The Finding of Martha Lost by Caroline Wallace

The Finding of Martha Lost
By Caroline Wallace
Published by Doubleday (10 March 2016)
ISBN: 978-0857523341

Publisher's description

Martha is lost.

She’s been lost since she was a baby, abandoned in a suitcase on the train from Paris. Ever since, she’s waited in station lost property for someone to claim her. It’s been sixteen years, but she’s still hopeful.

In the meantime, there are mysteries to solve: secret tunnels under the station, a suitcase that may have belonged to the Beatles, the roman soldier who appears at the same time every day with his packed lunch. Not to mention the stuffed monkey that someone keeps misplacing.

But there is one mystery Martha cannot solve. And now the authorities have found out about the girl in lost property. Time is running out - if Martha can’t discover who she really is, she will lose everything…

My verdict

The Finding of Martha Lost is sweet, quirky and charming, with magic and wonder flowing through every page, as 16-year-old Martha embarks on a search for her birth mother and her true identity.

Martha is a delightful character, naive in some ways and worldly beyond her years in others. I loved the way her story is weaved together with the underlying Beatles theme. The other colourful characters' personalities also shine out of the page and really bring the book to life.

The Finding of Martha Lost is a very easy, enjoyable read. It's a journey of self-discovery, with gentle humour and a few darker moments thrown into the mix. I've never been to Liverpool myself, and the book makes me want to visit Lime Street Station, spin around for a while and then watch people go by and wonder about their individual stories. The descriptions were so vivid and beautifully written that I could picture the station and its occupants as I read.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.