The Dictionary of Lost Words

"A wonderful narrative that really makes the characters come to life. In addition to bringing characters to life for the reader, it made you feel as though you were there. I'd never considered the work that went into publishing the first Oxford Dictionary. Imagine being one of the editors- selecting the words, their spellings, and their meanings. I wish there truly had been an Esme to collect the words that had been discarded. "

"After attempting to listen to this book, I have finished reading a hard copy of it. This book is more of a work of fiction than it is historical. The writing of the dictionary was real, but not the main character, Esme, herself. Her story was well written, and her choice to give her daughter for adoption brought tears, and I love the way she tied in at the end. However, the book itself was rather slow-moving and mundane. I probably would not recommend it to people, but I am glad I finished it. 3/5"

"I read & enjoyed the NF book about the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary,The Professor & the Madman so this piqued my interest. Author weaves a fict MC & certain fict plot points w/fact. char/inequalities present at the time such as how so many women contributed to the OED but inclusion of words was dependent on male editors. Also brings Britain’s suffrage movement that paralleled the publication of the OED, class diff, how we use language (men vs women), to the forefront. Loved this! "

"i was really excited about this book but i felt like it was really long and slow paced "

"Such a wonderfully written story weaving in so many sub text making a very interesting read"

"Shows the power of words and language in all our lives. Interesting the effort it took to create the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary but more interesting is how words and definitions were chosen or discarded and how this marginalized women and segments of society. "

"Alluring and spectacularly written. A beautiful piece of literature. "

"DNF. Total snoozefest. "

"It was a bit slow to start, but WOW. It was a seriously good book. Highly recommended. It has something for everyone. Wonderfully written, beautiful story. "

"Esme is a wonderfully curious child, being raised by her loving, scholarly father. She literally grows up with words spending her childhood in the Scriptorium, an Oxford garden shed in which her father and a team of dedicated lexicographers are collecting words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Esme plays, unseen and unheard, under the sorting table where she lovingly rescues the words that have been discarded by the dictionary men. As Esme matures she begins to comprehend that the way we define language might define us. Set during the height of the women’s suffrage movement and with the Great War looming, this tale of language, love and how we each define life is incredibly thought provoking. Pip Williams weaves Esme’s life through the history of the Oxford English Dictionary’s publication. Time is measured by the progress of “A and B words” and “Speech - Sullen.” This was without question one of my top 5 books read this year! I laughed out loud, pondered deeper meanings and thought provoking passages and characters, cried and rejoiced in Esme’s social triumphs. I recommend this book without reservation and encourage all my friends to experience the wonder of language, women’s words and their meanings with Esme and her amazing friend and confidant Lizzie."