Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Tuesday Intro: The Lost Wife


"He deliberately dressed for the occasion, his suit pressed and his shoes shined. While shaving, he turned each cheek carefully to the mirror to ensure he hadn't missed a single whisker. Earlier that afternoon, he had even bought a lemon-scented pomade to smooth his few remaining curls. 
He had only one grandson, one grandchild for that matter, and had been looking forward to this wedding for months now. And although he had met the bride only a few times, he liked her from the first. She was bright and charming, quick to laugh, and possessed a certain old-world elegance. He hadn't realized what a rare quality that was until he sat there now staring at her, his grandson clasping her hand. 
Even now, as he walked into the restaurant for the rehearsal dinner, he felt as though, seeing the young girl, he had been swept back into another time..."

 This is a novel that starts at the end with Josef meeting his long lost wife. It rewinds through history (WWII in Europe), before eventually delivering the reader back to the present. Ideally, all four pages of the first chapter should be shared here. But I'll leave you, instead, with the final three lines.
"Do you remember me now?" he asked, trembling.
She looked at him again, as if giving weight and bone to a ghost.
"Lenka, it's me," he said. "Josef. Your husband."


The Lost Wife
by Alyson Richman

I purchased this book after reading Jill's review. A few chapters in, I'm totally invested in Josef and Lenka's story. Does this one appeal to you?

Tuesday Intros is hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea.


20 comments:

  1. I loved this one - will probably be on my favorites of the year list. Enjoy reading, JoAnn!

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  2. Kaye - I'm loving it, too.... one of the reasons I'm holding on to my 'best of' list!

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  3. The Lost Wife sounds wonderful! I would buy it for the amazing cover alone, but the intro sounds amazing as well. Looking forward to reading it!

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  4. I have this one on my Read It List but now it looks like I need to move it to my Buy List. The first paragraph already has me charmed and curious. I can see you are enjoying this one a lot.

    My first paragraph is here: Quirky Girls Read

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  5. Annie - I'm loving this book. Hope you get a chance to read it!

    Margot - Yes, definitely... buy it now!

    Joan Hunter Dunn - It really is!

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  6. Oh, what a beautiful beginning...and I love the last lines, too.

    Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.

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  7. Yes, I'd read this historical novel!

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  8. This sounds just awesome to me. Hope you love it; can't wait for the review.

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  9. Nise' - I think that would be a good choice ;-)

    Harvee - I'm really enjoying this one!

    Laurel-Rain Snow - The next few chapters are just as beautiful, too.

    Diane - So far, I am loving it!

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  10. I'm curious about your final thoughts on this book. I think it's one I'd really like. That's a great intro!

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  11. This book sounds wonderful, JoAnn...I would definitely continue reading after this opening.

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  12. Darlene - The combination of Jill's review and the first few chapters have totally sucked me in... loving this!

    Amy - It IS wonderful!

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  13. I loved this intro and have this one coming from the library soon!!!

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  14. Staci - Can't wait to hear what you think!

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  15. This one actually doesn't appeal to me. It seems like it might too emotional, too likely to make me need a tissue.

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  16. Carol - I haven't needed a tissue yet, but may soon ;-)

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  17. I found a copy of this at the library today. I thought I'd put it on reserve, but in any case there it was - and after your review & the comments, I'm really looking forward to it.

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  18. Lisa May - I finished the book over the weekend and just loved it. Be forewarned though, it was a harrowing and at times even heart-wrenching.

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