships, on the whole of life since her daughter, Lizzie, went missing four years ago. And then the girl is spotted on some Parisian news footage by Kurtiz and so she and her estranged husband, Oliver, rush to Paris to attempt to track their daughter down. Oliver thinks it likely that the now-twenty-year-old would attend a rock concert at the Bataclan that evening so he goes there while Kurtiz waits for news at a nearby bar/bistro.
Only hours later, Paris is plunged into a series of terrorist attacks. Kurtiz, passing time in the bistro, has been pinned by an aged actress, Marguerite Courtenay, who proceeds to tell her life story. This account of her youth in Paris in 1947, her meeting with Charlie Gilliard and their subsequent life together in Provence, forms the second plotline to the novel. As the horrors of the night in Paris unfold, Marguerite reaches out to support the younger woman and ultimately, she is able to bring hope and to help Kurtiz live again.
This novel is quite beautifully crafted from the first word to the very last. Drinkwater is very skilful at describing scenes of great brutality and doesn’t shy away from the graphic details which bring it to life. The description of – Dieppe 1942, as Charlie attempts to piece together the bits of his blown-apart comrades will stay with me for a long time and the section describing the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in 2015 is utterly gripping – nothing short of superb.
It is very apparent that Drinkwater is an experienced and accomplished travel writer; The Lost Girl is full of brilliant descriptions of place. She recreates the atmosphere and the characters found in a typical Parisian bistro to perfection and her descriptions of the area around Grasse, with its flower-filled fields and air full of the scents of roses and wild herbs creates a longing in the reader to go and experience this place for yourself.
All in all, this is quite flawless writing, with a fairly profound message. Basing her novel on the horrific events in Paris on November 2015 and including a powerful and moving account of Kurtiz’ experience in Palestine, allows the writer to explore the brutality and idiocy of war and demonstrate how it is capable of depriving men of any scrap of humanity. But the same events are used to highlight the best human qualities, the way in which people can pull together in the face of atrocity to reach out to and help each other.
The Lost Girl is a superb read and not one you can easily put down. Drinkwater takes the reader through panic, terror, anguish, and pain but at the end leaves you with a sense of peace and the hope and belief that what is best in human nature will ultimately win through.
March 6, 2018
‘A missing daughter. A desperate mother.
A night that changes everything…’
The Lost Girl is quite a personal story for the author as can be seen from the dedication at the end of the book…
‘Je suis Charlie.
In memory of all those innocents who lost their lives or were injured in the Paris atrocities of November 2015. Each had a family. Every one of those families has stories to tell, losses to learn to live with…..
Nous sommes tout Charlie’
Weaving two stories together Carol Drinkwater takes us back to post-war Provence and right into the atrocities in Paris on that unforgettable night in November 2015.
Read on for my thoughts…
Kurtiz Ross is suffering in silence. Her beautiful daughter Lizzie has not been seen or heard from in four years. After disappearing from the family home, when Kurtiz was on assignment in the Lebanon, there has been no trace since. Kurtiz blames herself for Lizzie’s disappearance.
Kurtiz married young, giving up her studies to look after her new born little girl. With her husband, Oliver, an actor on the cusp of ‘making it’, it seemed to Kurtiz the logical move to let Oliver develop his career further and she would remain at home. In the beginning, Oliver’s reputation as an actor spread, soon with very successful roles in TV dramas and more. As the years passed Kurtiz was happy, but always felt that she could be more. In time Oilver’s career took a fall and Kurtiz made a decision to earn money as a photographer, as it transpired a very talented one. An offer to change over to a more exciting career as a photographer in war-torn locations was something Kurtiz decided she could not refuse. By now Lizzie was older and her relationship with Oliver was on the rocks.
Kurtiz travelled to far-flung locations away from home for more lengthening spells. On one of these trips she receives the dreaded call, Lizzie has disappeared. As a mother and as a parent this would be a nightmare, a time of anguish, a time of guilt, a time where the world just stops and nothing else exists. Kurtiz ceases to live and just moves around in a daze hoping for a sign that Lizzie is safe and one day this sign arrives. Lizzie has been spotted in Paris.
Oliver and Kurtiz, though estranged at this stage, unite once more in their search for Lizzie. Oliver travels to Paris initially, with Kurtiz following sometime later, with a planned rendezvous in a cafe one evening. Oliver thinks he has found Lizzie and they hope to bring her home.
What Kurtiz could never have envisaged is the nightmare she soon finds herself in. On a typical November evening in Paris, the City of Lights was to be changed forever.
‘Bullets were perforating windows. Glass was shattering. People were screaming. Bodies were folding, falling. Cartridges were flying repeatedly, round after deafening round, the shallow flat cracks of a Kalashnikov, an AK-47 or AK-12. Behind her, the smokers’ chatter had been stunned to a cold silence.’
Kurtiz finds herself caught up in this horror. Yet out of this terror extends a hand of friendship from a very unlikely source. A chance meeting with Marguerite Courtenay, a successful French actress from a previous era, makes Kurtiz stop and take a look at her life, As Marguerite shares her own loss and tragedies with Kurtiz, we are taken on a journey back to Provence and the Cote D’Azur, to Antibes in the 1940’s, to a time, post-war, when the people of France were in recovery and folk looked forward to a better future.
I am a huge fan of historical fiction, so Marguerite’s story had me enthralled. I just adored the descriptions of Cannes…of Nice, the vividness of the blue skies, the azur colours of the Mediterranean sea. I could almost smell the heady perfume scent of jasmine, and the roses.
‘Palms and lemon trees adorned the coastal strips before the swift ascent to silvery olive groves, vineyards, mountainsides of lavender, jasmine and rose gardens.’
Marguerite’s story is interspersed with the traumatic events, as they unfold, on the streets of Paris after the terrorist attack. Her feelings of uselessness and confusion as to what is happening are in parallel to Kurtiz’ fear for the safety of Lizzie. Where is Lizzie? Where is Oliver?
Two women with very different stories to tell, yet with a thread connecting them in the most unimaginable fashion.
In the back of the book there are suggested reading group discussion points and there is one question that really stands out to me ~ ‘Is there more than one ‘lost girl’ in this story?’ Lizzie, Kurtiz and Marguerite are all looking for something, all in search of themselves, each immersed in their own private battle. Will they find what they are looking for? Is happiness really possible?
From the streets of a modern and terrorised Paris, to the Middle East, a land torn apart by hatred and war, and further back to the rose-tinted days of a time gone by, Carol Drinkwater takes the reader on an engaging journey. I loved Marguerite’s story and I have to admit, that for me, it was Marguerite who stole the show. Kurtiz and Oliver’s story, while full of tragic incidents, didn’t pull at my heart strings as much. Their behaviour in many parts of their lives was petulant and selfish, giving little thought to their daughter. As a reader I felt no great connection with their characters, which, by the way, does not take from the story in anyway. As a reader we do not have to warm to all the different personalities in a novel. They have an important role to play as we are witness to the impact of world events on the ordinary person.
Packed with sharp, and at times brutal, depictions of the lives lived by the different characters, The Lost Girl is a sweeping novel littered throughout with atmospheric imagery.
I think there are many of us lost today in a world that has gone astray!!
A night that changes everything…’
The Lost Girl is quite a personal story for the author as can be seen from the dedication at the end of the book…
‘Je suis Charlie.
In memory of all those innocents who lost their lives or were injured in the Paris atrocities of November 2015. Each had a family. Every one of those families has stories to tell, losses to learn to live with…..
Nous sommes tout Charlie’
Weaving two stories together Carol Drinkwater takes us back to post-war Provence and right into the atrocities in Paris on that unforgettable night in November 2015.
Read on for my thoughts…
Kurtiz Ross is suffering in silence. Her beautiful daughter Lizzie has not been seen or heard from in four years. After disappearing from the family home, when Kurtiz was on assignment in the Lebanon, there has been no trace since. Kurtiz blames herself for Lizzie’s disappearance.
Kurtiz married young, giving up her studies to look after her new born little girl. With her husband, Oliver, an actor on the cusp of ‘making it’, it seemed to Kurtiz the logical move to let Oliver develop his career further and she would remain at home. In the beginning, Oliver’s reputation as an actor spread, soon with very successful roles in TV dramas and more. As the years passed Kurtiz was happy, but always felt that she could be more. In time Oilver’s career took a fall and Kurtiz made a decision to earn money as a photographer, as it transpired a very talented one. An offer to change over to a more exciting career as a photographer in war-torn locations was something Kurtiz decided she could not refuse. By now Lizzie was older and her relationship with Oliver was on the rocks.
Kurtiz travelled to far-flung locations away from home for more lengthening spells. On one of these trips she receives the dreaded call, Lizzie has disappeared. As a mother and as a parent this would be a nightmare, a time of anguish, a time of guilt, a time where the world just stops and nothing else exists. Kurtiz ceases to live and just moves around in a daze hoping for a sign that Lizzie is safe and one day this sign arrives. Lizzie has been spotted in Paris.
Oliver and Kurtiz, though estranged at this stage, unite once more in their search for Lizzie. Oliver travels to Paris initially, with Kurtiz following sometime later, with a planned rendezvous in a cafe one evening. Oliver thinks he has found Lizzie and they hope to bring her home.
What Kurtiz could never have envisaged is the nightmare she soon finds herself in. On a typical November evening in Paris, the City of Lights was to be changed forever.
‘Bullets were perforating windows. Glass was shattering. People were screaming. Bodies were folding, falling. Cartridges were flying repeatedly, round after deafening round, the shallow flat cracks of a Kalashnikov, an AK-47 or AK-12. Behind her, the smokers’ chatter had been stunned to a cold silence.’
Kurtiz finds herself caught up in this horror. Yet out of this terror extends a hand of friendship from a very unlikely source. A chance meeting with Marguerite Courtenay, a successful French actress from a previous era, makes Kurtiz stop and take a look at her life, As Marguerite shares her own loss and tragedies with Kurtiz, we are taken on a journey back to Provence and the Cote D’Azur, to Antibes in the 1940’s, to a time, post-war, when the people of France were in recovery and folk looked forward to a better future.
I am a huge fan of historical fiction, so Marguerite’s story had me enthralled. I just adored the descriptions of Cannes…of Nice, the vividness of the blue skies, the azur colours of the Mediterranean sea. I could almost smell the heady perfume scent of jasmine, and the roses.
‘Palms and lemon trees adorned the coastal strips before the swift ascent to silvery olive groves, vineyards, mountainsides of lavender, jasmine and rose gardens.’
Marguerite’s story is interspersed with the traumatic events, as they unfold, on the streets of Paris after the terrorist attack. Her feelings of uselessness and confusion as to what is happening are in parallel to Kurtiz’ fear for the safety of Lizzie. Where is Lizzie? Where is Oliver?
Two women with very different stories to tell, yet with a thread connecting them in the most unimaginable fashion.
In the back of the book there are suggested reading group discussion points and there is one question that really stands out to me ~ ‘Is there more than one ‘lost girl’ in this story?’ Lizzie, Kurtiz and Marguerite are all looking for something, all in search of themselves, each immersed in their own private battle. Will they find what they are looking for? Is happiness really possible?
From the streets of a modern and terrorised Paris, to the Middle East, a land torn apart by hatred and war, and further back to the rose-tinted days of a time gone by, Carol Drinkwater takes the reader on an engaging journey. I loved Marguerite’s story and I have to admit, that for me, it was Marguerite who stole the show. Kurtiz and Oliver’s story, while full of tragic incidents, didn’t pull at my heart strings as much. Their behaviour in many parts of their lives was petulant and selfish, giving little thought to their daughter. As a reader I felt no great connection with their characters, which, by the way, does not take from the story in anyway. As a reader we do not have to warm to all the different personalities in a novel. They have an important role to play as we are witness to the impact of world events on the ordinary person.
Packed with sharp, and at times brutal, depictions of the lives lived by the different characters, The Lost Girl is a sweeping novel littered throughout with atmospheric imagery.
I think there are many of us lost today in a world that has gone astray!!
March 4, 2018
The Lost Girl by Carol Drinkwater is a layered and emotional story about relationships, both romantic and familial, and the horrors that existed in the past and now exist in the present. This is a story that will make you stop and think, really think about what has happened among the pages, it will make you hold your loved ones a little bit closer once you have stopped reading it, and it will make you realise that you should never put off until tomorrow what you can do now.
Four years ago, Kurtiz's life was blown apart when her teenage daughter disappeared without a trace. On assignment abroad as a photographer at the time, Kurtiz rushed back but as days turned into months it became harder to remain optimistic. But Kurtiz was determined to keep searching and refused to believe that something horrific had happened to her little girl. With her marriage floundering before Lizzie's disappearance, it completely ended since she vanished. But when Kurtiz gets a tip-off from an old friend who she had distanced herself from, she finds herself in Paris waiting for her ex to find their daughter and bring them together. But what should be a happy reunion is destroyed when terrorists attack the city of light in a coordinated attack and Kurtiz finds herself rushing around in the madness trying to find those she loves. With the help of a quirky old lady, who shines a light on her own troubled past in an effort to distract Kurtiz and herself from the horror around them, it is just possible that hope will find a way through ...
THE LOST GIRL by Carol Drinkwater has a lot of emotional elements running throughout this story - the loss of a daughter, the ordeals and abuse that Marguerite experienced and lived through which especially resonates today where women are finding their voices, and the horror of a terrorist attack that really happened which destroyed so many people's lives - but the author deals with it all in a beautiful and sensitive way and I definitely shed a tear along the way. The story flowed effortlessly from past to present and back again and added another extra special element to the narrative.
Kurtiz is a tough character and as a mum, my heart broke for her, but she wasn't always likeable and made plenty of mistakes which makes her all the more relatable. Marguerite is a wonderful character as she recounts her life, love, and losses to us all and she definitely wormed her way into my heart.
The drama in this story is intense but also sprinkled throughout with hope and happiness, and I did not expect the ending in any way which is always wonderful.
THE LOST GIRL by Carol Drinkwater is a superbly written story about fear, loss, love, and hope, and I could not put it down.
Four years ago, Kurtiz's life was blown apart when her teenage daughter disappeared without a trace. On assignment abroad as a photographer at the time, Kurtiz rushed back but as days turned into months it became harder to remain optimistic. But Kurtiz was determined to keep searching and refused to believe that something horrific had happened to her little girl. With her marriage floundering before Lizzie's disappearance, it completely ended since she vanished. But when Kurtiz gets a tip-off from an old friend who she had distanced herself from, she finds herself in Paris waiting for her ex to find their daughter and bring them together. But what should be a happy reunion is destroyed when terrorists attack the city of light in a coordinated attack and Kurtiz finds herself rushing around in the madness trying to find those she loves. With the help of a quirky old lady, who shines a light on her own troubled past in an effort to distract Kurtiz and herself from the horror around them, it is just possible that hope will find a way through ...
THE LOST GIRL by Carol Drinkwater has a lot of emotional elements running throughout this story - the loss of a daughter, the ordeals and abuse that Marguerite experienced and lived through which especially resonates today where women are finding their voices, and the horror of a terrorist attack that really happened which destroyed so many people's lives - but the author deals with it all in a beautiful and sensitive way and I definitely shed a tear along the way. The story flowed effortlessly from past to present and back again and added another extra special element to the narrative.
Kurtiz is a tough character and as a mum, my heart broke for her, but she wasn't always likeable and made plenty of mistakes which makes her all the more relatable. Marguerite is a wonderful character as she recounts her life, love, and losses to us all and she definitely wormed her way into my heart.
The drama in this story is intense but also sprinkled throughout with hope and happiness, and I did not expect the ending in any way which is always wonderful.
THE LOST GIRL by Carol Drinkwater is a superbly written story about fear, loss, love, and hope, and I could not put it down.
August 22, 2017
Very moving story that brings together the past and the present in a clever way flowing the Bataclan tragedy. I enjoyed both parts of the story and as usual Carol Drinkwater keeps the reader on the edge of their seat as they wonder where the story is heading. Never conventional - I really liked the ending as it wasn't contrived even though it is poignant. Wonderfully atmospheric from the scents of the Mediterranean to the cafes of modern Paris - an excellent read.
June 30, 2017
Carol Drinkwater is a seasoned writer, but this is the first of her work I have had the pleasure of reading - it will not be the last.
Written with a confident hand, the story of The Lost Girl, concerns Kurtiz (or KZ as she is affectionately nicknamed) a mother and a career women, who during the peak years of her career went on an assignment to return home to a destroyed life when her daughter goes missing and her husband falls apart.
The reader is taken into the novel four years later, on the night Kurtiz finds herself in Paris, awaiting news from her estranged husband, Oliver, as to whether he has tracked down the daughter many have written off as dead. But it is a night that does not go to plan when Paris, and Kurtiz, finds itself under siege by a serious of terrorist attacks, one at the venue Kurtiz is hoping Oliver has been reunited with the long lost Lizzie.
By chance Kurtiz has a brief encounter with Marguerite, an elderly lady who in her hey day was a small time, but well known actress. Marguerite takes to Kurtiz and as the tragic events of the night unravel the two are forced together where Marguerite's story is told. I really enjoyed the structure of this novel, which could have easily become quite confusing but does not, where the memories of Marguerite are punctuated with the present day and the plight of Kurtiz, and also the history of Kurtiz, as she tries to look back and work out why Lizzie would have disappeared in the first place, as she tries to track down her husband and potentially her daughter.
As you may well assume, the title of the novel - The Lost Girl - would refer to quite literally the lost girl - Kurtiz's daughter, Lizzie. But as you progress you realise it is applicable to all three of the females in the plot. They were all once young women, finding themselves in situations they did not anticipate and dealt with these in very different ways.
I didn't particularly warm to the character of Kurtiz, even at the end, when I feel the author tried hard to explain the reason she made the choices she did, the things she did, or didn't do so that you felt some sympathy for her. The same can be said of Marguerite initially, although I did warm to her as the story progressed and I could really imagine her, as an elderly women, glamourous in every way and remorseful of her behaviour as a young, naïve and inexperienced young girl.
The setting for the 'memories' of Marguerite are beautiful and wonderfully enticing, I could really imagine standing looking over Charlie's land as the scent of rose petals and jasmine drifted on the air and it really did make me feel wistful for Marguerite.
In a way the overall plot is a little on the unbelievable side, I won't say why because I do not want to give anything away, however, if you are happy to wave a hand of 'I don't care' to really enjoy a story taking you on a journey of womenhood and motherhood then you will thoroughly enjoy this.
Written with a confident hand, the story of The Lost Girl, concerns Kurtiz (or KZ as she is affectionately nicknamed) a mother and a career women, who during the peak years of her career went on an assignment to return home to a destroyed life when her daughter goes missing and her husband falls apart.
The reader is taken into the novel four years later, on the night Kurtiz finds herself in Paris, awaiting news from her estranged husband, Oliver, as to whether he has tracked down the daughter many have written off as dead. But it is a night that does not go to plan when Paris, and Kurtiz, finds itself under siege by a serious of terrorist attacks, one at the venue Kurtiz is hoping Oliver has been reunited with the long lost Lizzie.
By chance Kurtiz has a brief encounter with Marguerite, an elderly lady who in her hey day was a small time, but well known actress. Marguerite takes to Kurtiz and as the tragic events of the night unravel the two are forced together where Marguerite's story is told. I really enjoyed the structure of this novel, which could have easily become quite confusing but does not, where the memories of Marguerite are punctuated with the present day and the plight of Kurtiz, and also the history of Kurtiz, as she tries to look back and work out why Lizzie would have disappeared in the first place, as she tries to track down her husband and potentially her daughter.
As you may well assume, the title of the novel - The Lost Girl - would refer to quite literally the lost girl - Kurtiz's daughter, Lizzie. But as you progress you realise it is applicable to all three of the females in the plot. They were all once young women, finding themselves in situations they did not anticipate and dealt with these in very different ways.
I didn't particularly warm to the character of Kurtiz, even at the end, when I feel the author tried hard to explain the reason she made the choices she did, the things she did, or didn't do so that you felt some sympathy for her. The same can be said of Marguerite initially, although I did warm to her as the story progressed and I could really imagine her, as an elderly women, glamourous in every way and remorseful of her behaviour as a young, naïve and inexperienced young girl.
The setting for the 'memories' of Marguerite are beautiful and wonderfully enticing, I could really imagine standing looking over Charlie's land as the scent of rose petals and jasmine drifted on the air and it really did make me feel wistful for Marguerite.
In a way the overall plot is a little on the unbelievable side, I won't say why because I do not want to give anything away, however, if you are happy to wave a hand of 'I don't care' to really enjoy a story taking you on a journey of womenhood and motherhood then you will thoroughly enjoy this.
October 5, 2017
Two plots tacked together which join up in an unexpected way at the end. Certain elements are beautifully and/or skillfully portrayed such as post-war Provence or the scenes around Paris in 2015. I think I would have liked the two plots to be seeded within each other a little more strongly - at one point, although I knew there must be a link, i could not imagine it would be very strong. And then it was. I felt a layer of value had been sacrificed for a happy ending.
July 1, 2017
Searching for lost daughter Lizzie will bring Kurtiz much more than she could have imagined or, perhaps, have wanted.
When I saw the premise for The Lost Girl I had my doubts as I thought it might be too close to recent events and I was concerned it might be exploitative. I couldn’t have been more wrong. In The Lost Girl Carol Drinkwater sensitively uses the settings of the terrorist attack in Paris, the Second Word War and various other conflicts shown through Kurtiz’s photographic work, to illustrate with compassion and sensitivity the impact of global events on the ordinary person. This is a book with total heart.
The use of the senses to create place and atmosphere is sublime. The attention to detail is such that reading parts of The Lost Girl is more like looking at one of Kurtiz’s photographs than reading a book. I also found the creation of atmosphere so convincing that my heart was thumping at times and my stomach rumbling at others. I was genuinely transported to the scenes described.
The plot is so compelling because of the level of reality within it. Carol Drinkwater has crafted a spell-binding narrative and every word adds depth and understanding to the situations in which the characters find themselves so that The Lost Girl is writing of the very highest standard.
The characters are vibrant, realistic and convincing. At one point I found myself wanting to Google them to find out more and had to remind myself that these are fictional people. I didn’t always agree with their behaviour and actions, but I understood them completely. The Lost Girl is such a clever title because Kurtiz, Marguerite and Lizzie are all physically, emotionally or psychologically lost in their own way.
The sense of personal loss In The Lost Girl against a backdrop of national and international events is palpable so that there was a real intensity that I felt physically as I read. The Lost Girl is about loss, terrorism, love, war, identity, culture and ambition but most of all it is about humanity, about the lives of so many that hang in the balance on the phrase of ‘What if…’ and about a world that we all inhabit and that can change in an instant. I absolutely adored it.
https://lindasbookbag.com/2017/07/01/...
When I saw the premise for The Lost Girl I had my doubts as I thought it might be too close to recent events and I was concerned it might be exploitative. I couldn’t have been more wrong. In The Lost Girl Carol Drinkwater sensitively uses the settings of the terrorist attack in Paris, the Second Word War and various other conflicts shown through Kurtiz’s photographic work, to illustrate with compassion and sensitivity the impact of global events on the ordinary person. This is a book with total heart.
The use of the senses to create place and atmosphere is sublime. The attention to detail is such that reading parts of The Lost Girl is more like looking at one of Kurtiz’s photographs than reading a book. I also found the creation of atmosphere so convincing that my heart was thumping at times and my stomach rumbling at others. I was genuinely transported to the scenes described.
The plot is so compelling because of the level of reality within it. Carol Drinkwater has crafted a spell-binding narrative and every word adds depth and understanding to the situations in which the characters find themselves so that The Lost Girl is writing of the very highest standard.
The characters are vibrant, realistic and convincing. At one point I found myself wanting to Google them to find out more and had to remind myself that these are fictional people. I didn’t always agree with their behaviour and actions, but I understood them completely. The Lost Girl is such a clever title because Kurtiz, Marguerite and Lizzie are all physically, emotionally or psychologically lost in their own way.
The sense of personal loss In The Lost Girl against a backdrop of national and international events is palpable so that there was a real intensity that I felt physically as I read. The Lost Girl is about loss, terrorism, love, war, identity, culture and ambition but most of all it is about humanity, about the lives of so many that hang in the balance on the phrase of ‘What if…’ and about a world that we all inhabit and that can change in an instant. I absolutely adored it.
https://lindasbookbag.com/2017/07/01/...
June 29, 2017
The lost girl by carol drinkwater.
Lizzie, the only daughter of celebrated war photographer Kurtiz Ross and her ex-husband Oliver, went missing four years ago. Arriving in Paris following an unconfirmed sighting, Oliver rushes to find her while Kurtiz waits, praying for a reunion. Neither could ever have imagined that by the end of the night the city will have been torn apart by terror - and that their daughter may be among the dead.
As sirens wail and news rolls in, Kurtiz finds comfort in Marguerite Courtenay - a glamorous former actress with her own sad past. As Marguerite distracts Kurtiz with stories of her life in post-war Provence, and begins to reveal secrets of her own, Kurtiz must confront her own ghosts and face up to home truths - truths which lead her back into her own past and Marguerite's.
This was a absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters. I was hooked. I loved kurtiz. She was my favourite character. She wouldn't give up. 5*. Netgalley and penguin books- Michael Joseph.
Lizzie, the only daughter of celebrated war photographer Kurtiz Ross and her ex-husband Oliver, went missing four years ago. Arriving in Paris following an unconfirmed sighting, Oliver rushes to find her while Kurtiz waits, praying for a reunion. Neither could ever have imagined that by the end of the night the city will have been torn apart by terror - and that their daughter may be among the dead.
As sirens wail and news rolls in, Kurtiz finds comfort in Marguerite Courtenay - a glamorous former actress with her own sad past. As Marguerite distracts Kurtiz with stories of her life in post-war Provence, and begins to reveal secrets of her own, Kurtiz must confront her own ghosts and face up to home truths - truths which lead her back into her own past and Marguerite's.
This was a absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters. I was hooked. I loved kurtiz. She was my favourite character. She wouldn't give up. 5*. Netgalley and penguin books- Michael Joseph.
November 26, 2017
I really enjoyed this. I liked the different stories and how they all wove together, and I liked the different time periods the story was set in. The sections set around the Bataclan attacks were the most poignant to me, although I did love the more historical story as well. My only complaint was that I felt the story dragged a little in places.
April 20, 2017
Set against the backdrop of the 2015 terrorist attacks on Paris, war photographer Kurtiz is waiting for her estranged husband and daughter. In a bar she meets an eccentric old actress who tries to help once the attacks begin. The narrative weaves between the stories of the old lady and Kurtiz. I found the two tales quite engrossing and enjoyed Drinkwater's writing style.
March 30, 2018
This was a Mother's Day present. Thoroughly enjoyed the story which had lots of different strands and stories running throughout and spanned periods from 1947 to the present date. A story about lost children and the mothers left behind.
August 31, 2017
Really enjoyed this one!
Full Review Here:
Screen Wipe... TV ,MOVIE and BOOK Review: The Lost Girl by Carol Drinkwater http://screenwiper.blogspot.com/2017/...
Full Review Here:
Screen Wipe... TV ,MOVIE and BOOK Review: The Lost Girl by Carol Drinkwater http://screenwiper.blogspot.com/2017/...
January 9, 2022
Af en toe te snelle wisselingen van heden naar verschillende verhaallijnen in het verleden maar wát n verhaal ❤️
February 28, 2018
There really is a lot going on in The Lost Girl, flipping as it does between post-war France, and several modern time periods, most notably the night of horrific terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015. Making sense of everything that is going on takes concentration, but it is well worth taking the time.
I did wonder initially whether setting a novel amongst a horrific event that is so fresh in the memory was a wise idea, but the scenes set during that terrible night are sensitively and written and feature just enough to give us a plot hook, without dwelling or sensationalising, for which Carol Drinkwater must be commended.
As a fan of historical novels, I felt more drawn to the post-war sections of the novel, but this is mainly because the relationship between Marguerite and Charlie is really lovely, even from humble, platonic beginnings, they are a sweet couple and the scenes of their married years are heart-warming.
I’ve never visited the Cote D’Azur, but the passages depicting this area of France, and that of the region around Grasse were beautifully descriptive, even down to the smells of the place and the warmth of the sun – there is a passage where Marguerite has been hanging around a movie studio in the hot sun all day and after her long journey home you can almost see her disheveled and with feet swollen inside her sandals. I know that a sweaty woman is probably not the best example of descriptive writing, but this particular section struck a chord with me!
Although I thought the story of this book was good and, on the whole, the characters were relatable, I did have one small niggle with it, and that was the author’s wording in some sections. I have no problem with challenging reads but I felt that sometimes some really complicated words were used when other, more straightforward, language would’ve done the job. For instance, at one point the word ‘gallimaufry’ was used and, while I like to think of myself as having a wide vocabulary, I have never heard it before and had to look it up. This in itself is not a bad thing, but it took me out of what was, otherwise, an excellent book.
I did wonder initially whether setting a novel amongst a horrific event that is so fresh in the memory was a wise idea, but the scenes set during that terrible night are sensitively and written and feature just enough to give us a plot hook, without dwelling or sensationalising, for which Carol Drinkwater must be commended.
As a fan of historical novels, I felt more drawn to the post-war sections of the novel, but this is mainly because the relationship between Marguerite and Charlie is really lovely, even from humble, platonic beginnings, they are a sweet couple and the scenes of their married years are heart-warming.
I’ve never visited the Cote D’Azur, but the passages depicting this area of France, and that of the region around Grasse were beautifully descriptive, even down to the smells of the place and the warmth of the sun – there is a passage where Marguerite has been hanging around a movie studio in the hot sun all day and after her long journey home you can almost see her disheveled and with feet swollen inside her sandals. I know that a sweaty woman is probably not the best example of descriptive writing, but this particular section struck a chord with me!
Although I thought the story of this book was good and, on the whole, the characters were relatable, I did have one small niggle with it, and that was the author’s wording in some sections. I have no problem with challenging reads but I felt that sometimes some really complicated words were used when other, more straightforward, language would’ve done the job. For instance, at one point the word ‘gallimaufry’ was used and, while I like to think of myself as having a wide vocabulary, I have never heard it before and had to look it up. This in itself is not a bad thing, but it took me out of what was, otherwise, an excellent book.
March 19, 2019
I have so many problems with this book! I decided quite early on that I really did not enjoy it and am not sure why i carried on. I guess I had hopes it would pick up and it never did. This was such a slow book that was a slog to get through and somewhat put me off reading.
1)The story is a dual narrative between a woman looking for her daughter in 2015 and a young wannabe actress just after the second world war. There is basically no real connection to the two, apart from them meet at a bar. Another connection is thrown in literally 2 pages before the end, which in my opinion is a lazy way to add sentiment to the story. This dual narrative has no flow or structure
2) A portion of this book is set during the terrorist attack in Paris. No indication or warning is given before hand that this is when it was set. I found this really insensitive, as it was basically just used as a plot device. An attack that killed a large number of people was huge out of convenience for a plot. The author could of treated a fake attack.
3) The book is boring. Its almost like the author had two really weak ideas for a book and put them together.
4) The characters are just terrible. There is no depth too them. The interesting backstories that they have are never explained.
5) Lizzie is a complete brat and quiet frankly do not care that she went 'missing'.
6) The plot of this is just completely implausible. No one would behave in this manner.
7) The story is not well written. I hated the way a whole sentence would be in English, then a random French word would be thrown in. It's set in Paris, I understand they are actually speaking French!!
I have so much more to say, but I just got to work and do not want to waste more time on this novel.
Special shout out to the guy who was reading this over my shoulder on the train xox
1)The story is a dual narrative between a woman looking for her daughter in 2015 and a young wannabe actress just after the second world war. There is basically no real connection to the two, apart from them meet at a bar. Another connection is thrown in literally 2 pages before the end, which in my opinion is a lazy way to add sentiment to the story. This dual narrative has no flow or structure
2) A portion of this book is set during the terrorist attack in Paris. No indication or warning is given before hand that this is when it was set. I found this really insensitive, as it was basically just used as a plot device. An attack that killed a large number of people was huge out of convenience for a plot. The author could of treated a fake attack.
3) The book is boring. Its almost like the author had two really weak ideas for a book and put them together.
4) The characters are just terrible. There is no depth too them. The interesting backstories that they have are never explained.
5) Lizzie is a complete brat and quiet frankly do not care that she went 'missing'.
6) The plot of this is just completely implausible. No one would behave in this manner.
7) The story is not well written. I hated the way a whole sentence would be in English, then a random French word would be thrown in. It's set in Paris, I understand they are actually speaking French!!
I have so much more to say, but I just got to work and do not want to waste more time on this novel.
Special shout out to the guy who was reading this over my shoulder on the train xox
March 25, 2017
Kurtiz Ross, a celebrated war photographer and her estranged husband Oliver travel to Paris following sightings of their daughter Lizzie who went missing 4 years ago. Kurtiz hopes and prays that they will be reunited with Lizzie following 4 years of uncertainty and not knowing if Lizzie is dead or alive.
On the evening Kurtiz hopes she will find her daughter, Paris is torn apart by a terrorist attack which causes chaos, bloodshed and death and changes the lives of many forever.
On this tragic night Kurtiz meets Marguerite Courtenay, a former actress, who tells Kurtiz of her life and in particular of her early years with her beloved first husband Charles Gilliard. She describes her life with Charlie in post war Provence and confides her feelings and secrets to Kurtiz telling her things she did not reveal to Charlie. The tragic events of this evening in Paris have far reaching consequences for all concerned and Kurtiz re-evaluates her life and her past.
This book mainly centres around Paris and post war Provence. The writer has the ability of making the reader feel they are actually there due to the wonderful descriptions given of places and objects.
My husband and I holiday in Provence each year and I really felt I was back there and could smell the flowers and the herbs on the mountains with the olive trees and the fruits. Fantastically descriptive. I also liked the fact that although fictional, the book was woven around true events, again making the reader associate with the content.
I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to family and friends.
I received this book via goodreads, from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
On the evening Kurtiz hopes she will find her daughter, Paris is torn apart by a terrorist attack which causes chaos, bloodshed and death and changes the lives of many forever.
On this tragic night Kurtiz meets Marguerite Courtenay, a former actress, who tells Kurtiz of her life and in particular of her early years with her beloved first husband Charles Gilliard. She describes her life with Charlie in post war Provence and confides her feelings and secrets to Kurtiz telling her things she did not reveal to Charlie. The tragic events of this evening in Paris have far reaching consequences for all concerned and Kurtiz re-evaluates her life and her past.
This book mainly centres around Paris and post war Provence. The writer has the ability of making the reader feel they are actually there due to the wonderful descriptions given of places and objects.
My husband and I holiday in Provence each year and I really felt I was back there and could smell the flowers and the herbs on the mountains with the olive trees and the fruits. Fantastically descriptive. I also liked the fact that although fictional, the book was woven around true events, again making the reader associate with the content.
I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to family and friends.
I received this book via goodreads, from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
September 3, 2017
Kurtiz is in Paris on the night of the Bataclan attacks in November 2015. She is getting increasingly desperate, not knowing if her husband had found their daughter at the concert and whether they were both safe. The subject matter is a little upsetting at times, it’s a recent event and there have been numerous terrorist attacks since that dreadful night. But the flashbacks to Marguerite and Charlie’s life were welcome respite.
It was Marguerite’s story I preferred. I enjoyed reading about her desire to be an actress and the development of her relationship with Charlie. She was a character I wasn’t keen on at first. She seemed a little self- obsessed but by the end of the novel she was my favourite character. I would love to read more about her life in future novels.
The desperation felt by Kurtiz was convincing, not being able to get answers regarding her family’s safety. The things that she witnessed combined with the images I remember from the news at the time were all realistic. As convincing was how hard the emergency services found the situation in which they had been placed. Needing to treat the injured, yet keep worried family members away from the scene.
Some of the novel I felt a little unconvinced by, but this was a novel I enjoyed reading.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received and the opportunity to take part in the blog tour.
It was Marguerite’s story I preferred. I enjoyed reading about her desire to be an actress and the development of her relationship with Charlie. She was a character I wasn’t keen on at first. She seemed a little self- obsessed but by the end of the novel she was my favourite character. I would love to read more about her life in future novels.
The desperation felt by Kurtiz was convincing, not being able to get answers regarding her family’s safety. The things that she witnessed combined with the images I remember from the news at the time were all realistic. As convincing was how hard the emergency services found the situation in which they had been placed. Needing to treat the injured, yet keep worried family members away from the scene.
Some of the novel I felt a little unconvinced by, but this was a novel I enjoyed reading.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received and the opportunity to take part in the blog tour.
April 2, 2017
History keeps on repeating itself.
Kurtiz Ross is a photographer whose daughter disappeared four years previously. After a vague tip-off, Kurtiz and her estranged husband Oliver end up in Paris on the night of the terrorist attack on the Bataclan. Oliver is hurt and Kurtiz meets Margarite an aging actress who, during that terrible night of uncertainty, relates her life story, which is very much along the same lines as the Ross family.
This story relates to how history repeats itself and someone has already made decisions in life that you are making now.
A brilliantly told story set against that dreadful night. The characters are superbly written and likeable, especially Margarite. It had me in tears many times and I couldn’t put it down. The characters in the book are all linked in more ways than that night. They have all made decisions that had hurt others, but were right for themselves.
Written through the 40s, 50s and modern day, the book flows and draws you in from page one.
I loved this book!
Helen
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
Kurtiz Ross is a photographer whose daughter disappeared four years previously. After a vague tip-off, Kurtiz and her estranged husband Oliver end up in Paris on the night of the terrorist attack on the Bataclan. Oliver is hurt and Kurtiz meets Margarite an aging actress who, during that terrible night of uncertainty, relates her life story, which is very much along the same lines as the Ross family.
This story relates to how history repeats itself and someone has already made decisions in life that you are making now.
A brilliantly told story set against that dreadful night. The characters are superbly written and likeable, especially Margarite. It had me in tears many times and I couldn’t put it down. The characters in the book are all linked in more ways than that night. They have all made decisions that had hurt others, but were right for themselves.
Written through the 40s, 50s and modern day, the book flows and draws you in from page one.
I loved this book!
Helen
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
April 25, 2017
This dual-timeframe novel opens in 1943 in occupied Paris. It then moves to the same part of Paris in 2015. Beyond that there are snippets from the lives of the main protagonists covering London, Paris Jerusalem and the south of France.
There are five main characters Kurtiz, Oliver, Charlie, Marguerite and Lizzie the missing daughter of Kurtiz and Oliver.
In essence this is two unconnected love stories.
I found myself drawn in to both. I like the writing style. The descriptions of the people and locations make the novel feel very real.
In many novels there needs to be an element of coincidence. This is true here, but the clever use of historical and recent aspects of the horrors of war and terrorism helps to make this book something special.
I would be surprised if this book does not feature on several best seller lists.
My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK (Michael Joseph for a copy in return for this impartial review.
There are five main characters Kurtiz, Oliver, Charlie, Marguerite and Lizzie the missing daughter of Kurtiz and Oliver.
In essence this is two unconnected love stories.
I found myself drawn in to both. I like the writing style. The descriptions of the people and locations make the novel feel very real.
In many novels there needs to be an element of coincidence. This is true here, but the clever use of historical and recent aspects of the horrors of war and terrorism helps to make this book something special.
I would be surprised if this book does not feature on several best seller lists.
My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK (Michael Joseph for a copy in return for this impartial review.
June 8, 2017
I enjoyed this book which is set in different time periods with interlinked stories. It is a book about love, hope and determination. I didn't find the book amazing but it was quite heartwarming and worth a read
March 12, 2018
When I read the blurb, for The Lost Girl by Carol Drinkwater, I must have only read the first half because, when I started it, I was thinking, “What am I reading?” The hook-line on the top of the cover is ‘A missing daughter. A desperate mother. A night that changes everything...’ I suppose I was expecting a murder mystery or psychological thriller, or something along those lines, but what I got was something totally different and it turned out to be a lovely and engrossing read albeit one which was also capable of considerably racking up the nail-biting tension.
The story starts in Post World War II, 1947, Paris whereas I was expecting a contemporary setting for the mystery of The Lost Girl.
It turns out that this could be a tale of a few Lost Girls: single mothers, a career-hungry young actress, a mother frantically searching for her daughter, who went missing 4 years ago and the daughter herself.
The novel comprises of the two life stories of two strangers who find themselves brought together on the night of the terrible terrorist attacks, in Paris, in 2015.
Cleverly told in a combination of both contemporary 2015 and flashback sequences, it builds up the back stories of these two women who are brought together by chance but who have far more in common then they at first imagine.
English, War Photographer, Kurtiz, is in Paris, following up a possible link to her missing daughter and Marguerite, an elderly, but still glamorous actress who is a resident of Paris, find themselves sitting next to each other in a bar and a somewhat stilted conversation ensues.
With Kurtiz far too distracted by the thought of possibly finding her missing daughter and Marguerite leaving the bar early, if not for an horrific event, on Marguerite’s doorstep, just as Kurtiz was passing, their paths may never have crossed again. However, with their tentative connection, the two women find that the horrific events pull them together in solidarity and Kurtiz is rather begrudgingly, forced to accept the other woman’s kindness and help.
I got totally drawn into the back stories of both women and, after a bit of a slow start (only due to my misapprehension) I ended up not being able to put it down.
The Lost Girl is a captivating novel which encompasses many different micro-worlds. From the horrors of World War II, and the effects that they had on the individuals directly involved and the knock on effects for those left behind, to the present harsh realities of war, captured by Kurtiz behind the lens and the ongoing war imposed by terrorists. The Movie-world of the past with the glamour and themes that would now be hash-tagged #MeToo and the present day highs and lows of the Acting world. From Kent and London to Paris and the glorious sun-filled fields of Provence. This web of tangled threads comes neatly together in a most satisfactory conclusion – at least for some, if not all....
Actress Carol Drinkwater, became a household name when she played Helen, the wife of Vet, James Herriot in the well-loved BBC TV series, All Creatures Great and Small.
When, along with her French husband, Michel, Carol bought, what turned out to be an Olive Farm, in France, she wrote a series of books, recounting their trials and tribulations. I read these, one after the other, when they were first published and really enjoyed them so, when I saw this novel by Carol I was intrigued enough to read it. I’m really pleased that I did as I now know that Carol Drinkwater writes fiction as well as she does fact.
Not at all what I expected, when I picked up this book but, The Lost Girl kept this girl lost in the disparate worlds of both Kurtiz and Marguerite – two women from two different eras who both lived full and interesting lives, expertly written by Carol Drinkwater. An excellent and delightful read, which I can highly recommend.
The story starts in Post World War II, 1947, Paris whereas I was expecting a contemporary setting for the mystery of The Lost Girl.
It turns out that this could be a tale of a few Lost Girls: single mothers, a career-hungry young actress, a mother frantically searching for her daughter, who went missing 4 years ago and the daughter herself.
The novel comprises of the two life stories of two strangers who find themselves brought together on the night of the terrible terrorist attacks, in Paris, in 2015.
Cleverly told in a combination of both contemporary 2015 and flashback sequences, it builds up the back stories of these two women who are brought together by chance but who have far more in common then they at first imagine.
English, War Photographer, Kurtiz, is in Paris, following up a possible link to her missing daughter and Marguerite, an elderly, but still glamorous actress who is a resident of Paris, find themselves sitting next to each other in a bar and a somewhat stilted conversation ensues.
With Kurtiz far too distracted by the thought of possibly finding her missing daughter and Marguerite leaving the bar early, if not for an horrific event, on Marguerite’s doorstep, just as Kurtiz was passing, their paths may never have crossed again. However, with their tentative connection, the two women find that the horrific events pull them together in solidarity and Kurtiz is rather begrudgingly, forced to accept the other woman’s kindness and help.
I got totally drawn into the back stories of both women and, after a bit of a slow start (only due to my misapprehension) I ended up not being able to put it down.
The Lost Girl is a captivating novel which encompasses many different micro-worlds. From the horrors of World War II, and the effects that they had on the individuals directly involved and the knock on effects for those left behind, to the present harsh realities of war, captured by Kurtiz behind the lens and the ongoing war imposed by terrorists. The Movie-world of the past with the glamour and themes that would now be hash-tagged #MeToo and the present day highs and lows of the Acting world. From Kent and London to Paris and the glorious sun-filled fields of Provence. This web of tangled threads comes neatly together in a most satisfactory conclusion – at least for some, if not all....
Actress Carol Drinkwater, became a household name when she played Helen, the wife of Vet, James Herriot in the well-loved BBC TV series, All Creatures Great and Small.
When, along with her French husband, Michel, Carol bought, what turned out to be an Olive Farm, in France, she wrote a series of books, recounting their trials and tribulations. I read these, one after the other, when they were first published and really enjoyed them so, when I saw this novel by Carol I was intrigued enough to read it. I’m really pleased that I did as I now know that Carol Drinkwater writes fiction as well as she does fact.
Not at all what I expected, when I picked up this book but, The Lost Girl kept this girl lost in the disparate worlds of both Kurtiz and Marguerite – two women from two different eras who both lived full and interesting lives, expertly written by Carol Drinkwater. An excellent and delightful read, which I can highly recommend.
August 16, 2017
July 04, 2017
The Lost Girl by Carol Drinkwater **BlogTour Review**
I am delighted to be part of the celebrations for the publication of The Lost Girl by Carol Drinkwater.
A missing daughter. A desperate mother. The answers may lie in the past.
Lizzie Ross has been missing for four years. Aged just 16, she vanished from her family home when her mother, Kurtiz Ross, was working abroad.
After four years of agonising uncertainty, Kurtiz receives word that her missing daughter maybe in Paris. Desperate for a reunion with Lizzie, she and her estranged husband, Oliver, make the journey to France.
Paris holds the answers, but when a terrorist attack tears it apart, Kurtiz starts to lose hope for her daughter. Has Lizzie been snatched away, just as they had hopes of finding her?
As the tragedy unfolds over an endless night, Kurtiz finds herself in the company of Marguerite Courtenay, an octogenarian French actress. Distracting Kurtiz with tales of her life and love in post-war Provence, Marguerite begins to reveal secrets of her own.
Through a night of loss and the kindness of an unlikely stranger, Kurtiz confronts her ghosts - and discovers that Marguerite's past might hold the key to her own future.
My Thoughts
I always enjoy a story which spans generations and The Lost Girl does just that. Carol Drinkwater has skilfully woven together the two women's stories. Marguerite's story, which is set in post Second World War France, meshes seamlessly alongside Kurtiz' who is in Paris on the night of the atrocities of November 2015. I found both tales equally interesting as the characterisation was so deft. I particularly liked some of the supporting characters who you glimpsed throughout the book: Lady Jeffries, Oliver, Alex, Charlie. You saw them through the eyes of Marguerite and Kurtiz but each had an interesting backstory waiting to be discovered. For some characters, the desire to reinvent themselves is over-powering. The only character who I found to be impenetrable was the absent, mysterious Lizzie.
The landscape and environment of France permeates the writing, with the scents and sounds of the countryside at centre stage. The colours of the South of France are reflected in Nature with the heady scents percolating through the fresh, pure air. It is gorgeous and took me straight back to a holiday spent there and a day out in the beautiful village of Bormes-Les -Mimosas.
The story is as much about those who are missing as those who seek to find. Those absent may try to recreate themselves but the tug of the past and family seems to chip away at their wish to escape. Different characters may have different reasons to be absent but their stories coincide with times when the natural order of things seems to be turned upside down. When Kurtiz is away from her family, she is in the midst of war. Violence threatens to break up the everyday connections people have. Paris in the Second World War has been invaded, with the Parisiennes, sidelined. The terrible atrocities which shook it again in 2015 seemed against all reason and that night seemed endless, cut off from reality in its brutality.
This is a novel in which I found more and more to discover as I thought about it. It is highly recommended.
In short: stories of loss intertwine across the years.
Thanks to publicher for a copy of the book
The Lost Girl by Carol Drinkwater **BlogTour Review**
I am delighted to be part of the celebrations for the publication of The Lost Girl by Carol Drinkwater.
A missing daughter. A desperate mother. The answers may lie in the past.
Lizzie Ross has been missing for four years. Aged just 16, she vanished from her family home when her mother, Kurtiz Ross, was working abroad.
After four years of agonising uncertainty, Kurtiz receives word that her missing daughter maybe in Paris. Desperate for a reunion with Lizzie, she and her estranged husband, Oliver, make the journey to France.
Paris holds the answers, but when a terrorist attack tears it apart, Kurtiz starts to lose hope for her daughter. Has Lizzie been snatched away, just as they had hopes of finding her?
As the tragedy unfolds over an endless night, Kurtiz finds herself in the company of Marguerite Courtenay, an octogenarian French actress. Distracting Kurtiz with tales of her life and love in post-war Provence, Marguerite begins to reveal secrets of her own.
Through a night of loss and the kindness of an unlikely stranger, Kurtiz confronts her ghosts - and discovers that Marguerite's past might hold the key to her own future.
My Thoughts
I always enjoy a story which spans generations and The Lost Girl does just that. Carol Drinkwater has skilfully woven together the two women's stories. Marguerite's story, which is set in post Second World War France, meshes seamlessly alongside Kurtiz' who is in Paris on the night of the atrocities of November 2015. I found both tales equally interesting as the characterisation was so deft. I particularly liked some of the supporting characters who you glimpsed throughout the book: Lady Jeffries, Oliver, Alex, Charlie. You saw them through the eyes of Marguerite and Kurtiz but each had an interesting backstory waiting to be discovered. For some characters, the desire to reinvent themselves is over-powering. The only character who I found to be impenetrable was the absent, mysterious Lizzie.
The landscape and environment of France permeates the writing, with the scents and sounds of the countryside at centre stage. The colours of the South of France are reflected in Nature with the heady scents percolating through the fresh, pure air. It is gorgeous and took me straight back to a holiday spent there and a day out in the beautiful village of Bormes-Les -Mimosas.
The story is as much about those who are missing as those who seek to find. Those absent may try to recreate themselves but the tug of the past and family seems to chip away at their wish to escape. Different characters may have different reasons to be absent but their stories coincide with times when the natural order of things seems to be turned upside down. When Kurtiz is away from her family, she is in the midst of war. Violence threatens to break up the everyday connections people have. Paris in the Second World War has been invaded, with the Parisiennes, sidelined. The terrible atrocities which shook it again in 2015 seemed against all reason and that night seemed endless, cut off from reality in its brutality.
This is a novel in which I found more and more to discover as I thought about it. It is highly recommended.
In short: stories of loss intertwine across the years.
Thanks to publicher for a copy of the book
September 4, 2017
This is a very unusual novel based around the Paris bombings of November 2015. It is astonishing to me that this actually happened nearly two years ago as it seems like only yesterday. It is unusual because I have never before read a novel based on something which happened so recently and which still seems so real and so current. It was both fascinating and appalling to see the evening unfold from the perspective of the innocent bystanders. The horror of that evening, seen through they eyes of two of the main characters, is really brought to life and I can only assume that the facts were well researched and as accurate as they can be.
The lives of the characters, describing how they reached the point of the night in question, is told through a series of flashbacks. I don’t normally like books which jump around in this way as I often find it confusing. However the author handles it very well by clearly labeling each shift in the story with a title which contains the characters involved, the place and the year.
I found the book utterly compelling from the outset. The characters are well developed and, very importantly, very believable, evoking both empathy and sympathy from the reader. It is very well written and easy to read as well as being powerful, gripping, tender and heart-breaking all at the same time. The book only lasts for the duration of one day, which I imagine is a difficult thing to attempt as an author. However, Carol manages to fill that day with consummate ease and the result is an engrossing novel.
My only criticism (and it is a small one) is that the book is really two books in one, with each story being as fascinating as the other. The book is entitled “The Lost Girl” and, from the summaries given on the back cover, it is clear that this is referring to Lizzie, Kurtiz’s daughter who is missing in the Paris bombing. For most of the book the lives of the other main characters are revealed only because they are a part of this story, the main focus still being on finding the ”lost girl”. However, towards the end of the book the emphasis changes and Marguerite’s story takes on a life of it’s own, with a large chunk of the second half of the book being devoted to her early years. Captivating though this is, I did feel that it detracted somewhat from the main event and sidetracked the reader just a little too much. When I eventually returned to the search for Lizzie I had almost forgotten that the book was about her at all, so wrapped up had I become in Marguerite’s life. Whilst I understand that these added details provided absorbing padding to the plot, I think a “less is more” approach might have been preferable in this instance. There is undoubtedly enough basic material for a book centred around the life and times of Marguerite, and I think this was a missed opportunity. There is a parallel between the two characters in that they could each star in a book called “The Lost Girl” – personally I think they probably should have.
Criticisms aside, it was an utterly absorbing book that I just couldn’t put down. Well done Carol.
The lives of the characters, describing how they reached the point of the night in question, is told through a series of flashbacks. I don’t normally like books which jump around in this way as I often find it confusing. However the author handles it very well by clearly labeling each shift in the story with a title which contains the characters involved, the place and the year.
I found the book utterly compelling from the outset. The characters are well developed and, very importantly, very believable, evoking both empathy and sympathy from the reader. It is very well written and easy to read as well as being powerful, gripping, tender and heart-breaking all at the same time. The book only lasts for the duration of one day, which I imagine is a difficult thing to attempt as an author. However, Carol manages to fill that day with consummate ease and the result is an engrossing novel.
My only criticism (and it is a small one) is that the book is really two books in one, with each story being as fascinating as the other. The book is entitled “The Lost Girl” and, from the summaries given on the back cover, it is clear that this is referring to Lizzie, Kurtiz’s daughter who is missing in the Paris bombing. For most of the book the lives of the other main characters are revealed only because they are a part of this story, the main focus still being on finding the ”lost girl”. However, towards the end of the book the emphasis changes and Marguerite’s story takes on a life of it’s own, with a large chunk of the second half of the book being devoted to her early years. Captivating though this is, I did feel that it detracted somewhat from the main event and sidetracked the reader just a little too much. When I eventually returned to the search for Lizzie I had almost forgotten that the book was about her at all, so wrapped up had I become in Marguerite’s life. Whilst I understand that these added details provided absorbing padding to the plot, I think a “less is more” approach might have been preferable in this instance. There is undoubtedly enough basic material for a book centred around the life and times of Marguerite, and I think this was a missed opportunity. There is a parallel between the two characters in that they could each star in a book called “The Lost Girl” – personally I think they probably should have.
Criticisms aside, it was an utterly absorbing book that I just couldn’t put down. Well done Carol.
January 28, 2021
Rating:3.5/5
SPOILERS ARE INCLUDED
Be warned
I really enjoyed the different timelines. At first I thought it would get confused. I was extremely wrong. The timelines were easy to follow. I did not want to stop the book. When a chapter ended I just wanted to read more and more but there were some times I did not feel like reading the book at all or some chapters.I really wish there was trigger warning or content warning for rape.
Senes:Lizzie and Kurtiz- Lizzie says “ You don’t give a fuck about us, do you? It’s all about you and your sodding work.’’ To which Kurtiz responded with “Do not talk me like that ever again” Clearly Lizzie wanted a response where her mother would reassure her that she does indeed care but nope.
Alex and Kurtiz- So Kurtiz and Alex are going to Kurtiz’ room and then the cheating begins. She tells Alex to stop, he does not do that and then Kurtiz decides that that moment is hers and the call home can wait and the devils tango is done. I hated this.
Marguerite and Charlie- “Kiss me,” he begged, “kiss me.” He being Charlie begging Marguerite to kiss him is something alright. At least he didn’t just kissing her without asking.
Characters:Alex- I do not like Alex at all. He is so aggravating. I would reading about Kurtiz’ past (2011) and almost everything Alex said made me mad because of how bossy he was. When they sleep together both cheating on the significant others that’s when I started to dislike Kurtiz as well. I am not a fan of cheating.
Kurtiz-It was quite bold to assume that Oliver was hiding something about Lizzie disappearance. That he said some drunken words which drove her away, not even considering the disappearance of their daughter could’ve been the reason he was back to drinking. WHY DIDN’T KURTIZ SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ROBERT LORD TO MARGUERITE.
Marguerite- Is so sweet and kind. Loved her. I was kinds disappointed when she lied about having a boyfriend and used Charlie for you know what.
Katsidis- I do not like him (why would I). He is creepy, a horrible person, a rapist who we don’t even know how many women with hopes of becoming an actress.I am incredibly Disgusted by this.The line where he says “Bullshit.What man wants to know that a line of directors and producers are going to ball his bird.” Bothers me so much for obvious reason.
Charlie/Robert- I like him but there are some things that he does that I don’t really like. Wish he was able to tell Marguerite about his life before they met. When he was Robert Lord.Before He died. I was also expecting him to do die in a heroic way, I don’t know why. But oh well that did not happen.I don’t like the fact that he wasn’t supportive of Marguerite at first when she said she was going to be in a film.
Overall I enjoyed some parts of the book a lot
Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk
SPOILERS ARE INCLUDED
Be warned
I really enjoyed the different timelines. At first I thought it would get confused. I was extremely wrong. The timelines were easy to follow. I did not want to stop the book. When a chapter ended I just wanted to read more and more but there were some times I did not feel like reading the book at all or some chapters.I really wish there was trigger warning or content warning for rape.
Senes:Lizzie and Kurtiz- Lizzie says “ You don’t give a fuck about us, do you? It’s all about you and your sodding work.’’ To which Kurtiz responded with “Do not talk me like that ever again” Clearly Lizzie wanted a response where her mother would reassure her that she does indeed care but nope.
Alex and Kurtiz- So Kurtiz and Alex are going to Kurtiz’ room and then the cheating begins. She tells Alex to stop, he does not do that and then Kurtiz decides that that moment is hers and the call home can wait and the devils tango is done. I hated this.
Marguerite and Charlie- “Kiss me,” he begged, “kiss me.” He being Charlie begging Marguerite to kiss him is something alright. At least he didn’t just kissing her without asking.
Characters:Alex- I do not like Alex at all. He is so aggravating. I would reading about Kurtiz’ past (2011) and almost everything Alex said made me mad because of how bossy he was. When they sleep together both cheating on the significant others that’s when I started to dislike Kurtiz as well. I am not a fan of cheating.
Kurtiz-It was quite bold to assume that Oliver was hiding something about Lizzie disappearance. That he said some drunken words which drove her away, not even considering the disappearance of their daughter could’ve been the reason he was back to drinking. WHY DIDN’T KURTIZ SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ROBERT LORD TO MARGUERITE.
Marguerite- Is so sweet and kind. Loved her. I was kinds disappointed when she lied about having a boyfriend and used Charlie for you know what.
Katsidis- I do not like him (why would I). He is creepy, a horrible person, a rapist who we don’t even know how many women with hopes of becoming an actress.I am incredibly Disgusted by this.The line where he says “Bullshit.What man wants to know that a line of directors and producers are going to ball his bird.” Bothers me so much for obvious reason.
Charlie/Robert- I like him but there are some things that he does that I don’t really like. Wish he was able to tell Marguerite about his life before they met. When he was Robert Lord.Before He died. I was also expecting him to do die in a heroic way, I don’t know why. But oh well that did not happen.I don’t like the fact that he wasn’t supportive of Marguerite at first when she said she was going to be in a film.
Overall I enjoyed some parts of the book a lot
Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk
August 19, 2017
This review can be found at sarahsvignettes.wordpress.com
I have been a fan of Carol Drinkwater's work since I first heard her speak at The France Show in 2015 and I absolutely adored The Forgotten Summer, when it came out last year (read my review here). So, when I heard that her new novel, The Lost Girl, was coming out in June 2017, I was very excited.
On Friday 13 November 2015, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks occurred across Paris. Suicide bombers targeted the Stade de France football stadium, and there were other bombs and mass shootings at cafes and restaurants. Over 1000 concert goers were taken hostage at the Bataclan theatre and 89 of them were shot dead. I first heard what had happened when I was scrolling through Twitter and saw lots of tweets with the hashtag #PortesOuvertes, Open Doors, from people offering help of accommodation, transport, food, water, etc. I quickly turned on the news to find out what was going on and watched in horror at poor, innocent, people desperately trying to escape the Bataclan in any way they could and listened to their horrifying screams echoing across a city which was so scarily quiet. In The Lost Girl, Carol Drinkwater writes so vividly about this night and the events surrounding it that you finish the novel feeling as though you have lived through it yourself. She is a great storyteller and writes with such depth and rich description that I became completely immersed in the story from the opening paragraph and forgot about the real world away from the book.
At it's core, The Lost Girl is a story of kindness, enduring love and loss. It tells the story of Kurtiz, a war photographer, who has gone to Paris in search of her daughter, Lizzie, who has been missing for 4 years. When we first meet Kurtiz, she has arrived in Paris on the night of the November 2015 terrorist attacks and goes to a bar not far from the Bataclan. Whilst she is there, she meets Marguerite, an elderly actress, and the two begin to talk and share their life stories with one another. From post-war Paris and Provence, to 90s London and present day Jerusalem and the West Bank, we discover how both women came to be in the same bar on this night.
The Lost Girl is well-crafted, extensively researched, beautifully written, and full of raw emotion. The depth of feeling expressed through Carol Drinkwater's writing is incredible. You will definitely need tissues! This novel feels very different for Carol Drinkwater and is a lot more powerful than I had anticipated. I absolutely loved it! I personally believe that this is her best work to date. I cannot wait to discover what story she will tell next.
I have been a fan of Carol Drinkwater's work since I first heard her speak at The France Show in 2015 and I absolutely adored The Forgotten Summer, when it came out last year (read my review here). So, when I heard that her new novel, The Lost Girl, was coming out in June 2017, I was very excited.
On Friday 13 November 2015, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks occurred across Paris. Suicide bombers targeted the Stade de France football stadium, and there were other bombs and mass shootings at cafes and restaurants. Over 1000 concert goers were taken hostage at the Bataclan theatre and 89 of them were shot dead. I first heard what had happened when I was scrolling through Twitter and saw lots of tweets with the hashtag #PortesOuvertes, Open Doors, from people offering help of accommodation, transport, food, water, etc. I quickly turned on the news to find out what was going on and watched in horror at poor, innocent, people desperately trying to escape the Bataclan in any way they could and listened to their horrifying screams echoing across a city which was so scarily quiet. In The Lost Girl, Carol Drinkwater writes so vividly about this night and the events surrounding it that you finish the novel feeling as though you have lived through it yourself. She is a great storyteller and writes with such depth and rich description that I became completely immersed in the story from the opening paragraph and forgot about the real world away from the book.
At it's core, The Lost Girl is a story of kindness, enduring love and loss. It tells the story of Kurtiz, a war photographer, who has gone to Paris in search of her daughter, Lizzie, who has been missing for 4 years. When we first meet Kurtiz, she has arrived in Paris on the night of the November 2015 terrorist attacks and goes to a bar not far from the Bataclan. Whilst she is there, she meets Marguerite, an elderly actress, and the two begin to talk and share their life stories with one another. From post-war Paris and Provence, to 90s London and present day Jerusalem and the West Bank, we discover how both women came to be in the same bar on this night.
The Lost Girl is well-crafted, extensively researched, beautifully written, and full of raw emotion. The depth of feeling expressed through Carol Drinkwater's writing is incredible. You will definitely need tissues! This novel feels very different for Carol Drinkwater and is a lot more powerful than I had anticipated. I absolutely loved it! I personally believe that this is her best work to date. I cannot wait to discover what story she will tell next.
June 29, 2017
Kurtiz Ross has been emotionally dead inside since daughter Lizzie’s disappearance four years ago; trying to live with the repercussions of the choices she made in the events that led up to Lizzie leaving home. Paris has offered her and Lizzie’s Dad Oliver the hope of finding their daughter, when tragedy hits tearing the city apart.
Time ticks by slowly as we join Kurtiz in a bar, awaiting news from Oliver and all the while Carol’s writing gives a sense of anticipation, unease and a knowing feeling that something is about to happen. At the neighbouring table, a lonely old lady, seeking company, tries to engage Kurtiz in conversation. They have no idea of the opportunities that will open up from that fateful night and the support they would be able to offer each other in the future.
Interwoven with the physical pain of grief and shock felt when your world is falling down around you, is the love story of Charlie and Marguerite. Two lost souls living in desperate times that called for risks to be taken, who found comfort in each other, despite their very different ambitions and pasts neither wanted to share.
We live in a troubled world and this book highlights the pain and emotion of ordinary lives caught up in disaster. Carol is able to make the reader feel the intense tiredness of not sleeping, of trying to function for hour after hour, conveying the horror and helplessness of the situation. This is a gripping novel, whose theme and emotions will stay with you. It is a not an easy subject matter, but it’s sensitively and powerfully covered. Carol draws on her knowledge of Paris, Provence and the Middle East to give structure and strength to her characters and their lives before we meet them.
There is guilt, grief, despair and regret but also a perfectly formed ending that offers hope and a future Kurtiz could never allow herself to believe in.
You should add this book to your reading list this summer, but you will want to give it the time and concentration it deserves.
Time ticks by slowly as we join Kurtiz in a bar, awaiting news from Oliver and all the while Carol’s writing gives a sense of anticipation, unease and a knowing feeling that something is about to happen. At the neighbouring table, a lonely old lady, seeking company, tries to engage Kurtiz in conversation. They have no idea of the opportunities that will open up from that fateful night and the support they would be able to offer each other in the future.
Interwoven with the physical pain of grief and shock felt when your world is falling down around you, is the love story of Charlie and Marguerite. Two lost souls living in desperate times that called for risks to be taken, who found comfort in each other, despite their very different ambitions and pasts neither wanted to share.
We live in a troubled world and this book highlights the pain and emotion of ordinary lives caught up in disaster. Carol is able to make the reader feel the intense tiredness of not sleeping, of trying to function for hour after hour, conveying the horror and helplessness of the situation. This is a gripping novel, whose theme and emotions will stay with you. It is a not an easy subject matter, but it’s sensitively and powerfully covered. Carol draws on her knowledge of Paris, Provence and the Middle East to give structure and strength to her characters and their lives before we meet them.
There is guilt, grief, despair and regret but also a perfectly formed ending that offers hope and a future Kurtiz could never allow herself to believe in.
You should add this book to your reading list this summer, but you will want to give it the time and concentration it deserves.
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