Lost.

MAGUIRE, Gregory.

$750.00

Item Number: 126551

New York: ReganBooks, 2001.

First edition of Maguire’s haunting novel. Octavo, original pictorial boards. Inscribed by the author on the half-title page with a quote from the novel, “The sky behind, higher up, bleeding the last of the sunset, is bright with disillustion. Gregory Maguire 22 Sept 07.” Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design and illustrations by Douglas Smith. Author photograph by Andy Newman.

Inspired by Charles Dickens' character Ebenezer Scrooge, Lost relates the story of Winifred Rudge, an American writer who travels to London to visit a distant cousin and perform research for a new novel about a woman haunted by the ghost of Jack the Ripper. When she arrives, she discovers that her cousin has vanished, his apartment (once owned by a common ancestor of theirs: a man who was supposedly the inspiration for Ebenezer Scrooge) is being renovated, and strange sounds are coming from the chimney. It seems the apartment is now haunted by a supernatural presence. Although the plot of the novel revolves around Winifred trying to chase down the ghost in her cousin's apartment, along the way a deep mystery that exists between Winifried and her cousin, John Comestor, is revealed. While trying to solve the mystery Winifried is forced to face the ghosts of her own past and examine her choices and motivations. "...weaves a spooky ghost story with a very human tale of regret and grief. You may physically put this book down, but it haunts your imagination until the last page is turned" (Capital Times).