Lost & Found

In Lost & Found, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Kathryn Schulz delves into the depths of her personal experiences to offer a profound exploration of love, loss, and resilience. The narrative is set into motion eighteen months before the passing of her beloved father, when Schulz meets the woman who will become her wife. This poignant memoir intertwines the tales of heartbreak and newfound joy, serving as a meticulous reflection on the complexities of life.

Schulz weaves a tapestry from the fabric of three distinct American families. First, there is the family that made her father—a captivating, absentminded Jewish refugee renowned for his brilliance. Then, there is the family of her partner, a devout Christian and farmer’s daughter with equal distinction. Lastly, Schulz presents the family she herself creates through marriage. Using these familial connections, she deftly examines the essence of human relationships and how they shape our understanding of the world.

Lost & Found navigates through an array of experiences, from the trivial annoyances like misplacing everyday objects to the enormous tragedies brought by war, pandemics, and natural disasters. It is through these contrasts that Schulz elucidates how moments of private joy can coincide with global suffering, how our love for others often comes intertwined with irritation, and ultimately, how happiness and grief are inextricably linked.

This book is part memoir and part philosophical guide, inviting readers to embrace the dualities of existence. Schulz writes with the emotional transparency reminiscent of C. S. Lewis and the intellectual gravitas of Susan Sontag, offering both a touching personal story and a universal commentary on human experience. Her prose is clear and melodious, making complex emotions accessible and profoundly moving.

As a staff writer at The New Yorker and a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, Schulz brings a wealth of knowledge and a refined sensitivity to her work. Her writing is marked by curiosity, tenderness, erudition, and wit. Lost & Found emerges as a rare literary gem, finding beauty in both joy and sorrow, capable of changing the way we perceive our finite yet infinitely intricate lives.

Lost & Found's exceptional acclaim is evidenced by reviews such as this one from the Sunday Times which calls it, "Extraordinary... a profound and beautiful book... a moving meditation on grief and loss, but also a sparky celebration of joy, wonder and the miracle of love... Witty, wise, beautifully structured and written in clear, singing prose."

Helen Macdonald, author of H Is for Hawk, offers another testimonial, stating, "An extraordinary gift of a book, a tender, searching meditation on love and loss and what it means to be human. I wept at it, laughed with it, was entirely fascinated by it. I emerged feeling a little as if the world around me had been made anew."

Lost & Found promises to take readers on a heartfelt journey, inviting them to reflect on their own encounters with love and loss, and ultimately, to find solace in the shared human experience of navigating the fragile, yet wondrous path of life.