The Lost Letter

By Jillian Cantor

Book Overview

"A gorgeous and thrilling novel... Perfect for book clubs and fans of The Nightingale." -PopSugar

A historical novel of love and survival inspired by real resistance workers during World War II Austria, and the mysterious love letter that connects generations of Jewish families. A heart-breaking, heart-warming read for fans of The Women in the Castle, Lilac Girls, and Sarah's Key.

Author of the forthcoming In Another Time.

Austria, 1938. Kristoff is a young apprentice to a master Jewish stamp engraver. When his teacher disappears during Kristallnacht, Kristoff is forced to engrave stamps for the Germans, and simultaneously works alongside Elena, his beloved teacher's fiery daughter, and with the Austrian resistance to send underground messages and forge papers. As he falls for Elena amidst the brutal chaos of war, Kristoff must find a way to save her, and himself.

Los Angeles, 1989. Katie Nelson is going through a divorce and while cleaning out her house and life in the aftermath, she comes across the stamp collection of her father, who recently went into a nursing home. When an appraiser, Benjamin, discovers an unusual World War II-era Austrian stamp placed on an old love letter as he goes through her dad's collection, Katie and Benjamin are sent on a journey together that will uncover a story of passion and tragedy spanning decades and continents, behind the just fallen Berlin Wall.

A romantic, poignant and addictive novel, The Lost Letter shows the lasting power of love.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399185674
• ISBN13: 9780399185670
• Release Date: June 2017
• Publisher: Riverhead Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 5.6" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

World war ll background

This story is set in 1939 Austria on the brink of Hitler's invasion. ...and also connects to Los Angeles 1989. Though it goes between two different time periods, it is the whole of the story...and is balanced so well..each time period drawing together to make a Whole Beautifully written intertwined history. I truly devoured this book ! This novel is full of heartbreak and tragedy, love lost and found. You are drawn in to the different characters that build this story in both time periods and at no time do you feel lost or confused. The back drop of the story starts with a young man Kristof,who was an orphan his whole life, he comes to be an apprentice to a master Jewish engraver. He is learning and perfecting his work, living with the Farber family, and feeling like he has now truly found a family to call his own. He develops strong feelings for the oldest daughter Elena..though she acts like she can hardly stand him. Through very unfortunate circumstances when Hitler does invade, master engraver Faber is caught up in the Night of Kristallnacht when all the Jewish Synagogues were set on fire and many Jewish people were killed, he is presumed dead. Kristoff is commissioned by the Germans to make stamps for the Furhor, depicting beautiful historic sites in Austria. Though he can't refuse to do this, or be killed, he works with Elana the master engravers daughter and the Resistance to engrave stamps with messages in them..to help the Resistance in their fight, and also making forged papers to help as many Jews escape to freedom as they can....Now to go into current 1989, Katie is going through a divorce and at the same time her dear Father, is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and she puts him into a very expensive and beautiful private nursing home. While trying to get her life in order she comes across her Fathers beloved stamp collection, that she remembers, as a little girl, spending many weekends with him, going to estate sales, stamp conventions, yard sales. Thrift stores, looking for what he would tell her is " the gem" . She takes all the books of Stamps to to an appraiser, and gets a call from him weeks later, that he's found something very interesting..among the collection, a letter, not opened... with a very unusual stamp on the outside dating to 1939 Austria. This is where, on a journey together Katie and Benjamin ( appraiser) discover a story of tragedy and passion decades apart. I LOVED THIS BOOK!! The last 3 chapters will tug at your heart, and unless your made of stone, you can't possibly not have tears, or at LEAST watery eyes !!!! It truly deserves more than 5 stars !! Wonderfully researched, and written with passion, and proving that the power of love can last through generations.!!! EXCELLANT, EXCELLENT STORY !!!