The Book of Lost Hours: A GMA Book Club Pick (a Novel)

Time as a fourth dimension has often been explored in science fiction, although I have rarely seen it explored in a library, and even less so poetically than Gelfuso employs it. Her debut novel—and what a debut it is!—features a library that exists beyond our three dimensions, one in which people who own specially made watches can access the memories of others, spanning from the beginning of time to the present day.

Or, if they wish, they can burn them, erasing the person from everyone’s memories.

The Book of Lost Hours is a beautifully written work of speculative fiction, but it is so much more than just that. It is also a spy thriller, a Cold War story that features not only a hidden aspect of the war but also another faction within that hidden conflict. It is also a love story, one filled with exquisite longing and joyful moments to delight any romantic. All three of these genres are braided together to perfection.

This is one of the best books I’ve read this year, and I’m very excited to see what Hayley Gelfuso does next!