Lost by Jacqueline Daveis

Dear Readers,

A friend of mine has been telling me how amazing this books is for years. She continually told me that I MUST read it. I finally picked it up, and I was not disappointed. For anyone who loves a good historical fiction that waves together fact and fiction in a manner that leaves you wonder which is which this book is a MUST!
While reading the book to story comes in two parts. Each chapter switches between the past and present. Esther, affectionately called Essie, works for the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory is main character of the book. At the age of 16 she has experienced more than many adults. At a young age her father died, and that same year her younger sister was born. Her mother hardly raised her sister, so the task fell to Essie. Zelda, which means luck, was a little ball of energy that kept Essie very busy.
The one event that separates the past from present in the novel is Zelda's death. At the age of 6 Zelda ran out into the street and was ran over by a cart. Esther refuses to face the fact the Zelda is dead, and she believes Zelda is just hiding and will come out soon. She lives her life around Zelda. The part of the novel before Zelda's death is filled with Esther's happy memories and stories of her times with Zelda. The part after is filled with Esther denying the truth. They weave in and out and you never know the whole story till the end of the novel.
Lost contains more then Esther and Zelda though. A new girl comes to work at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory with Esther. The new girl is quiet and hardly says more than two words to a person. But she seems lost. She seems as if she has something to hide. Esther befriends the new girl, Harriet. As her and Harriet become friends they both have a past they seem to be hiding. Esther continually refuses to acknowledge Zelda's death, and Harriet is build lies upon lies to cover up her past. There is also Jimmy. The attractive neighbor who has know Esther since she was young. Esther has grown up loving him. Saulie is Esther younger brother, who continually causes trouble. And Esther's mother, a stern strong women, is always in the background of Essie's mind. The characters are one of the amazing threads woven together to create this amazing story.
As with most historical fiction the theme was not really the main point of the book. That would go to a creative retelling of a few historical events messed together. As with many books, there is a section at the end of the book telling you what is fact and what is fiction. Fact vs. Fiction actually seemed to be one of the driving points of the novel. Many of the characters are forced to decide what is the truth and what is not. The battle between truth and not was more then just the historical fiction of the book.
I loved it, and I would highly recommend Lost to anyone looking for a good book. It is wonderfully written. It is one of the best historical fiction books I have ever read, so read it!!
Lindsey