Review: All That Was Lost

All That Was Lost by Alison May
Genre: Romance/Saga
Length: 244 pages
Publication Date: 6 September 2018
Publisher: Legend Press
Source: ARC via NetGalley
 
Stars:  4.5 out of 5
 
Link: AMAZON (UK)

ABOUT ALL THAT WAS LOST:
 
In 1967 Patience Bickersleigh is a teenager who discovers a talent for telling people what they want to hear. Fifty years later she is Patrice Leigh, a nationally celebrated medium. But cracks are forming in the carefully constructed barriers that keep her real history at bay.
 
Leo is the journalist hired to write Patrice’s biography. Struggling to reconcile the demands of his family, his grief for his lost son, and his need to understand his own background, Leo becomes more and more frustrated at Patrice's refusal to open up.
 
Because behind closed doors, Patrice is hiding more than one secret. And it seems that now, her past is finally catching up with her.

My Review:

The book starts brilliantly. The concept is great – as I tucked in to the first chapter I was delighted that the story lives up to the novel idea. It's a beautiful story that flicks between current day and Pat's teenage years in the sixties.  As Pat's story becomes clear it's clear to see how she became the grand Patrice Leigh, and her role in supporting people who seek out a medium. Much my reading was spent thinking is she or isn't she (the real thing)?. Interwoven with Leo and Louise's lives respectively, the pain of grief and losing a loved one is heartfelt. When the loose ends came together at the end, I wanted to reread the book again straight away.
 
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
 
Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review.