“Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts.”
Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind
I have always been drawn to words, even outside of reading. Words have fascinated me from a young age. People use words to build things up or tear things down. I have heard words to hurt people and words to encourage people. Even now, in my professional life, I find words of the upmost importance. They draw us together.
I received The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams for Christmas this past year. In fact, our social media coordinator is the one who gifted it to me. Best friends always seem to know the best books for you, and Marissa has never fallen short at picking out a good book. Anyways, this book immediately stood out to me. From the moment I took it out of its wrapping, the detail on the cover clung to me. Then, from the first chapter one, I couldn’t put it down.
Synopsis
The Dictionary of Lost Words is a historical fiction novel that follows the creation of the dictionary. Esme is our narrator. She is the daughter of a lexicographer whose job is to sort words as they come through the post. Esme grows up knowing the importance of words, although not realizing why until later in life.
Her first encounter with an “important” word begins when “Lily” floats through the Scriptorium. As her dad sounds the word out for her, she makes the connection that some words have two meanings. In this case, both a flower and the name of her mother. Esme, having lost her mother at an even younger age, only has the name to connect her to her mom. When her dad throws the slip of paper into the fire, she begins to wonder if there are other words with difficult meanings.
Throughout the book, Pip Williams walks the reader through two stories. The first being the historically accurate depiction of the dictionary creation. The second being Esme’s journey through life, including the harvesting of all the words to go in her personal dictionary. Williams artistically weaves the two stories through one another, making it seems as though they depend on each other to keep going. This is part of the reason it was so hard to put down.
Not only does Williams track the creation of the dictionary, but he weaves in other historical movements. He highlights the women’s suffrage movement in Europe specifically. This is a pivotal step in the novel, as it adds fire to Esme’s desire for collecting forgotten words. These words come from women and outcasts. People describe the words Esme collects as gross and undignified, belonging to the lower class, thus having no use in the dictionary. Esme see’s no reason why such words should be excluded from history when they still carry importance for a large group of people.
Esme’s mission to collect lost words leaves her in several precarious situations. These events leave the reader gripping to each page. Each page tells a part of Esme’s story of walking through a history most often written by men. From going against the societal norms to facing hardships with her chin up, Esme stands as a character to inspire all young women to never fear a challenge that is outweighed by promise.
Review
It has been a while since I read a book that evokes multiple emotions between its pages. I laughed, cried, and felt anger all while reading the book. The way in which Williams tracks the narrative leaves the reader feeling as thought they are growing up with Esme. The reader gets to experience each stage of life with her, something not often done in stand alone books.
Pip Williams does a fantastic job of weaving in the historical events of the time without drowning out the fictional narrative. Williams lets the history tell its own story while carrying on with the life of Esme. In a fitting sense, she lets the words speak for themselves. Without fear of offending, Pip Williams does not shy away from stereotypically “bad” words, instead she highlights each words as important in telling her story.
Overall, I cannot think of a complaint for this book. While the ending did not sit well with me, I saw the purpose it held for the overall story. Perhaps my displeasure in the ending was only a fault of my own. I have a habit of trying to predict the endings, resulting in dissatisfaction when that ending does not take place. In this case, I am able to see the importance of events unfolding the way they did.
I would recommend this book to the young women who have been told to stand aside. This book is for people who have been told their words, or thoughts, don’t matter. Pip Williams shows readers how meaningful words can be, and how all our words come together to tell a story. This book touches on death and loss, so be mindful if that is a sensitive topic for you. Outside of that, this book has something to offer for all it’s readers.
As always, happy reading