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The Dictionary of Lost Words
- Narrated by: Imogen Sage
- Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins
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The Dictionary of Lost Words
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Publisher's Summary
In 1901, the word bondmaid was discovered missing from the Oxford English Dictionary. This is the story of the girl who stole it.
Motherless and irrepressibly curious, Esme spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of lexicographers are gathering words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day, she sees a slip containing the word bondmaid flutter to the floor unclaimed. Esme begins to collect other words from the Scriptorium that are misplaced, discarded or have been neglected by the dictionary men.
Over time, Esme realises that some words are considered more important than others - that words and meanings relating to women’s experiences often go unrecorded. She begins to collect words for another dictionary: The Dictionary of Lost Words.
Set when the women’s suffrage movement was at its height and the Great War loomed, The Dictionary of Lost Words reveals a lost narrative, hidden between the lines of a history written by men.
Please note: based on listener feedback, we have updated the audio with corrected pronunciations.
What listeners say about The Dictionary of Lost Words
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kaye Davies
- 31-05-2020
Gentle sweet sad special
I loved this book. Williams dealt with the difficulties of single parenthood, gender roles, inequality , change and war without too much opinion, letting the reader feel through it.
A smashing read and so well voice acted; Imogen Sage is very talented.
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24 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 03-06-2020
detailed, thought provoking and entertaining
loved the characters, narrative and historical accuracy. narrator was great to listen to and read with care. highly recommend!
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21 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nicolette
- 23-06-2020
A Fantastic Entertaining and Informative Read!
I bought this book based solely on it's title and it has turned out to be a book that I have recommended more than any other! I wish it had been published 20 years ago, it would have had a profound impact on my University career and my life there after. If you value words and language.... READ IT!!!
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sarah
- 03-10-2020
Delicate but hearty
Loved this one. Found myself eager to slip it on when I could steal a minute away with my headphones. A delicate build up, skilful narration and beautiful development of characters. And I learnt a lot about dictionaries! Easy to recommend.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jill
- 04-11-2021
A joy to listen to
I recommend this book to anyone who, like me, enjoys words and the origins of them.
The characters are well created and move through a beautifully described landscape.
The story is intriguing- presenting history in a captivating way.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mapleton Girl
- 06-11-2021
Well Worth Listening
This book is a far cry from the murder and mayhem I usually listen to. And I think I really enjoyed this beautiful story because it was fiction mixed with historical facts. I loved following the main character Esme from a little girl in the late 1800’s into adulthood in the 1900’s. How different life was then, and how women were perceived.
This book was beautifully narrated by Imogen Sage and I would listen to her again.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 16-11-2021
Thoroughly enjoyable
A surprisingly delightful story. I loved the main character and the story included factual information and people.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Diane
- 28-11-2021
Absolutely 5 stars
What a great book. The dictionary of Lost words is one of the best books I have ever listened to with the mix of historical information and fictional characters I will definitely be purchasing the written copy so I can read and re read. I loved the characters and even shed a few tears for them along the way.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 28-11-2021
Thoroughly enjoyable
Loved it from start to finish. From characters to story, so well developed and consuming.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 22-11-2021
Excellent listen
What a well crafted story brilliantly narrated.
The writer brings the times and characters beautifully to life. As with everything gender plays such a role in the dictionary. This story is engaging, informative and enjoyable.
I highly recommend.
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