The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso

The Book of Lost Hours has all of the elements that make up a great story.  It has fantasy elements, a time space where memories are stored.  It is historical fiction set during WWII and the Cold War.  It also has action with characters fighting to erase and preserve memories.  Finally, it is also a love story.

Eleven yearly old Lisavet Levy becomes trapped in the time space in 1938 when her father tries to save her from the Nazis.  The time space is a mystical library that exists outside of time, accessible only through specially crafted watches, where the memories of the deceased are preserved in books.  She grows up among the books and with a ghost as her guide only experiencing the world through the memories of others.  She adapts and makes it her mission to save memories as others enter the time space to erase memories.  She ends up meeting Ernest and things begin to change for her.  

The novel is also told from the perspective of teenage Amelia.  She has recently just lost her uncle who is her guardian. He was accused of being a spy and communist.   She is having a hard time adjusting when she meets Moira who tells her about a watch her uncle owns.  Amelia's world is turned upside down when she learns more about her uncle and things she never dreamed were true. 

This book is an interesting look at our memories and what makes us who we are.  The novel takes you on a ride with twists and surprising connections. I would not classify this as time travel but more fantasy.  There were some choices that the characters made that made this book a four star book for me instead of 5. Overall, I was pleased with how this book turned out.