Lost and Found : A Novel

Lost and Found is a story about a women's self-reflective journey. Maddie Allen is a famous photographer who is divorced and on her own after raising her three children. She does not have a close relationship with any of her kids, and Maddie leads a quiet life focusing on her work where she excels. Maddie loves her home which is a converted firehouse with a spiral staircase and where she has her studio and offices on the ground floor. After breaking her ankle in a fall and a dress down from her eldest daughter, Maddie decides to take a trip. She wants to see if the choices she made in the past were the right ones. It also allows Maddie to reflect on her life, lay old ghosts to rest and see what the future holds for her. Lost and Found reminds me of Danielle Steel's earlier books. It is a light women's fiction story with a heaping helping of romance and a splash of fairy tale (happily ever after). I like the author's relaxed writing style. It makes the story easy to read and it has a smooth flow. I did not understand how Maddie could let her daughter run roughshod over her and be intimidated by Deanna's words. Of course, critical comments from family affect us more than remarks from others. There is a significant amount of repetition in the first half of the book. After a while, I knew the information by heart (a little rewriting would have dramatically improved this book). As Maddie's journey progresses, the story improves. I was especially moved by her Wyoming visit. There were some heartwarming scenes that were touching. I liked seeing the characters develop and the changes in various relationships. I agree with Maddie when she said. "strange things happen in life when you don't expect them". Sometimes it helps to look back before moving forward. Lost and Found is sweet story about reflection, family, romance, and choices.