The Dictionary of Lost Words: Reese's Book Club: A Novel

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • “Delightful . . . [a] captivating and slyly subversive fictional paean to the real women whose work on the Oxford English Dictionary went largely unheralded.”—The New York Times Book Review

“A marvelous fiction about the power of language to elevate or repress.”—Geraldine Brooks, New York Times bestselling author of People of the Book

Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, an Oxford garden shed in which her father and a team of dedicated lexicographers are collecting words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Young Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day a slip of paper containing the word bondmaid flutters beneath the table. She rescues the slip and, learning that the word means “slave girl,” begins to collect other words that have been discarded or neglected by the dictionary men.

As she grows up, Esme realizes that words and meanings relating to women’s and common folks’ experiences often go unrecorded. And so she begins in earnest to search out words for her own dictionary: the Dictionary of Lost Words. To do so she must leave the sheltered world of the university and venture out to meet the people whose words will fill those pages.

Set during the height of the women’s suffrage movement and with the Great War looming, The Dictionary of Lost Words reveals a lost narrative, hidden between the lines of a history written by men. Inspired by actual events, author Pip Williams has delved into the archives of the Oxford English Dictionary to tell this highly original story. The Dictionary of Lost Words is a delightful, lyrical, and deeply thought-provoking celebration of words and the power of language to shape the world.

WINNER OF THE AUSTRALIAN BOOK INDUSTRY AWARD

Review

“A beautiful exploration of history and the power of language. For anybody who loves words and celebrates them, this subversive story weaves together love, loss and literature in a perfectly lyrical way.”—Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club May ’22 Pick)

“This remarkable novel tries to rectify a glaring oversight in the historical accounts of the first Oxford English Dictionary—the contributions of women . . . without whom the English language wouldn’t have evolved as fully and colorfully as it has.”—Boston magazine

“Enchanting, sorrowful, and wonderfully written, the book is a one-of-a-kind celebration of language and its importance in our lives. A must-have.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“In Williams’s exuberant, meticulously researched debut, the daughter of a lexicographer devotes her life to an alternative dictionary. . . . Williams’s feminist take on language will move readers.”—Publishers Weekly

“Williams turns history as we know it on its head in this delightful debut, spotlighting those women and their contributions, using the awe-inspiring power of words themselves to illuminate them.”—Newsweek

“[A] masterfully written, beautiful first novel that tells a fascinating story of language, love and loss.”—Historical Novel Society

“The writing is glorious; I dog-eared many pages as I read, marking passages that helped me see words in a new way.”—Manhattan Book Review (starred review)

“The novel you’ve been waiting for without even realizing it . . . Williams will convince you of a word’s importance in a most lovely and charismatic story.”—Bookreporter

“A lexicographer’s dream of a novel, this is a lovely book to get lost in, an imaginative love letter to dictionaries.”—Booklist

“Williams provides readers with detailed background and biographical information pointing to extensive research about the [Oxford English Dictionary] and its editors, many of whom appear as characters in Esme’s life. The result is a satisfying amalgam of truth and historical fiction.”—Kirkus Reviews

“In the annals of lexicography, no more imaginative, delightful, charming, and clever book has yet been written.”—Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary

“What a novel of words, their adventure, and their capacity to define and, above all, challenge the world. There will not be this year a more original novel published. I just know it.”—Thomas Keneally, author of Schindler’s List

“What a compelling, fresh look at historical women! This marvelous exploration into the ways in which spoken and written language impact us is a delight and an education.”—Marie Benedict, author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

“This charming, inventive, and utterly irresistible novel is the story we all need right now. Words have never mattered more, as Pip Williams illuminates in her unforgettable debut.”—Susan Wiggs, author of The Lost and Found Bookshop

About the Author

Pip Williams was born in London, grew up in Sydney, and now lives in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia with her family and an assortment of animals. She has spent most of her working life as a social researcher, studying what keeps us well and what helps us thrive, and she is the author of One Italian Summer, a memoir of her family’s travels in search of the good life, which was published in Australia to wide acclaim. Based on her original research in the Oxford English Dictionary archives, The Dictionary of Lost Words is her first novel.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

May 1887

Scriptorium. It sounds as if it might have been a grand building, where the lightest footstep would echo between marble floor and gilded dome. But it was just a shed, in the back garden of a house in Oxford.

Instead of storing shovels and rakes, the shed stored words. Every word in the English language was written on a slip of paper the size of a postcard. Volunteers posted them from all over the world, and they were kept in bundles in the hundreds of pigeon-holes that lined the shed walls. Dr. Murray was the one who named it the Scriptorium—he must have thought it an indignity for the English language to be stored in a garden shed—but everyone who worked there called it the Scrippy. Everyone but me. I liked the feel of Scriptorium as it moved around my mouth and landed softly between my lips. It took me a long time to learn to say it, and when I finally did nothing else would do.

Da once helped me search the pigeon-holes for scriptorium. We found five slips with examples of how the word had been used, each quotation dating back little more than a hundred years. All of them were more or less the same, and none of them referred to a shed in the back garden of a house in Oxford. A scriptorium, the slips told me, was a writing room in a monastery.

But I understood why Dr. Murray had chosen it. He and his assistants were a little like monks, and when I was five it was easy to imagine the Dictionary as their holy book. When Dr. Murray told me it would take a lifetime to compile all the words, I wondered whose. His hair was already as grey as ash, and they were only halfway through B.

Da and Dr. Murray had been teachers together in Scotland long before there was a scriptorium. And because they were friends, and because I had no mother to care for me, and because Da was one of Dr. Murray’s most trusted lexicographers, everyone turned a blind eye when I was in the Scriptorium.

The Scriptorium felt magical, like everything that ever was and ever could be had been stored within its walls. Books were piled on every surface. Old dictionaries, histories and tales from long ago filled the shelves that separated one desk from another, or created a nook for a chair. Pigeon-holes rose from the floor to the ceiling. They were crammed full of slips, and Da once said that if I read every one, I’d understand the meaning of everything.

In the middle of it all was the sorting table. Da sat at one end, and three assistants could fit along either side. At the other end was Dr. Murray’s high desk, facing all the words and all the men who helped him define them.

We always arrived before the other lexicographers, and for that little while I would have Da and the words all to myself. I’d sit on Da’s lap at the sorting table and help him sort the slips. Whenever we came across a word I didn’t know, he would read the quotation it came with and help me work out what it meant. If I asked the right questions, he would try to find the book the quotation came from and read me more. It was like a treasure hunt, and sometimes I found gold.

“This boy had been a scatter-brained scapegrace from his birth.” Da read the quotation from a slip he had just pulled out of an envelope.

“Am I a scatter-brained scapegrace?” I asked.

“Sometimes,” Da said, tickling me.

Then I asked who the boy was, and Da showed me where it was written at the top of the slip.

“Ala-ed-Din and the Wonderful Lamp,” he read.

When the other assistants arrived I slipped under the sorting table.

“Be quiet as a mouse and stay out of the way,” Da said.

It was easy to stay hidden.

At the end of the day I sat on Da’s lap by the warmth of the grate and we read “Ala-ed-Din and the Wonderful Lamp.” It was an old story, Da said. About a boy from China. When I asked if there were others, he said there were a thousand more. The story was like nothing I had heard, nowhere I had been, and no one I knew of. I looked around the Scriptorium and imagined it as a genie’s lamp. It was so ordinary on the outside, but on the inside full of wonder. And some things weren’t always what they seemed.

The next day, after helping with the slips, I pestered Da for another story. In my enthusiasm I forgot to be as quiet as a mouse; I was getting in his way.

“A scapegrace will not be allowed to stay,” Da warned, and I imagined being banished to Ala-ed-Din’s cave. I spent the rest of the day beneath the sorting table, where a little bit of treasure found me.

It was a word, and it slipped off the end of the table. When it lands, I thought, I’ll rescue it, and hand it to Dr. Murray myself.

I watched it. For a thousand moments I watched it ride some unseen current of air. I expected it to land on the unswept floor, but it didn’t. It glided like a bird, almost landing, then rose up to somersault as if bidden by a genie. I never imagined that it might land in my lap, that it could possibly travel so far. But it did.

The word sat in the folds of my dress like a bright thing fallen from heaven. I dared not touch it. It was only with Da that I was allowed to hold the words. I thought to call out to him, but something caught my tongue. I sat with the word for a long time, wanting to touch it, but not. What word? I wondered. Whose? No one bent down to claim it.

After a long while I scooped the word up, careful not to crush its silvery wings, and brought it close to my face. It was difficult to read in the gloom of my hiding spot. I shuffled along to where a curtain of sparkling dust hung between two chairs.

I held the word up to the light. Black ink on white paper. Eight letters; the first, a butterfly B. I moved my mouth around the rest as Da had taught me: O for orange, N for naughty, D for dog, M for Murray, A for apple, I for ink, D for dog, again. I sounded them out in a whisper. The first part was easy: bond. The second part took a little longer, but then I remembered how the A and I went together. Maid.

The word was bondmaid. Below it were other words that ran together like a tangle of thread. I couldn’t tell if they made up a quotation sent in by a volunteer or a definition written by one of Dr. Murray’s assistants. Da said that all the hours he spent in the Scriptorium were to make sense of the words sent in by volunteers, so that those words could be defined in the Dictionary. It was important, and it meant I would get a schooling and three hot meals and grow up to be a fine young lady. The words, he said, were for me.

“Will they all get defined?” I once asked.

“Some will be left out,” Da said.

“Why?”

He paused. “They’re just not solid enough.” I frowned, and he said, “Not enough people have written them down.”

“What happens to the words that are left out?”

“They go back in the pigeon-holes. If there isn’t enough information about them, they’re discarded.”

“But they might be forgotten if they’re not in the Dictionary.”

He’d tilted his head to one side and looked at me, as if I’d said something important. “Yes, they might.”

I knew what happened when a word was discarded. I folded bondmaid carefully and put it in the pocket of my pinny.

A moment later, Da’s face appeared under the sorting table. “Run along now, Esme. Lizzie’s waiting for you.”

I peered between all the legs--chairs’, table’s, men’s--and saw the Murrays’ young maid standing beyond the open door, her pinafore tied tight around her waist, too much fabric above and too much fabric below. She was still growing into it, she told me, but from under the sorting table she reminded me of someone playing at dress up. I crawled between the pairs of legs and scampered out to her.

“Next time you should come in and find me; it would be more fun,” I said, when I got to Lizzie.

“It’s not me place.” She took my hand and walked me to the shade of the ash tree.

“Where is your place?"

She frowned, then shrugged. “The room at the top of the stairs, I s’pose. The kitchen when I’m helping Mrs. Ballard, but definitely not when I ain’t. St. Mary Magdalen on a Sunday.”

“Is that all?”

“The garden, when I’m caring for you—so we don’t get under Mrs. B’s feet. And more and more the Covered Market, ’cos of her cranky knees.”

“Has Sunnyside always been your place?” I asked.

“Not always.” She looked down at me, and I wondered where her smile had gone.

“Where did it used to be?”

She hesitated. “With me ma and all our littluns.”

“What are littluns?”

“Children.”

“Like me?”

“Like you, Essymay.”

“Are they dead?”

“Just me ma. The littluns was taken away, I don’t know where. They was too young for service.”

Review:

4.9 out of 5

97.78% of customers are satisfied

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm lost for words!

R. · May 10, 2024

This book is so so beautiful and perfect for any lover of words. I was fascinated and intrigued by the title alone and was curious about how words were collected or chosen to be included in a dictionary. What I read was far beyond what I expected. This historical fiction is one of the best I have read and I am in awe of it all. The amount of research that must have gone into it is already very impressive. The way the story moves along a real timeline including the women's suffrage movement, WWI and the character, Esme's fictional life is an incredible feat. In the author's note, Williams said that the novel took two years to write. To me it seems like a very short time to write and research something so overwhelmingly complicated, and often lacking in concrete detail in available history books and articles. I read this book over two months. At first, it was difficult to get into it but as the story progressed, I found myself wanting to know more, my curiosity growing, while my understanding deepened with every chapter. I had to look up many words as I was reading and luckily, the dictionary was easily accessible to me via the Kindle app. It made me grateful to be living in this century and not in the time period this book is based on. How many words must have been lost or not understood over the years because they had not been recorded or discarded as 'insignificant'? Who has the right to decide what should or shouldn't be included? The English language has evolved so much over the years that new words and meanings are created every day. The Oxford English Dictionary requires new editions and updates every few years. It's come a long way since the first edition, and more words and entries will be added continuously. I'm glad that the lost words mentioned in this book have been preserved. This story will make you cry and cheer, question and ponder, reflect and learn from the past. It's a beautiful story about love, determination, family, friendship, loyalty, perseverance and courage. So much is packed into this book that I think it needs to be read at least twice to really appreciate and understand all the details in the book. If you are a history buff, a lover of words and language, you need to read this book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Original in Concept, Good Story

M.M. · September 11, 2023

There were brilliant threads in this book that drew me along---young Esme is a fascinating individual. Her exploration of her immediate world -- the Scriptorium and the men [and a few women] who worked there was very absorbing. I loved the story of how words are identified, sorted, valued, substantiated. There were some lovely, lyrical passages in which her father imparts wisdom and gentle humor to her. That relationship was delightful, as was Esme's relationship with her maid, Lizzie.The book was longish and I agree with some other reviewers that there was quite a bit of filler & background. Most of the time it flowed nicely, but there were other times when it seemed bumpy and jerky. I did wonder when some decent fellow might come into Esme's life and actually provide her with support and stability.The illegitimate baby being born and adopted was quite difficult and yet it was managed well. And again, like some other reviewers I felt that the end was sort of smooshed together, with too many sweeping changes and deaths all happening at once. I do wish Gareth could have come home, and I don't think that would have subtracted from the power of the book. Anyway, I love words, and I love the OED. SO it was delightful. In a way it reminded me of the Madman and the Professor, an earlier book about the development of the OED. The theme I took away with me is how much we humans limit ourselves by being subjective, overly moral, and fearful of "the other."

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, insightful for anyone especially one fascinated with the English language!

A.C. · June 20, 2022

📚Esme’s life which her Godmother aptly points out as being ‘anything but ordinary’ practically revolved around the Scriptorium and luckily for her, the Scrippy felt “magical”- despite having spent most of her childhood under the table waiting for a slips to get to her. Growing up with her dad, who was devoted to the Scriptorium, it’s “slips” and words, he strived to be both a mother and father to her, according to Ditte, Esme’s wise and worldly godmother.📚Ditte was not only a counsel to Esme over the years but was also a confidante to Esme’s dad. She was also a great believer of his unconventional parenting. Did you know Ditte was based on a real person, Edith Thompson who was involved since the first word was published to the last one in 1928?📚Esme’s unlikely friendship with Lizzie, the maid, and the many deep conversations with her are thought provoking. One particular thought that struck me was Lizzie’s insights that words mean different things to different people. Esme held on to “bondmaid” as a word that was derogatory but to Lizzie, it was a matter of great joy- to be a bondmaid to Esme.📚the book describes the period between 1887 and 1928, poignantly capturing the various milestones and celebrations along the way, in completing the arduous task of publishing the 20 volumes of the Oxford Dictionary. Pip Williams beautifully weaves key events such as the women’s suffrage movement and WW1 during this time.📚Reading the book also led me to do my own research on the history of the dictionary. It has come a long way since Samuel Johnson first published his back in 1755. The dissatisfaction in the dictionaries to date, the quest for obsolete and less common words and quotations and lack of consistency in definitions and synonyms led the Philological society to compile a comprehensive dictionary, telling the history of each and every word in the language📚I have been amazed by the sheer magnitude of the task, the contribution by thousands of people sending in quotations and words, the jobs of the many staff sorting through these “slips” diligently and finding common ground📚While crediting the invaluable contribution made by the Dictionary’s editors starting with Dr James Murray as it’s 1st editor and his incredible teams over the years, the author in portraying Esme’s journey, draws attention to the fact that the dictionary as we know it was mainly the perspective of educated white men, (despite the valuable contribution of women) thereby making Esme’s pursuit for words spoken by women and the marginalised members of society so critical📚the book aptly points out that not only do words mean different things to different people-(brought out in the use of the words bondmaid and “mother”) but also that Of some experiences, the Dictionary would only ever provide an approximation such as sorrow📚the dictionary like the English language is evolving with the second edition having been published in 1989 and the third having commenced in 2000!

5.0 out of 5 stars awesome read!

C.A.F. · September 15, 2024

The books started off slowly - it thought it might be science fiction but it didn’t turn out that way. A provocative view of how much words matter and how they shape our lives.An absolutely stunning story of lives well lived and the words that accompany them.WOW!

Fabulous

M. · August 15, 2024

This is a beautifully written, interesting story that not only chronicles the development of the Oxford English dictionary but unpacks the male-dominated recording of the language. A wonderful read.

Stunning, beautiful, touching, lirical.

E.C. · May 11, 2022

An amazing story of real life and the poetry that slips between. Subtle in revealing that many ways we exclude people. Powerful emotional.

Loving this book

A.L. · August 22, 2024

Such an interesting piece of history in the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. It's a relatively easy read and the story draws you in.

Wunderschön!

I.W. · July 23, 2024

Konnte nicht mehr aufhören mit Lesen

very thought provoking

C. · April 27, 2024

Do men and women see and speak and write the same words but use a different context. This is a really good read a mixture of fact and fiction woven tightly together and in perfect harmony.Esme has been in the Oxford Scriptorium all her life from a little girl under the table to a full member of the team. Sir James Murray was the editor of the first Oxford English Dictionary. But does he and the men in his team always accept and reject words to be included based on male dominated classic text or on the everyday language of the people. Fascinating insight into words and language. But also a lovely story.

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The Dictionary of Lost Words: Reese's Book Club: A Novel

Name: The Dictionary of Lost Words: Reese's Book Club: A Novel
Brand: Ballantine Books
SKU: U1984820745
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Rating: 4.4 (9 reviews)

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