The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

THE DICTIONARY OF LOST WORDS by Pip Williams is a recent work of historical fiction focused in part on words that were omitted from the Oxford English Dictionary. Main character Esme is the daughter of one of the editors and this is her coming of age (really, a coming of awareness regarding lower classes and women) story, too. Set initially in the 1880s during Esme’s childhood and moving forward to the time of the women’s suffrage movement in England, THE DICTIONARY OF LOST WORDS received a starred review from Library Journal. It is a bit on the longer side (about 400 pages) and rather slow paced, but it a delightful debut novel which will be a rewarding read for those who enjoy lexicography, language and its history.