The Book of Lost Hours

For fans of The Ministry of Time and The Midnight Library, a sweeping, unforgettable novel moving from pre-WWII Germany to Cold War-era America to the mysterious time space, a library filled with books containing the memories of those who bore witness to history.

'Gelfuso seamlessly blends elements of romance and fantasy into the twisty quest narrative, and packs excitement into every page. It's a delight.' Publishers Weekly

Nuremberg, 1938: Lisavet Levy's watchmaker father saves her from the Nazis by pushing her through a mysterious doorway. There, she discovers the time space-a vast, magical library where memories of the past are stored in books. Her father promises he will follow, but when he doesn't Lisavet becomes trapped, destined to walk through the memories of those who have lived before.

When she discovers timekeepers are entering the library with the mandate to decide whose memories survive and whose are destroyed, Lisavet tries to salvage scraps of the past as best she can, creating her own book of lost memories. Until one day in 1949, she meets an American timekeeper named Ernest Duquesne, who is intent on keeping Lisavet from her task. What ensues has the power to change the course of history.

Boston, 1965: Amelia Duquesne is mourning her uncle Ernest when an enigmatic CIA agent approaches her to enlist her help in tracking down a strange book her uncle had once sought. But when Amelia enters the time space for the first time, she realises that the past-and the truth-might not be as linear as she'd like to believe.

Gorgeous and unforgettable, The Book of Lost Hours explores memory, fate and the lengths we will go to in order to protect those we love.

Format: Paperback
Page Count: 400 Pages
Imprint: Allen & Unwin
Published: Sept 2025
ISBN: 9781761472794