The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson – a Review

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Description:
When Libby Nicholls arrives in London, brokenhearted and with her life in tatters, the first person she meets on the bus is elderly Frank. He tells her about the time in 1962 that he met a girl on the number 88 bus with beautiful red hair just like hers. They made plans for a date at the National Gallery art museum, but Frank lost the bus ticket with her number on it. For the past sixty years, he’s ridden the same bus trying to find her, but with no luck.

Libby is inspired to action and, with the help of an unlikely companion, she papers the bus route with posters advertising their search. Libby begins to open her guarded heart to new friendships and a budding romance, as her tightly controlled world expands. But with Frank’s dementia progressing quickly, their chance of finding the girl on the 88 bus is slipping away.

More than anything, Libby wants Frank to see his lost love one more time. But their quest also shows Libby just how important it is to embrace her own chances for happiness—before it’s too late—in a beautifully uplifting novel about how a shared common experience among strangers can transform lives in the most marvelous ways.

Review:

The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson is a wonderful standalone novel.  Libby Nicholls, our heroine, arrives in London to stay with her older sister, and family (husband and son); coming off a shattering breakup of her boyfriend of 8 years.  While on the bus heading to her sister’s house, she meets an elderly man, Frank Weiss, who is a retired actor, and rides the number 88 bus every day. Because Libby has red hair, Frank says she reminds him of someone he knew 60 years ago; he reminisces about a chance meeting with another red-haired woman, who was a young artist, and drew a picture of Frank.  They planned to meet at the art museum the following day, but when Frank got home, he could not find the phone number and address she had given him.  Now that he is retired, he frequently rides the bus in hopes he runs into the girl that got away. Libby is moved by Frank’s desire to meet the girl (woman) again, and decides to help him in his quest.  A friendship builds, especially since Frank has a form of dementia.

Libby will meet Dylan, who is a care giver for Frank and other people who need help.  They get off on the wrong foot, but in a short time their friendship grows, as they both are determined to help Frank. Libby becomes inspired to find a way to help Frank, and in the process gets Dylan to work with her with posters advertising the story, all along the bus route.  Along the way, they get to meet different people, who also knew about Frank, as he was so well liked, and most of those people wanted to help Frank find her. Esme, a young girl who is also one of Dylan’s carer, and has down syndrome, joins them often, who was also very sweet. They all spent a lot of time together, enjoying the many places they visited.

Though Dylan dresses like a biker, with a Mohawk, so different then her ex, she slowly begins to realize that she is caring for him; Dylan also begins to fall for Libby, but something later happens that keeps them apart, and brings the nasty boyfriend back in the picture.  Will Libby and Dylan find a way to act on their feelings?

The Lost Ticket was a delightful, sweet and fun story, with wonderful characters, and very heartwarming. I really enjoyed this book, which was so very well written by Freya Sampson.  The Lost Ticket had a bit of everything, family, friendships, romance, love and even the sad dementia part.  I suggest you read The Lost Ticket, as it is a must read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher