The Lost Hours [Paperback]

Karen White (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 7, 2009

Read Karen White's posts on the Penguin Blog.

The award-winning author of The Memory of Water delivers a gripping tale of family, fate, and forgiveness.

When Piper Mills was twelve, she helped her grandfather bury a box that belonged to her grandmother in the backyard. For twelve years, it remained untouched.

Now a near fatal riding accident has shattered Piper’s dreams of Olympic glory. After her grandfather’s death, she inherits the house and all its secrets, including a key to a room that doesn’t exist—or does it? And after her grandmother is sent away to a nursing home, she remembers the box buried in the backyard. In it are torn pages from a scrapbook, a charm necklace—and a newspaper article from 1939 about the body of an infant found floating in the Savannah River. The necklace’s charms tell the story of three friends during the 1930s— each charm added during the three months each friend had the necklace and recorded her life in the scrapbook. Piper always dismissed her grandmother as not having had a story to tell. And now, too late, Piper finds she might have been wrong.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

After playing hooky one day in the seventh grade to read Gone With the Wind, Karen White knew she wanted to be a writer—or become Scarlett O'Hara. In spite of these aspirations, Karen pursued a degree in business and graduated cum laude with a BS in Management from Tulane University. Ten years later, after leaving the business world, she fulfilled her dream of becoming a writer and wrote her first book. In the Shadow of the Moon was published in August, 2000. This book was nominated for the prestigious RITA award in 2001 in two separate categories. Her books have since been nominated for numerous national contests including another RITA, the Georgia Author of the Year Award and in 2008 won the National Readers’ Choice Award for Learning to Breathe.

Karen currently writes what she refers to as ‘grit lit’—southern women’s fiction—and has recently expanded her horizons into writing a mystery series set in Charleston. Her tenth novel, The Lost Hours, will be released in trade paperback by New American Library, a division of Penguin Publishing Group, in April 2009.

Karen hails from a long line of Southerners but spent most of her growing up years in London, England and is a graduate of the American School in London. She currently lives near Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and two teenaged children, and a spoiled Havanese dog (who appears in several of her books), Quincy. When not writing, she spends her time reading, singing, playing piano, chauffeuring children and avoiding cooking.

Product Details

• Paperback: 343 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade; 1 edition (April 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451226496
• ISBN-13: 978-0451226495
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.9 x 7.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (97 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,718 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up being a voracious reader and it was a natural step to turn my interest to writing. I have published 16 award-winning and bestselling novels including my 2012 release, SEA CHANGE, which debuted on the New York Times bestseller list at number 12.

I write what others have termed "grit-lit"--southern women's fiction, as well as a contemporary paranormal mystery series set in Charleston, South Carolina. All of my books are set in the US South, and feature a female protagonist at a crossroads in her life.

I live near Atlanta, Georgia with my husband, two children, and the cutest six-year-old Havanese dog, Quincy, whom readers may recognize as General Lee in the Tradd Street series.

My newest release, AFTER THE RAIN (a revamped version of the book originally published in 2003), was released by New American Library, a division of Penguin Publishing, on December 31, 2012. My next book, THE TIME BETWEEN, will be my hardcover debut and will be published in June, 2013.

For more about me and my books, please visit my website at www.karen-white.com or follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/karenwhiteauthor.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 62 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing, powerful story of family secrets April 14, 2009

By Cheryl C. Malandrinos VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Engrossing, powerful, and mysterious, "The Lost Hours" by Karen White is sure to win this talented author more awards.

When Piper Mills was only six years old, her parents died and she moved in with her grandparents in Savannah. Years later, her grandmother gave her a mysterious box that Piper and her grandfather buried in the backyard; an event that would soon be forgotten.

After the death of her grandparents, and now a grown woman, Piper seeks the answers to questions she never had the courage to ask while her grandmother was alive. Digging up the mysterious box from the garden, Piper sets forth on a journey that uncovers her family's secrets and tells a story of past hurts, regrets, and the need for forgiveness.

After reading Karen White's "The House on Tradd Street", I was eager to read her next novel. White definitely did not disappoint.

"The Lost Hours" combines Southern living and style with friendship, tragedy, and a quest for the truth.

As with "The House on Tradd Street", this novel's characters move the story forward. Told from multiple points of view, the reader is totally captivated by the story of three girlfriends who are separated by a monumental tragedy and the granddaughter seeking to learn more about the grandmother she never really knew.

"The Lost Hours" is a powerful story that involves Alzheimer's disease, race relations in the 1930's, a charm necklace, a scrapboook and a love of horses. Piper was an accomplished equestrian, until a horrific accident left her scarred and afraid to get back in the saddle again.

In addition to Piper, readers will find a host of interesting and multifaceted characters.... Helen, a blind daughter living at Asphodel Meadows, who has a flair for fashion; Tucker, Helen's brother, who has left his medical practice after a family tragedy; and Mr. Morton, Piper's family's attorney who pretends he's deaf, but really hears every word you say.

Perhaps the best part of "The Lost Hours" is how White is able to combine all these people, their pasts and their presents, to create an emotional story that will leave you satisfied, but also feeling sorry that you've read the last page.

"The Lost Hours" will make you run out and buy every book written by Karen White. Read more ›

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Murder Mystery (By Request: Spoiler Warning) July 18, 2009

By J. Kaye Oldner VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

"The Lost Hours", by Karen White, is a three generational murder mystery set in Savannah, Georgia. Piper Mills, orphaned at six, went to live with her grandparents in Savannah. She learned to ride horses and became an Olympic hopeful. Now a near fatal riding accident has shattered Piper's dreams of Olympic glory, and her own zest for life. Her grandfather dies, and she inherits the house and all its secrets, including a key to a room that doesn't exist, and caring for her grandmother in a nursing home.

Piper remembers a box belonging to her grandmother that she and her grandfather had buried in the backyard when she was 12. Inside the box are torn pages from a scrapbook, a charm necklace--and a newspaper article from 1939 about the body of an infant found floating in the Savannah River. The necklace's charms tell the story of three friends during the 1930s-- each charm added during the three months each friend had the necklace and recorded her life in the scrapbook. And there lies the mystery. What murder separated the 3 friends?

`The Lost Hours" is a fast-paced, introspective, and drama filled story that takes us to Savannah of Jim Crow and the KKK of the 1930s. Plantations, gardens, horses, equal-rights, Alzheimer's, old-age, children and sibling deaths, and family traditions are all elements of this nicely woven emotional story. Lovely settings, a bit of history, great drama make this a fast and enjoyable read and a bit of reflection on my own family secrets.

(Review by Steve, my husband.)

30 of 35 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Good title... August 17, 2009

By Betzy C

Format:Paperback

The Lost Hours are what I ended up with after wading through way too much extraneous narrative. The plot is excellent, but I thought the writing/editing was awful and the pacing was mind-numbing. I skimmed through at least a third of the book looking for the parts that actually moved the story along. I assumed this was the author's first attempt at a novel, but she's got nine published already! Then I looked at the book jacket reviews and realized that they were "praise for the novels of..." rather than for this one in particular. I'd suggest getting this from the library if you must.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful read October 30, 2009

By dee

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I loved this book, I had never read Karen White before and was worried that this book would turn out to be a light/cookbook style mystery/romance. Boy was I wrong!

The book had great depth of characters, an intriging and bittersweet plot, and the ability to bring you into the book's southern setting by way of sight, sound and smell. This is one of the few books
that I HAD to read through, and couldn't put it down.

The only critism I had was the author changed perspective frequently, and it kind of threw me off, but not enough to keep me from completely enjoying the book, and immediately ordering other Karen White titles.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Just What I Needed In Spite of It All December 3, 2011

By Crime Novelist

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

When I took this book with me on a two week trip after my mother died, I didn't know exactly what it was about. When I found out it was in part about a woman who had Alzheimer's and had died, I thought I don't want to read this. My own mother had died months previously from a horrible disease and I just thought this would not be something to read.

In spite of myself, I settled into my lovely hotel room on a gloomy day and began to read it anyway. I became engaged in the story and then could not stop. I ordered hot chocolate to my room because I didn't want to go out. I finished the book, set it down and thought "this was just what I needed".

It isn't about Alzheimer's, so forget that part. It is about so many things. It is about the secrets to which people cling, and it is about at last understanding those dear to us, but mostly about understanding ourselves. It is a wonderful read. I highly recommend it.