The Book of Lost Hours

'Gelfuso seamlessly blends elements of romance and fantasy into the twisty quest narrative, and packs excitement into every page. It's a delight.' Publishers Weekly

Nuremberg, 1938: Lisavet Levy's watchmaker father saves her from the Nazis by pushing her through a mysterious doorway. There, she discovers the time space—a vast, magical library where memories of the past are stored in books. Her father promises he will follow, but when he doesn't, Lisavet becomes trapped, destined to walk through the memories of those who have lived before.

When she discovers timekeepers are entering the library with the mandate to decide whose memories survive and whose are destroyed, Lisavet tries to salvage scraps of the past as best she can, creating her own book of lost memories. Until one day in 1949, she meets an American timekeeper named Ernest Duquesne, who is intent on keeping Lisavet from her task. What ensues has the power to change the course of history.

Boston, 1965: Amelia Duquesne is mourning her uncle Ernest when an enigmatic CIA agent approaches her to enlist her help in tracking down a strange book her uncle had once sought. But when Amelia enters the time space for the first time, she realises that the past—and the truth—might not be as linear as she'd like to believe.

Gorgeous and unforgettable, The Book of Lost Hours explores memory, fate, and the lengths we will go to in order to protect those we love.

'This book is pure magic, filled with wisdom and a deep understanding of what it means to love. I didn't want it to end.' Hannah Bent, bestselling author of When Things are Alive They Hum

'A meditation on time, memory, and history, encased in a heart-pounding, cold-war spy thriller, wound tight around a sweeping story of love, family, and fate, The Book of Lost Hours performs actual magic—time itself stops as it draws you in. An undeniable debut by a glittering new talent.' Daria Lavelle, author of Aftertaste

'A magnificent and complex feat of imagination, a love story that defies the boundaries of time, memory, and reality. From the very first wild page, you'll be swept into a world where the past isn't just remembered—it's lived, fought for, and protected at all costs. Luminous and haunting, Gelfuso's prose takes us on a journey through a tale of love that transcends time and space, an exploration of how far we'll go to hold on to what matters most. The Book of Lost Hours is a testament to the power of memory, the fragility of truth, and the enduring strength of the human heart. You'll never look at time the same way again.' Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea

'There's a version of me, somewhere in another timeline, who never read The Book of Lost Hours, and I feel sorry for them. Hayley Gelfuso has written the kind of novel that doesn't just bend time—it stops it, folds it, and tucks a love letter inside. You don't read this book so much as vanish into it, and when you return, your heart is not the same as when you left. An astounding debut!' Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy