Introduction

New in paperback! All love stories are ghost stories in disguise. “This one happily succeeds at both” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). A post-mortem photographer unearths dark secrets about a famed Victorian poet’s marriage that may hold the key to his future in this “sensual, twisting gothic tale…in the tradition of A.S. Byatt’s Possession, Diane Setterfield’s The Thirteenth Tale, and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights” (BookPage). A CrimeReads Best Book of the Year.

Editorial Review

No Editorial Review Currently Available

Excerpt

About The Lost History of Dreams: When famed Byronesque poet Hugh de Bonne is discovered dead of a heart attack in his bath one morning, his cousin Robert Highstead, a historian turned post-mortem photographer, is charged with a simple task: transport Hugh’s remains for burial in a chapel. This chapel, a stained glass folly set on the moors of Shropshire, was built by de Bonne sixteen years earlier to house the remains of his beloved wife and muse, Ada. Since then, the chapel has been locked and abandoned, a pilgrimage site for the rabid, cultlike fans of de Bonne’s last book, The Lost History of Dreams. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. The title of the novel, The Lost History of Dreams, is taken from the last book written by Hugh de Bonne, one of the characters in the story. What does the title mean to you? Which characters have lost dreams?

2. Supernatural beings, such as ghosts, are one of the main elements of a classic Gothic novel. How does the presence of ghosts change the reading experience? What do the ghosts in the novel represent to the characters? Are the readers meant to take the presence of spirits literally? Provide examples of how numerous characters are connected to the dead.

3. Analyze how the author uses Robert’s profession as a post-mortem photographer to challenge our perceptions of death and the grieving process.

4. On page 120, Isabelle says, “I believe love stories are ghost stories in disguise.” Share your thoughts about love and whether you agree or disagree with Isabelle. What do Isabelle’s beliefs regarding love reveal about her? Does your perspective of her character change over the course of the novel? Explain your answers.

5. Weald House is used to convey a sense of place in the novel. How does the estate also function as a character? Provide examples of how the author represents the natural world in the story. How are the characters’ lives changed by the presence of nature?

6. Discuss Waldherr’s careful attention to the structure of the novel and how she uses poetry, letters and stories to advance the narrative of The Lost History of Dreams. How do these techniques provide the reader with a deeper understanding of the characters?

7. Discuss the ending of the novel. What are your thoughts about what occurred in the last chapter? Were you satisfied with what happened to the characters and how their stories concluded? If you could rewrite the ending, what might you have done differently?

Weblinks

»	Author's website
»	Official website for the book
»	Publisher's Book Info

Book Club Recommendations

Recommended to book clubs by 0 of 0 members.

Member Reviews

Rate this book