By: Meg Shaffer
Narrator: Jorjeana Marie
Random House Audio
ISBN: 978-0593598870
Publisher: Ballantine Books, Random House
Publication Date: 07/16/2024
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
Inspired by C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game.
As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell vanished in a West Virginia state park, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they'd gone or how they’d survived.
Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Jeremy is a famous missing persons investigator with an uncanny ability to find the lost, while Rafe is a reclusive artist unable to stop creating otherworldly paintings and sculptures he shows to no one. He bears scars inside and out from his disappearance but has no memory of what happened while they were gone.
Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth behind their time in the woods. While the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons.
But the time for burying secrets comes to an end when vet tech Emilie Wendel hires Jeremy to find her long-lost sister . . . the long-lost sister he and Rafe knew while living in that hidden kingdom. Now the former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories. Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy return to the enchanted world they called home for six months . . . for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost.
About the Author
Photo Credit: Chanel Nicole Co.
Meg Shaffer is a part-time creative writing instructor and a full-time MFA candidate in TV and Screenwriting at Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri. She lives in a state of uncertainty. Her debut novel The Wishing Game is available now from Ballantine. The Lost Story will be released on July 16, 2024, and available for pre-order now.
Connect with Meg:
Exceptional Authors. Standout Books. Elevator Talk.
INTRIGUING QUESTIONS. INQUIRING READERS WANT TO KNOW.
Behind the Book & The Author
Q&A with Bestselling Author, Meg Shaffer
Welcome to the second July 2024 #AuthorElevatorSeries! Joining us for the first time, special guest bestselling author Meg Shaffer, with her second highly anticipated novel, THE LOST STORY.
Inspired by C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game.
Join us as Meg shares some fascinating behind-the-scenes exclusives from the book and up-close and personal fun moments from this talented author!
Welcome, Meg!
Behind the Book
Q. Give us your best ELEVATOR PITCH for THE LOST STORY?
I like to explain the book to readers by saying, “Imagine Narnia, fifteen years later.” The book explores what happens when a child who went to a portal fantasy world comes home to the real world and grows up. And of course, returns as an adult!
Q. DESCRIBE your novel in three words or less.
Unicorns! Mermaids! Magic!
Q. INSPIRATION: The spark that ignited the novel. Where were you when the idea came to you?
I tell this story in the Acknowledgements because it’s still so wild to me. I re-read The Lord of the Flies a few years ago and got obsessed with the question, “What happened to Ralph and Jack when they were adults?” But of course you can’t write a sequel to a book that isn’t in the public domain. So I gave up on the idea and put the book back on the shelf. It just so happens I put it next to my Chronicles of Narnia boxed set. I looked at both books and a lightbulb went off. I knew then I wanted to write the story of two boys who went to a fantasy world as children and then had to come back to Earth.
Q. C.S. LEWIS: What is your favorite C.S. Lewis book?
Gotta be the one that started it all—The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe. It stole my heart and still has it! But The Silver Chair is a close second.
Q. SETTING: Tell us more about the book setting and why you selected it.
There are three main settings in The Lost Story and they represent three different things. There’s a dark ghost town, which represents the world where parents reject their children. There’s the bright fantasy world which represents the world where families accept and love each other. And then there’s the real world which is a mix of both. The “real world” setting is West Virginia because it’s so beautiful and wild and magical. Even their license plates read, “Wild, Wonderful West Virginia.”
Q. RESEARCH: Any fascinating research for the novel, or anything you learned along the way?
My favorite research was simply making multiple trips to West Virginia. I learned the state is literally 70% tree-covered. Trees and mountains and yes, mysterious disappearances.
Q. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Your favorite character to write, and/or most challenging?
Jeremy was my favorite. I love a character who is willing to say what the rest of us only think. And you can tell I loved writing him. He gets most of the best lines.
Q. SERIES: Please tell us if there will be more books in a series.
I don’t know! I hope so!
Q. WRITING: Do you have a favorite chapter or scene in the novel you enjoyed writing the most?
The chapter where we go through Jeremy’s life in the form of a top ten list was the most fun I had writing.
Q. TAKEAWAY: What important message, theme, or takeaway would you like readers to be left with when reading your book?
You don’t have to go to a magic world to find beauty and love. The magic kingdom for Rafe and Jeremy isn’t Shanandoah. It’s each other.
Q. UPCOMING: Can you share what you are currently working on or what is next in ten words or less (or more)?
If The Wishing Game explored the reader fantasy of living with your favorite author and The Lost Story explored the read fantasy of living in your favorite book world, then my next book will explore the reader fantasy of actually meeting and getting romantically involved with your book boyfriend/girlfriend.
Thanks, Meg—fascinating!
Keep reading below for more up close and personal from Meg!
Behind the Author
ZODIAC SIGN?
Gemini
FAVORITE FLOWER?
Zinnias
FAVORITE COLOR?
Sky Blue
WHAT IS YOUR WRITING KRYPTONITE?
My cats. Would you rather write or a pet a kitty? Obviously, you gotta pet the kitty!
QUESTION YOU NEVER GET ASKED AT INTERVIEWS, BUT WISH YOU DID? Ask and answer.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE LINE FROM A NOVEL?
So many! But since we’re talking about The Lost Story, a fantasy novel, I’ll quote from my favorite fantasy novel, Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn:
Real magic can never be made by offering someone else’s liver. You must tear out your own and not expect to get it back.
This is good advice for artists, too.
YOUR FAVORITE GO TO DRINK OR FOOD WHEN THE WORLD GOES A LITTLE CRAZY?
Iced coffee.
YOUR SECRET TALENT?
Not much of a talent yet but I am learning Russian! I want to be able to watch Tarkovsky films without the subtitles.
FAVORITE FAIRY TALE
Disney’s version of The Little Mermaid.
DOG/CAT LOVER? (pretty sure this is cats) 😊
I love all animals but we have a soft spot for kitties. Ours are unusually cute and sweet and weird. But every cat guardian thinks that.
FAVORITE HOBBY?
Reading and watching Criterion Collection films. We have the Criterion Channel now and I’m addicted!
YOUR FAVORITE LIFE LESSON QUOTE?
Ray Bradbury’s quote on loving what you love without apology:
“I have never listened to anyone who criticized my taste in space travel, sideshows, or gorillas. When this occurs, I pack up my dinosaurs and leave the room.”
If someone tries to make you feel bad for loving fun stuff, pack up your dinosaurs and LEAVE!
FAVORITE SONG OR ARTIST?
I love Lewis Capaldi these days. “Hole Me While You Wait” makes me cry.
IF YOU WERE STUCK IN AN ELEVATOR ALONE WITH ONE CELEBRITY, AUTHOR, OR CHARACTER— WHO WOULD IT BE? (Male or Female)
Mr. Reading Rainbow himself, Levar Burton!
THE FIRST BOOK YOU REMEMBER READING THAT MADE YOU WANT TO BECOME AN AUTHOR—THE ONE YOU CANNOT STOP THINKING OF.
I’ve wanted to be a writer my entire life. I can’t even remember the first book that made me want to write. But I do remember having my mind blown by Anne Rice when I was a teenager. She was the first writer I tried to emulate.
FAVORITE HOLIDAY OR SEASON?
Autumn delights me. Winter dazzles me. I could skip spring and summer.
FAVORITE TV SERIES? (Or Movie/Video) binge-watch, series, etc.?
I’ll always love Star Trek.
MOST MEMORABLE PLACE YOU HAVE TRAVELED?
Oxford, England. I’d go back in a heartbeat!
NAME A BOOK TITLE ON YOUR BOOKSHELF OR NIGHTSTAND THAT WOULD SURPRISE YOUR READERS?
It might surprise readers how little fiction I read. But that’s only because I write fiction, and I like to clear my brain with something completely different. I have a huge selection of non-fiction books on film and film history, especially books on the directors Hitchcock, Tarkovsky, and Bergman.
WHICH OF YOUR BOOKS IS YOUR FAVORITE? WHY?
Oh, The Lost Story. Hands down.
IF YOU COULD ELIMINATE ONE THING FROM YOUR DAILY LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Social media. If I could I would delete all my social media accounts yesterday. What a distraction. And stressful!
HOW DO YOU RELAX?
I was born relaxed.
DESCRIBE ONE THING ON YOUR DESK, CURRENTLY?
An orange cat named Gizmo
WHICH DO YOU ENJOY WRITING MORE: DIALOGUE OR INTERNAL THOUGHTS?
Dialogue!
DO YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC WHILE WRITING?
No. Then I couldn’t hear the music of the lines.
YOU WOULDN'T BE CAUGHT DEAD, WHERE?
A casino.
NAME SOMETHING YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE VERY GOOD AT?
Annoying, I mean, “entertaining” my husband.
NAME ONE THING YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE BAD AT?
Math.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HORROR MOVIE (OR LOVE STORY)?
The Mothman Prophecies and The Wicker Man – horror
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Words. Words. Words.
INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT?
Extreme introvert. I’d make an excellent hermit.
DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS OR LESS?
Short. Silly. Determined.
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT? (Excluding computer, tablet, phone)
My current writing notebook.
FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR PARTNER?
How much fun he is to live with and be around. And he’s the world’s best cat dad.
THE LAST BOOK YOU RAVED ABOUT?
1974 by Francine Prose
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO CHILDREN?
Stay off social media and READ.
IF YOU WERE IN WITNESS PROTECTION, WHAT WOULD YOUR ALIAS BE?
Fun fact – people in witness protection keep their own first names. Supposedly.
ONE BIT OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE AN INSPIRING AUTHOR?
Never be afraid to GO THERE.
FAVORITE CHILDHOOD BOOK?
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. I got my pen name “Meg” from Meg Murry!
THANK YOU, Meg, for spending time with us today! It was a pleasure to host you and THE LOST STORY.
MEET THE CHARACTERS
Praise
Praise for The Lost Story
“If our sad, brutal, cynical, cowardly, unkind, exhausting world is too much for you, if you’d like to dream instead of a parallel world where love and loyalty and friendship are the magic that transforms the least of us into genuine heroes, then Meg Shaffer’s The Lost Story is the book you’ve been waiting for. And here’s the real magic. When you return from that enchanted place to the world you wanted to escape from, you’ll find it’s changed. Why? Because you have.”
—Richard Russo, author of Empire Falls and the North Bath Trilogy
“Jeremy, Rafe, and Emilie all embark on a wild and magical adventure that makes for a perfect cozy fantasy read, reminiscent of the childhood books we grew up loving.”
—HuffPost
“This wildly imaginative book speaks to every reader who yearns for a more magical world.”
—Thao Thai, author of Banyan Moon
“This soothing novel will appeal to fans of classic and portal fantasies, where other fantastic worlds are lying under our own, just waiting to be discovered.”
—Booklist
“A spiritual epilogue to C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, Meg Shaffer’s The Lost Story explores what happens after you return from a magical realm.”
—BookPage
“Readers will find this an absolutely immersive pleasure to read. Shaffer delivers an unforgettable and nostalgic experience.”
—Library Journal
"Magical." —Kirkus Reviews
My Review
Stay tuned for my upcoming #AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A with Meg, where we go behind the book, THE LOST STORY, and this talented author. (July 16th, pub day).
Master storyteller Meg Shaffer, renowned for her debut, The Wishing Game, now captivates us with her latest creation, THE LOST STORY. This enchanting narrative not only serves as a spiritual epilogue to C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia but also pays homage to the transformative power of books and storytelling.
In this enchanting tale, the author cleverly transports you to another world—an escape from all the worldly cares and stresses.
"Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again."— C.S. Lewis
About...
Once upon a time, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell mysteriously vanished in the Red Crow State Forest of West Virginia to a faraway enchanted land called Shenandoah.
They reappeared six months later, their return shrouded in a veil of inexplicability. They seemed to be healthy and nourished, but their silence about their whereabouts only deepened the mystery.
Then, fifteen years after their return, Jeremy is a famous investigator for missing persons. Rafe is a reclusive artist who lives in a cabin in the woods. He does not share his work. He had no visible scars or memory of what occurred while they were missing. Jeremy knows the truth behind their time in the woods, in a magical realm filled with beauty and danger. However, he has kept Rafe in the dark since their return.
However, when vet tech Emilie Wendel hires Jeremy to find her long-lost half-sister, Shannon (who disappeared from the safe forest), Jeremy knows she was also in the hidden kingdom during their time in the forest.
Emilie found out she had a sister who grew up in a West Virginia trailer park. She wishes her sister had grown up like her and had it as easy. Was she living in the woods, off the grid?
Jeremy, Rafe, and Emilie must return to the forest, the magical land, to confront their shared past as the three stories connect in this enchanting fairy tale. As they dive into their memories, secrets begin to unravel, as they each piece together their past and embrace their future.
My Thoughts...
THE LOST STORY is inspired by C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia; this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the backs of wardrobes.
Mysterious, magical, and memorable. Wildly imaginative, from the lush, vivid descriptions, memories, enchanting lyrical prose, humor, lovely metaphors, illustrations, literary references, music, art, and the magical and clever quotes between the chapters—the author draws you into this wildly imaginative world. Be prepared to be transported. Also included the yummy Golden Apple Christmas Cake Recipe (modified for this world).
Readers will be caught up in the adventures of the three delightful, well-developed main characters and the cast of complex supporting ones. Atmospheric, charming, mystical, and endearing! This may be your favorite adult fairytale.
Meg's writing is breathtaking, showcasing her imaginative storytelling talents. Magical, nostalgic, whimsical, and an enchanting tribute to the power of books and storytelling—a captivating love letter to fairytales and shared secrets. A wise lesson: Dreams can come true anytime in our lives if we open our hearts to embrace them.
Fully immersive, a riveting, heart-wrenching story of family. What it is to be lost, forbidden love, and the joy of being yourself and loved for being who you are.
"All books are magic. An object that can take you to another world without even leaving your room? A story written by a stranger and yet it seems they wrote it just for you or to you? Loving and hating people made out of ink and paper, not flesh and blood? Yes, books are magic. Maybe even the strongest magic there is."
Recs...
If you loved THE LOST STORY, I highly recommend reading Meg's first book, The Wishing Game —for more magical storytelling. Also, for fans of C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia, Patti Callahan Henry's The Secret Book of Flora Lea, and authors Sarah Addison Allen and Catherine Ryan Hyde.
THE LOST STORY is a creative mix of magical realism, literary, LGBTQ, romance, fantasy, mystery, whimsical, family drama, and an adult fairy tale with important emotionally charged topics such as suicide, adoption, death, and abuse.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group— Ballantine and NetGalley for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 16, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
5 STARS
Whimsical, absorbing, mysterious, mystical, and thought-provoking! An enchanting blending of literary, fairy tales, romance, and magical realism.
Meg Shaffer's charming, endearing debut, THE WISHING GAME —an uplifting book within a book— explores the magic of books and reading.
A reclusive children's author, a unique competition, a teacher's aide, and an orphan boy—lives are about to CHANGE. READ MORE
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