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There are currently 29 member reviews
for Everything Lost Returns
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Nancy D. (Bradenton, FL)
Great Book
Wow! what a great read. Everything Lost Returns by Sarah Domet gives you everything you need to make an enjoyable read. You have two strong ladies, Opal Doucet in 1910 and Nora Dixon in 1986. They are both caught up in the turmoil of their own lives. They may also be able to channel each other and feel each other's pain. Nora's life starts out with a terrific opportunity. Opal's not so much, only choices made for her by others. Along the way in this novel, you have a mystery, spiritual experiences, characters who are not what they pretend to be and even romance. I genuinely enjoyed this book very much.
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Stephanie K. (Glendale, AZ)
Halley's Comet Arrives with a Bang and Whimper
Everything Lost Returns by Sarah Domet is a nostalgic, harsh but tender intertwining of the two Halley's comet arrivals (1910 and 1986) with their social and metaphysical repercussions. Just one person, Bertie Tuttle, lives through both and ties the events together in this story of the Earthshine Soap factory's workers. Physical life is brutal at the factory, but the author demonstrates how a belief in "cures" and the spiritual world eases some of its pains. This is an authentic rendering of factory as well as show business life, and how inner and outer worlds can both oppose and benefit one another. However tiny and weak our powers in this world, Domet shows how we can indeed make a difference, in our survival and thriving.
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Carrie M. (Rahway, NJ)
Everything Lost Returns
Travel between the interrelated life stories of Opal Doucet and Nona Dixon at their time at the Earthshine Soap Factory as the Earthshine Soap Girl. Each came there for survival and felt this place would help them provide what they needed for different personal reasons. Nona saw opportunity at Earthshine particularly an opportunity to launch her acting career by the work assigned to her, while eighty-seven years earlier Opal uses her knowledge of medicine she gained from husband to prescribe cures for factory workers at Earthshine for problems caused by the products. Both were thrown hurdles by fellow workers and readers will discover Opal's and Nona's unique methods of gaining the confidence needed and decisions made by and for them. But discover the talents they had, which their employer was secretly hoping to use to avoid unrest amongst employees. But will the two fulfill that purpose? The reader joins their quests and discovers life in the Earthshine factory.
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Sonya M. (Takoma Park, MD)
Soap harms Women!
Wonderfully written book, a real page turner. The ending felt rushed and some twists were loose, which seems common even among established authors. I started reading and frankly could not stop. "The Earthshine Soap Company" tells its story through the viewpoints of two women, one from 1910 and another from 1986. The story coincided with the appearance of Halley's Comet, and the contrasting eras highlighted the progress and understanding of science.
Not sure if it is based on real events but it reminded me a bit of the issue with Talcum Powder and its harm to women. The Earthshine Soap Company sells soap and cleaning products targeted to women. The women fall ill, face fertility problems and miscarriages, leading to a class action lawsuit against the company. A feminist story told through the eyes of factory workers, mothers, and homemakers. And a story of how the cosmetic/household products' industry targeted women, leading to harmful unregulated products, and the powerlessness of women. A fascinating story. I highly recommend "Everything Lost Returns." (not sure about that title)
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JanineS
A little magical realism mixed with historical fiction
As one review states about this book: “A heady concoction of spiritualism, chemistry, ambition and sex.” And that’s a very apt description for this weirdly strange, compellingly addictive, and oddly satisfying story about the spirit of women seeking the ability to be free to be themselves but understanding the need to connected to each other as well.
Set in alternating periods of 1910 and 1986 - the 75 years between the appearance of Hailey’s comet - the story follows Opal Doucet (1910) and Nona Dixon (1986). Both are part of the Earthstone Soap family as employees and friends to the owners. Both though are trapped by the circumstances of their connection to them as well as being women.
Opal comes with more baggage than Nona so she’s central to understanding the story’s plot line. Opal is a spiritualist but she also has great compassion for the women who work with her as their lives are burdened having to work and run a household. Without giving too much away, Opal helps these women and is then blamed for that. What transpires then is Nona’s investigation into Opal which ultimately reveals that women do have collective power and can determine their own fate.
This is a book for lovers of magical realism, feminist tropes and engagingly clever plots that make you think and feel deeply for the characters in the novel.
I want to thank BookBrowse and the publisher to giving me the book to review.
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Monica W. (Pottstown, PA)
Good not Great
The book was an interesting read, with strong female characters. Not enough in-depth about the relationships of the Earthshine Girl. There was quite a bit that could have had more clarity.
I continued to read, hoping I would get more clarification on the characters, but I did not. Perhaps it was just the author's writing style. However, I did enjoy reading the stories of Opal and Nona between 1910 and 1986, and the struggles of all the women during those times.
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Rutheh
Earthshine Girls
The girls who were the image of soap! During 1910, bar soap was the product used by many women to look and smell beautiful. Earthshine girls were the front image used to sell the product. But behind the scenes, young girls and women worked in miserable conditions in the factory to make soap. Move ahead to 1986, Nona and Halley decide to uncover the truth why "Jane Doe's" appear after use of the soap. The story line is very interesting, and the characters are well developed. The beginning of the story is a little confusing until you get into all the roles of the characters but what was interesting how the ending in 1910 wraps around to the beginning of 1986. All the drama, actions and fears revolve around the coming of Halley's Comet. It was interesting how the author tied all of this together. It would be ironic if a sequel came along, a legal thriller and discovery of the ingredients of the soap!?! Thank you, Book Browse for this ARC.
