Abandoned
as a baby, Martha Lost spent all her life in the lost property shop of
Liverpool Lime Street station where the shop keeper took care of her. When her
foster mother dies, Martha is confronted with who she really is since she can
only stay in the shop if she can provide the authorities with an identification
number and a birth certificate. Apart from her own life’s secret, she has some
more mysteries to solve. Hidden doors lead to mysterious tunnels, a suitcase
which might be worth millions if it really belonged to the Beatles and an
anonymous pen friend who slowly reveals her identity to Martha.
A very
sweet, fairy tale like book which nevertheless touches serious questions of how
your identity is determined and how important it is to know your family. Martha
is a bit naive since she never left the closed world of the train station, but
at the same time she acquired a good knowledge of people and is certainly capable
of sharp observation. Her compassion for the people around her is greeted with
help when she herself is in need and thus the obligatory happy-end is also
provided. A lovely book with a bit of melancholy – perfect for a winter
evening.