Letters to the Lost

By: Iona Grey

Narrated by: Avita Jay

Length: 16 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

An accomplished novel from a talented writer, Letters to the Lost is a stunning, emotional love story. Iona Grey's prose is warm, evocative, and immediately engaging; her characters become so real you can't bear to let them go.

I promised to love you forever, in a time when I didn't know if I'd live to see the start of another week. Now it looks like forever is finally running out. I never stopped loving you. I tried, for the sake of my own sanity, but I never even got close, and I never stopped hoping either.

Late on a frozen February evening, a young woman is running through the streets of London. Having fled from her abusive boyfriend and with nowhere to go, Jess stumbles onto a forgotten lane where a small, clearly unlived in old house offers her best chance of shelter for the night. The next morning, a mysterious letter arrives and when she can't help but open it, she finds herself drawn inexorably into the story of two lovers from another time.

In London 1942, Stella meets Dan, a US airman, quite by accident, but there is no denying the impossible, unstoppable attraction that draws them together. Dan is a B-17 pilot flying his bomber into Europe from a British airbase; his odds of survival are one in five. In the midst of such uncertainty, the one thing they hold onto is the letters they write to each other. Fate is unkind and they are separated by decades and continents. In the present, Jess becomes determined to find out what happened to them. Her hope—inspired by a love so powerful it spans a lifetime—will lead her to find a startling redemption in her own life in this powerfully moving novel.

©2015 Iona Grey (P)2015 W F Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

“Letters to the Lost is a powerful debut, one of those rare books that grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go. It’s a heart-wrenching, smile-through-the-tears story of love lost and refound-- you won't be able to put it down!” —Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author of The Ashford Affair

“Letters to the Lost pulsates with life, offering a vibrant love story that transcends time and the heartbreak of war. Settle in somewhere comfortable; you are in for an enthralling read.” —Kate Alcott, New York Times bestselling author of The Dressmaker and A Touch of Stardust

“A wonderful, double-woven story of two women who must bear the unfair weight of past wounds and who yet tenaciously hold onto the resolve to never give up on love. Iona Grey's engaging prose is resonant and lyrical; a delicious and moving read from page one to the last.” —Susan Meissner, author of Secrets of a Charmed Life

Beautiful

I was drawn into the book immediately, partly because of the pleasant voice of the narrator, but it is just very well written. You get to love the main characters and want to know more about them. I'm glad I know what happened, but sad the book is finished. Can really recommend it!

Beautiful story

I truly enjoyed this beautiful, heartbreaking and touching (love) story. The great performance of the narrator made me feel as if I was part of the story. Makes one appreciate history - and the people that lived it - so much more.

Surprisingly good

This book was much better than I expected. I was concerned that it would be sappy, but the author did a good job. The narrator—American accents were not very good, and the Southern accents were awful! Retribution for all of the Americans who have poorly imitated British accents, I guess. Overall the narrator was not bad, though.

Letters

I really loved this book. The story is great, but the performance makes it amazing. I am sure that I will listen to it again. I miss the characters already!

Awesome

Such a lovely story and characters. Very well written and worth a listen!! Narrator did a great job!

never ending love story

this story was engaging to the end. going back and forth between time frames was done with ease and I could wait for each segment to be picked up. narrator was great also, characters had their flaws but also were realistic.

Absolutely beautiful in every sense!

This story was absolutely captivating in every way. I could read this story over and over.

Great Book, Great Narrator

Loved it, didn't want to stop listening.....cried, laughed, smiled, HOPED! It was a nice love story.

Surprisingly captivating ...

I was not expecting too much from this read/listen. It was a recommendation from a different author and was picked up during an Audible deal. But as I got into the words and characters of the period setting, the novel felt more like an earlier offering from Kate Morton. Surprisingly, it held me captive till the finale.

The story is a mystery that spans two different time periods. The present is represented by two likable but troubled pair of protagonists, Jesse and Will, who are drawn to solving a dramatic life puzzle from the 1940s. The main story occurs in war torn Britain of the 1940s and details the love between Stella and Dan. But their love does not last in a happy union and the reason of their separation accounts for the mystery.

As in all mysteries, there is a villain. He just happens to be gay. Initially, I found this troubling. But the author has another reveal towards the end of the book that will put you at ease.

Worth my credit at Audible.

A little bit too good to be true but…

This was a little bit like a romance novel - actually, really romantic! – But excellent story, well written, really gripping. I loved the narrator, too. All the loose ends tied together a little bit too neatly at the end to be real life. But what the heck, it could happen! Really an enjoyable listen all around.