This was a different read as compared to Tracy Buchanan's previous books. The beginning started off slow. Becky's mother Selma left her family, and now 10 years hence, she was back with a secret that Becky had a sister. Becky had then to go find her Lost Sister.
Told in both Becky and Selma's POV the book jumped timeliness. The characters were complex. Becky was likable but Selma was not in some parts.
The story was a bit drawn and slow for me, I am used to a fast paced story by this author. There were few subplots, but the book redeemed itself with the twists at the end.
So overall a good read

This book is a definite page-turner and is jam-packed full of emotion. It kept me guessing right until the end and I really enjoyed it. The story is very well written and I definitely connected with the characters. Will stay with me for a while.

It all started with a drowning many years ago. The event triggered a series of events leading to Selma leaving her family; Mike and Becky behind. Now, Selma is back in Becky's life after years of estrangement and she has one last secret to tell that sends Becky on a journey of discovery. Or is it all a lie?

This is a weird read and just not for me. It does not really fit into a genre and instead seems a mixture of a few. Then there are multiple plot threads and I do not think that they are all dealt with evenly and some are not rounded off at all. Bizarrely, I would say I enjoyed the novel and despite thinking that not much happens, I was not overly bored. My feelings about this are mixed, there are aspects I liked and others I did not and I did not feel that overall it gelled.

Now this would have been 2 stars if it had not been for the ending. Buchanan throws in a couple of massive twists that are plot changing and completely alter the book. Had more of the book been like it then I would have adored the book. As it is I can take it or leave it. 

My main issue is with Selma, she is so unlikeable meaning I could not root for her and thought she only had herself to blame. When so much of the book is about her this proved to be a big issue. I really liked Becky and Mike and thought they were written balanced and fairly. Yes, mistakes were made but they had aspects to get on board with and root for.

This could have been good and had sparks of enjoyment but for me this was too much of a weird mix that I could not get on board with. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Lost Sister by Tracy Buchanan’ in exchange for my honest unbiased review.

Becky’s mother Selma meets a mysterious man and falls in love with him so much that she leaves her family for him. Now after 10yearsand with weeks to live her mother has got back in touch with a secret....... Becky has a sister.

This book has been beautifully written. You cannot help but get hooked / sucked into the story. As I read the story I found that my loyalty to each character altered again and again.
I did enjoy this book- it is not a book I would normally go for.

Thank you #NetGalley and #Avon Books(UK)

This book pulled me right in and through every tear I loved it. It was told with such heartfelt emotions. One that you won’t soon forget. I loved it.

Becky and her mum Selma have had a strained relationship after Selma left Becky when she was younger to go and live in a cave with cave dwellers. When Becky receives a phone call out of the blue from her mum to say she is dying Becky is unsure how true this is due to her mother’s previous elaborations of the truth but when she arrives at the hospital it is clear her mums time is running out and she helps her mum with her last wish of returning back to the cave to live out her final hours but in her dying hours Selma mentions a sister to Becky, a sister Becky has never known about.

Becky embarks on a journey to try to find her long lost sister but she makes more discoveries about her mother along the way. The storyline is told from both Selma and Becky’s viewpoints which jumps back and forth in time which did take a little getting used to but was a good way to see the situation from both of the women’s points of view and to see the truth ourselves rather than listening to thoughts, opinions and assumptions of other characters. Becky was a likeable character throughout whereas I found my opinion on Selma constantly changing throughout the storyline.

At times the storyline lost me as it felt extremely far-fetched but then my interest would be piqued again and I was desperate to uncover the truth surrounding the mysterious sister. I was so happy to see that the authors exquisite skill in setting such a breath-taking and vivid location that I love was still strong in this book

Although this is not my favourite by this author it was still a very entertaining read with shocking truths and twists as well as some real heart-breaking moments that made a real impact.

When on a day out at the beach a young boy nearly drowns and is saved by a man called Idris. Becky's mother Selma is very taken by this man, a hippy cave dweller, and ups and leaves her husband and daughter Becky to live in a cave! Becky doesn't see her mother again until she is dying and then Selma tells her that Becky has a sister but she doesn't know where she is..........Becky is then determined to do everything in her power to find her sister.

Another great book by this author. It is definitely a roller coaster and has some unexpected twists and turns that keep your interest until the end

This book is such a page turner and packed full of emotion. It keeps you guessing right until the end and I really enjoyed it. The story follows Selma (Becky's mom) and Becky who is struggling to come to terms with the fact that she has a sister she never knew about. the story is really well written and the characters come to life on the page. It's a mother and daughter story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a definite must buy summer read.

This was the first book by Tracy Buchanan that I have read. The blurb intrigued me and I was looking forward to reading it.
I thoroughly enjoy the story from both POV’s of the mother’s Selma from the 1990’s and from the daughter’s Becky from the present day.
This story line had my hooked from the very beginning, from the moment the strange man saves a drowning boy. There are so many twists and turns, it is going to have you turning pages to find out what happens next.
Selma leaves her husband Mike and daughter Becky and lives in a cave with Idris, the man who saved the boy from drowning. Selma was bored with her life and was struggling to write another book. I can never understand why a mother would leave their child and live in a cult.
Becky meets up with her estranged mother and a family secret is revealed. Beck is now on the hunt to find her lost sister and also to try to come to terms with her Mother leaving her as a child. I felt for Becky and what she was going through. Becky’s journey takes her to some interesting locations.
Tracy has written a gripping story, with detailed descriptions that you can picture as you read. This book has so many issued covered in it and some are not going to be to everyone’s liking. Abandonment, family relationships, abuse and so much more.
The ending came as a complete shocking surprise. This is a heart-rending and thought-provoking book!!!
I highly recommend this book.

This book makes a good holiday read. This is the story of Selma and her daughter Becky. One summer, Selma leaves her husband and Becky to live with Idris, a hippy, artistic man who lives with a group of people in a cave. She is struggling to write her second novel and Idris persuades her that she will be able to do this living with them. The story is told in two parts, Selma’s from the past and Becky’s from the present. Becky hasn’t heard from her mum for ten years but gets a phone call from her to say she is dying and wants to see her. Selma then reveals to Becky that she had a baby with Idris, so Becky has a sister. This sets Becky on a quest to find her, taking her all over the world.
This is a moving and thought provoking book, with shocks, surprises and plenty of twists and turns. A highly recommended read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Tracy Buchanan is a gifted storyteller and kept me captivated from the first page. Becky and Selma were both written about in a way that allowed the reader to empathize with both women.

Becky's mother,Selma is unhappy and just at the right,(or wrong ) time she meets a charismatic man on the beach who is living with a group of people in a large cave. They are all artistic types who have left the trappings of the real world behind to concentrate on their art.
Selma has been trying and failing to write her second novel and Idris, the mysterious man convinces her that living in the cave amongst like minded people will do it for her.
Becky's father fights for custody as he doesn't trust the people in the cave nor does he want his daughter to live there.
We hear most of this part of the story from Selma's point of view and it broke my heart that she walked away from her daughter and towards Indris and the cave dwellers.
Becky finally hears from her mother after ten years of silence and spends the last day of Selma's life with her. Her mum's last words were that Becky had a sister and she had to find her.
The next part of the book is Becky's search in different countries trying to find her sister. Although this seemed like a futile exercise I think it did Becky a lot of good as she finds out about her mum's life along the way.
I couldn't put this book down and here are a few unexpected happenings towards the end of the story. I thought Becky was a great character especially after the dramatic incident of her mum leaving her so young.
Idris, I didn't take too until way into the story. As for Selma, she was basically a good person just not the best mother in the world. I felt sad about the missed opportunities over the years between Becky and her mum,it could all have been so different.
The only negative I have is I got a bit confused towards the end about a book that was written by one of the cave dwellers. When you get to that bit maybe you could let me know if it was just me being dotty.
I'm giving no more of the plot away except to say it's a great read.

It is Kent, UK in 1991. Selma left her husband, and as a result, her young daughter Becky. She felt trapped in her life and was drawn to an enigmatic man named Idris and his unusual life with others who lived in a cave on the beach. The story quickly jumps to 2002 when Becky receives a phone call from estranged Selma. Selma is dying, and in fact, dies almost as soon as Becky finds out how ill she is. Moments before dying, her mother states that "both of them", both Becky and her sister, have always been in her thoughts.

Becky embarks on an incredible journey to find her lost sister. She traveled to the very caves that took her mother away from her in hopes of finding the sister she never knew she had. She starts to acquire clues, especially when it comes to Idris, the man who took her mother's heart, and apparently, her sister.

Sometimes when I read a story, one timeline draws me closer than the other. Not so in this book. Both Selma's and Becky's stories were equally intriguing. Another thing about this book surprised me. I prefer third-person narration. It took me literally to reading 46% in the book before I realized that part of it was told in first-person narrative. That is how drawn to the book I was. I just happened to read a particular phrase, and then it dawned on me that I was reading in that particular narrative. Excellent writing skills indeed.

The Lost Sister had a very imaginative storyline. I cannot fathom how Tracy Buchanan came up with it! I literally could put this book down. It was truly tragic, incredibly so. The conclusion is incredibly heartbreaking. Over and over again in the story I was shocked and saddened. Tracy Buchanan did a fabulous job of grabbing my emotions from the very start, and towards the end I had to put the book down more than once to grasp what I was reading. I yelled out at least three times in this amazing book. The Lost Sister is one that will be with me for a long time to come. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Many thanks to Bookoture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the third Tracy Buchanan book I have read and she just keeps getting better and better. The Lost Sister is a lovely story that left me with mixed emotions.

Another intriguing story by Tracy Buchanan, with a surprise at the end which I certainly didn’t see coming. This is an absorbing tale told from the perspectives of Mum Selma in the early 1990’s and daughter Becky in the present time.

With Selma feeling ‘trapped’ in her everyday life of being a wife and a mother, she finds herself drawn to Idris and moves into the cave he is living in with a mixed bunch of people. The only down side is that Becky her Daughter is not there and a bitter custody battle begins. There is no doubt in my mind that Selma truly loves Becky and that the brave or mad decision to up and leave her to live in such an odd environment must have been extremely difficult. Selma’s relationship with Idris the leader of the cavers soon blossoms and it’s not long before she finds herself pregnant which adds to the complexity of her turbulent life.

Becky’s story at present day takes on the quest to find a sister she never knew existed until she meets her estranged dying Mother. Travelling over Europe she discovers how her Mother lived in the caves and confirms this is not a life she would have wanted.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its happy and sad events. It is an engrossing page turner read. My thanks to Net Galley for the ARC, these are my own opinions.

This book was just weird. All the jumping around from person to person, past to present and lots of characters proved to be exhausting. A lot just didn't ring true. Living in caves and giving up a daughter to live there was too much. Post partum depression is real but this went overboard.

There were things I really liked about this book, and then things that I didn't. Overall, I loved the premise of the story, with Becky as our main character searching for the sister she never knew she had. I love the themes of complicated mother/daughter relationships, love, depression, and self discovery. These are all themes I thought the author handled well.

I did feel at times the book dragged along a little. There were points where it got a little slow, but the narrative stayed strong throughout, and I really enjoyed the small twist at the end. It wasn't overdone, or expected, and it really got me. Also, I felt Selma at times was an unreliable narrator. She lied, constantly, and it made me wonder if the story she was telling was even the truth.

Now, for what I wasn't so crazy it about. The change in person and tense pulled me out of the narrative every time it switched from Selma to Becky's perspective. It was jarring going from first person past tense to third person present tense with the flip of a page. I understand why it was written that way, but all in all, it really pulled me out of a narrative where the change wasn't needed.

Becky’s Mother Selma left the family home when she was only eight years old, running off to live in a cave with mysterious Idris and his creative ‘children’. Of course, as a child this left Becky feeling confused and abandoned by the one person she thought she could count on. It’s understandable then that she is shocked when years later, after their sporadic contact has dwindled, she receives a call out of the blue from her Mother saying that she is dying. Despite their turbulent history Becky rushes to her side and is shocked to the core when in her dying breath her Mother reveals she has a sister.

This revelation sets Becky on an unexpected journey of discovery that sees her travel across Europe in the search for her lost sister. With very few details she must carefully piece the clues she finds together to find not only her sister, but also the truth about her Mother’s life in the intervening years since she left.

This story is told from two perspectives, Becky’s in 2018 and Selma’s back in the 90’s. Often focusing on the same past events it’s interesting to see the different viewpoints and impact those scenarios had on each of the characters. It’s clear early in the book that Selma struggles with her mental health which is apparent in her decision to leave and is a topic which is really at the heart of the whole story. As a child it is of course difficult to understand her Mother’s depression and how it left her vulnerable and easily open to suggestion, but as Becky discovers more about her past she gains a deeper understanding of Selma’s actions.

This book is a drama, mystery and thriller combined making it the perfect page turner. It’s a story filled with secrets, revelations and an enormous number of twists and turns along the way. I like to think after reading as many books as I have in my time that I’m quite good at guessing how a novel will conclude, but this one got me with a fabulously, shocking plot twist right at the end that I just didn’t see coming!

This is the first of Tracy Buchanan’s books I have read and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Her writing is wonderfully descriptive allowing me to visualise the wonderful landscapes and scenery she describes. At 448 pages it is longer than some of my recent reads however it didn’t feel long or like a chore in any way, I was drawn into the story immediately and gripped until the end.

A really clever story. Set over two periods telling the stories of Becky today and Selma in the 90's as a new wife and mother. Selma escapes the daily drudge of life for a really unique lifestyle living in a cave with other artistic people. Led by a man they are all in awe of. After estrangement Becky rushes to her mothers side when she hears she is dying. A huge secret is divulged that she has a sister. A wonderful story both in the back story and Becky's quest to find the missing sister. I really enjoyed the writing and the understanding of how people can find themselves in a cult like situation. Great writing, some good twists and a satisfying ending.

I was excited to read this book, as The Atlas of Us by the same author is one of my all time favorite books. I had high expectations going into this one due to that. This book totally held up to my expectations. It kept me guessing and wondering what was going to happen next. There were a few things I figured out before they were revealed but I didn't mind. After now reading two books by Tracy Buchanan, I'm amazed at how she can write about any place, any country, etc. and describe these places so well that you can picture them perfectly. She's really descriptive, but it's not so over the top that it's boring or feels like too much. In this book we travel to numerous countries, and I really felt like I did travel there...I wasn't just reading about a place I was there. Whenever I feel like I want to go on a journey to exciting new places, I'm realizing I can count on a Tracy Buchanan book. I really enjoyed The Lost Sister, staying up until 1:30AM to finish it! I now definitely need to go back and read her other books!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the advanced copy.