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Table of Contents
About The Book
For fans of The Ministry of Time and The Midnight Library, a sweeping, unforgettable novel moving from pre-WWII Germany to Cold War-era America to the mysterious time space, a library filled with books containing the memories of those who bore witness to history.
Nuremberg, 1938: On the night of Kristallnacht, eleven-year-old Lisavet Levy is hidden by her father from approaching forces in a mysterious place called the time space, a library where all the memories of the past are stored inside of books. When her father doesn’t return for her, she becomes trapped, spending her adolescence walking through the memories of those who lived before. When she discovers that living timekeepers are entering the time space to destroy memories and maintain their preferred version of history, Lisavet sets about trying to salvage the past, creating her own book of lost memories. Until one day in 1949, when she meets an American timekeeper named Ernest Duquesne, who is intent on keeping her from her task. What ensues sets her on a course to change history and the time space itself forever.
Boston, 1965: Amelia Duquesne is mourning the death of her uncle and guardian, Ernest, when she’s approached by Moira, the enigmatic head of the CIA’s highly secretive Temporal Reconnaissance Program. Moira tells her about the existence of the time space—accessed only by specially designed watches whose intricate mechanisms have been lost to time—and enlists her help in recovering a strange book her uncle had once sought. But Amelia quickly realizes that the past—and the truth—are not as straightforward as Moira would like her to believe.
A sweeping, cinematic love story, this feat of imagination explores memory, time, and the lengths we will go to in order to protect the existence of those we love.
Nuremberg, 1938: On the night of Kristallnacht, eleven-year-old Lisavet Levy is hidden by her father from approaching forces in a mysterious place called the time space, a library where all the memories of the past are stored inside of books. When her father doesn’t return for her, she becomes trapped, spending her adolescence walking through the memories of those who lived before. When she discovers that living timekeepers are entering the time space to destroy memories and maintain their preferred version of history, Lisavet sets about trying to salvage the past, creating her own book of lost memories. Until one day in 1949, when she meets an American timekeeper named Ernest Duquesne, who is intent on keeping her from her task. What ensues sets her on a course to change history and the time space itself forever.
Boston, 1965: Amelia Duquesne is mourning the death of her uncle and guardian, Ernest, when she’s approached by Moira, the enigmatic head of the CIA’s highly secretive Temporal Reconnaissance Program. Moira tells her about the existence of the time space—accessed only by specially designed watches whose intricate mechanisms have been lost to time—and enlists her help in recovering a strange book her uncle had once sought. But Amelia quickly realizes that the past—and the truth—are not as straightforward as Moira would like her to believe.
A sweeping, cinematic love story, this feat of imagination explores memory, time, and the lengths we will go to in order to protect the existence of those we love.
About The Author
Photograph by Angelo Gelfuso, Gelfocus Photography
Hayley Gelfuso is an author and poet who works in the environmental nonprofit sector. As a writer, she is drawn to stories of the wild and wonderful that are rooted in real world history and science. Her poetry about her experiences working in the conservation field has been published in the Plumwood Mountain Journal. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster (August 26, 2025)
- Length: 400 pages
- ISBN13: 9781668081174
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Raves and Reviews
“The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso is a magnificent and complex feat of imagination, a love story that defies the boundaries of time, memory, and reality. From the very first wild page, you’ll be swept into a world where the past isn’t just remembered – it’s lived, fought for, and protected at all costs. Luminous and haunting, Gelfuso’s prose takes us on a journey through a tale of love that transcends time and space, an exploration of how far we’ll go to hold on to what matters most. The Book of Lost Hours is a testament to the power of memory, the fragility of truth, and the enduring strength of the human heart. You’ll never look at time the same way again.”
PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea
“The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso is a magnificent and complex feat of imagination, a love story that defies the boundaries of time, memory, and reality. From the very first wild page, you’ll be swept into a world where the past isn’t just remembered – it’s lived, fought for, and protected at all costs. Luminous and haunting, Gelfuso’s prose takes us on a journey through a tale of love that transcends time and space, an exploration of how far we’ll go to hold on to what matters most. The Book of Lost Hours is a testament to the power of memory, the fragility of truth, and the enduring strength of the human heart. You’ll never look at time the same way again.”
— PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea
“A meditation on time, memory, and history, encased in a heart-pounding, cold-war spy thriller, wound tight around a sweeping story of love, family, and fate, The Book of Lost Hours performs actual magic – time itself stops as it draws you in. An undeniable debut by a glittering new talent.”
— DARIA LAVELLE, author of Aftertaste
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): The Book of Lost Hours eBook 9781668081174
- Author Photo (jpg): Hayley Gelfuso Photograph by Angelo Gelfuso, Gelfocus Photography(0.1 MB)
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