Lost and Found - Brooke Davis

THE INTERNATIONAL NUMBER 1 BESTSELLER

Millie Bird is a seven-year-old girl who always wears red wellington boots to match her red, curly hair. But one day, Millie’s mum leaves her alone beneath the Ginormous Women’s underwear rack in a department store, and doesn’t come back. 

Agatha Pantha is an eighty-two-year-old woman who hasn’t left her home since her husband died. Instead, she fills the silence by yelling at passers-by, watching loud static on TV, and maintaining a strict daily schedule. Until the day Agatha spies a little girl across the street.

Karl the Touch Typist is eighty-seven years old and once typed love letters with his fingers on to his wife’s skin. He sits in a nursing home, knowing that somehow he must find a way for life to begin again. In a moment of clarity and joy, he escapes. 

Together, Millie, Agatha and Karl set out to find Millie’s mum. Along the way, they will discover that the young can be wise, that old age is not the same as death, and that breaking the rules once in a while might just be the key to a happy life. 

A lot of comparisons have been made between this book and "The one hundred year old man". I enjoyed The one hundred year old man so thought I would read this book.. 

I struggled with the book to begin with, possibly because it was an alien concept. A little girl left alone in a department store fending for herself. All the things that I thought would have happened in real life didn't- that is she wouldn't get away with it.

Once I suspended that disbelief I got on a little better with the book, but it was still a bit off the wall for my taste. There was also a lot of swearing at one point - didn't bother me as such, as it was part of the character and their make up, but could offend some people I guess.

My other point I put down just to my own stupidity. I thought the book was set in England as there were many references (mainly TV) that signposted this in my mind. So when they set off for Melbourne (and I knew it wasn't the one in Derbyshire UK), I thought "how are they going to do that without Millie's passport". Of course it is actually set in Australia!

For me the book came into its own once Millie joined forces with Karl and Agatha - then it really got going and I found myself laughing out loud at some of the antics and expressions used. There are also some lovely poignant pages where Karl recalls his wife.

So I will say as Millie would "I'm sorry for your loss" and "we are all going to die"...........

My thanks to netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for a free advance copy of this book to review.