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paula_s's review
5.0
Marghanita Laski nos mete dentro de la cabeza de Hilary. A través de sus ojos vemos una Francia destruida, empobrecida, corrupta y miserable, pero conservando el orgullo y la cabeza muy alta. Igual que Hilary, Francia tiene que reconstruirse y no perderse en la felicidad de un pasado lejano ni sumirse en el terror y la desolación del pasado cercano. Ambos, Hilary y Francia, deben mirar para adelante y empezar de nuevo, rescatar la esperanza, aunque sea en un niño de tan solo cinco años.
En resumidas cuentas, es un libro sobre sentimientos y deberes, sobre traiciones a otros y a uno mismo. Sobre renacer de los escombros, sobre el amor. Una obra tan emocionante como emotiva. Una auténtica maravilla.
emma_louise_books's review against another edition
5.0
I became thoroughly immersed in this heartbreaking and suspense filled story with its many layers of grief, love, friendship, displacement, poverty and portrayal of war-torn France.
On the periphery "Little Boy Lost" has a simple plot of a man (lead protagonist Hilary Wainwright) finding his little boy lost, yet Hilary is "lost" too, as are many of the other characters in the story from the aftermath of war. Hilary is a complex character, at times difficult to warm too as he questions himself if he really wants to find his little boy. Yet the reader cannot help but pity Hilary, a survivor who served in the British Army, as he questions if this little boy is really his, is he fit for fatherhood and a life of domesticity without his wife, the mother of his child.
A heart rending thriller which will have you wanting to keep turning the pages to know what happens.
On the periphery "Little Boy Lost" has a simple plot of a man (lead protagonist Hilary Wainwright) finding his little boy lost, yet Hilary is "lost" too, as are many of the other characters in the story from the aftermath of war. Hilary is a complex character, at times difficult to warm too as he questions himself if he really wants to find his little boy. Yet the reader cannot help but pity Hilary, a survivor who served in the British Army, as he questions if this little boy is really his, is he fit for fatherhood and a life of domesticity without his wife, the mother of his child.
A heart rending thriller which will have you wanting to keep turning the pages to know what happens.
juliaeditrix's review against another edition
3.0
Not what I had expected. An English man lost his French wife to the Gestapo in the war, and then their son was literally lost. The man is led to an orphanage where a strange boy awaits -- is it his son or not, and will the man have the courage to probe and find out? It's a real picture of isolation, grief, loss and resurrection -- moral courage in war and in peace. The answer does not come until literally the last page, so I was turning pages til the end. It reads like a thriller -- exciting and fast. Took me about one long night's read to finish it.
tlsouthard's review against another edition
4.0
June 2014 Book club read.
Excellent. No action to speak of - only the unfolding of a human soul.
Excellent. No action to speak of - only the unfolding of a human soul.
maccymacd's review against another edition
5.0
I went into this story unsure and a bit wary, it didn't resonate much with me. But the more I read the more I realized I was falling in love with every aspect of the tale. Hilary is a poet and widower, who goes to France, due his friend Pierre's belief that his long lost son has been taken in by an orphanage. Hilary hasn't seen his son since the day of his birth 5 years ago, and therefore knows nothing about him or even whether he would recognize him again. Spending his time in a run down and stifling hotel with strange and unfriendly people, Hilary can only count on the brief meetings with the little boy Jean to make him come alive. He of course has no idea whether boy is his or not, and soon time and money are running out for him to make a decision.
I cannot describe how beautifully written this book is. Each page flows like liquid art, and tugs on my heartstrings. I finished it and started crying.
I cannot describe how beautifully written this book is. Each page flows like liquid art, and tugs on my heartstrings. I finished it and started crying.
lectrice's review against another edition
4.0
3.75/For research: didn’t know much about this book besides its author and the postwar setting, and was pleasantly surprised by its emotional power. Glimpses of another ‘bad’ mother to write about perhaps :-) Also: yay for Persephone Books, a great feminist publisher bringing back to light obscured or overlooked authors/titles, and also the beauty and pleasure of books as physical objects!
georgiahb's review against another edition
5.0
I had never heard of Lakai and picked this book up in a charity shop and found my self in love. The story is really heartfelt and asks the question, would you love a child even if it isn’t yours. The main character is searching for his infant son who he lost during the war and can never be sure if the child he has found is his causing him to worry about loving the wrong child. I must find more of Laski’s work and look more into Persephone publishing.
jrjackson's review against another edition
4.0
3.5-4. One of the most unlikable protagonists I’ve ever read, though not totally without sympathy. Interesting exploration of post war morale and morality. Incredible setting within France (one of the highlights). The author was able to elicit sympathetic feelings, despite the frustrating situation (my outrage for a good thirty to forty pages of this book is what brings this rating down for me, the ending didn’t quite make up for the outage). Overall a quick and compelling read with some big themes that I could spend a lot more time with!