The Dictionary of Lost Words

Set in the early twentieth century Esme has been brought up by her father, a lexicographer working on the first Oxford English Dictionary spending most of her early years under the table where they work, collecting words as other children do the time might collect stamps. Words and their meaning are everything to her and as she gets older she becomes more heavily involved in the work of the lexicographers and also in women’s suffrage leading her to start collecting the “women’s words” that are not permitted to feature in this very masculine dictionary.  
This is a delightful historical novel covering some of the major political issues of the period with the tragedy of the First World War and the fight for women’s suffrage playing a prominent role but never preaching. Williams gets right inside the head of the young Esme bringing her to life in a way few authors manage. Even though it made me cry I’d strongly recommend it as a lovely, escapist book to cosy up with on a chilly afternoon to take your mind off your worries.

I've been wondering how I can write a review that does justice to this extraordinary book.  My love of words drew me to it and time spent with Esme from her early childhood in the Scriptorium was a delight as she learned from her father and other lexicographers about the joy to be found in discovering new words and the complexity of defining them.  

Pip Williams writes as convincingly about the rarefied academic world of Oxford as she does about the big wide world of the women's suffrage movement and WW1.  I cannot think of any author who writes so movingly in so few words.  At times we know something terrible has happened without the event being described, but I could imagine the sorrow it caused all too painfully and had to stop and give myself time to think before continuing reading.

I would like to say something about each and every one of the characters who all come vividly to life, the minor as well as the major ones, but that would take much too long, so I'll stick to just a few.  Esme feels like a friend right from the start and we witness her growing and changing through all the joy and sorrow that comes her way; her father watches over her carefully and is painfully aware of his inadequacy at times when he has to try to replace the mother she never knew: both academic Ditte and servant Lizzie impart much wisdom to Esme, both in her childhood and her adult life.  Then there is Mr Sweatman, a minor character, but whenever he appeared I found myself wondering if there is any kinder or more considerate man in any work of fiction.  And the comedy duo who work briefly in the Scriptorium are hilarious, bringing some lightness and humour to this serious-minded place.

It came as a great surprise to me to learn from the author's note that she used to have trouble with words as she writes so eloquently with compassion, sensitivity and humour and has produced a world that became mine totally. This is a novel that will stay with me.

Is this perhaps my book of the year?  No, it's my book of the decade.