A review by mel_s_bookshelf
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

emotional informative inspiring relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

 
This is probably the most wonderfully unique story that I have ever read. 
 
It is the story of a dictionary. The Oxford English Dictionary to be precise. In its first publication, the Oxford English Dictionary was discovered to be missing a word; Bondmaid. This is the story of how that word came to be missing. It is the story of Esme Nicoll, the young girl who spends her childhood hiding beneath the sorting table of the Scriptorium, where a team of lexicographers are working on gathering and defining words for the dictionary. Over time, Esme beings to learn that certain words are deemed more important than others, a notion to which she finds she disagrees. So, she begins to gather words herself, words deemed ‘unimportant’, mostly from working class women, whom would otherwise not be heard. Words for another dictionary: The Dictionary of Lost Words. 
 
Esme’s story had me captivated from the beginning. This was in part due to how beautifully it was written – it was a very slow-paced book, but it was so rich in detail, of characters, setting, history and feeling, that I did not once feel bored. I listened to this mostly on audiobook, in small sized pieces over a few weeks, and honestly, I didn’t want it to end. It began to feel like a place of comfort I could turn to every night, so much so I almost want to just listen to it all over again. 
 
The other reason this story had me so captivated is more personal. I am a huge lover of words – reading them, discussing them, puzzling with them, and writing them. I share this love with my late Grandfather, who was an avid reader, always choosing a book over the television. He also wrote poetry, loved the daily crossword puzzle, and his own dictionary was never far away. 
 
His dictionary is now in my possession, and so of course I had to check – it is indeed an Oxford English Dictionary and just to make sure, I looked, and yes, the word bondmaid is now definitely in there! 
 
If you too are a lover of words, then make sure to give this a read (or listen – the narration was beautiful and captivating) 
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