All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

 In 1807 a child is found floating in a basket on the canals of Venice. There is a note attached to the child that names him Sebastian. He is raised by a group of revolutionaries who teach him skills from several guilds. Almost 100 years later, Daniel Goodman is living in San Francisco trying to pay back a debt from earlier bad decisions.  He gets the opportunity to go to Venice to look for the original source for one of his favorite books that his mother sent to him while he was in prison.  In Venice Daniel meats an amazing young woman named Vittoria who is a bookseller.  Together they try to unravel the mystery of Sebastian's story and as they do, they discover that Daniel's life is tied up with it in ways he couldn't have imagined. 

This is lovely story of intergenerational family and the importance of discovering who you really are.  It is written in a very literary style with a lot of ornamental language and enriched description of Venice both in the 1800's and in the early 1900's. Having never traveled to or studied Venice much, I don't know how accurate the descriptions are, but I am guessing the author did her homework.  Her language certainly paints a picture and a mood the permeates the whole book. The characters and setting, both political and physical, are carefully drawn. All the main characters show good development and there are some interesting plot twists.  I think if I had read the story instead of listening to it I would have enjoyed it more.  The reader, Jonathan Ross, reads precisely but lacks the chocolatey smooth delivery one would hope for in a literary novel.  I kept being distracted by it.  I kept thinking, "no, that isn't how that should have been read," and then imaging a good reading in my mind. That being said, the book is good and has a strong message about faith, restitution, and self discovery. Thumbs up for the book, but for the reader, not so much. (2022, 400 p)