The Department of Lost & Found

Allison Winn Scotch manages to take a depressing topic, and writes a book that is insightful, touching, thoughtful, mature, and, at times, hysterically funny! How could a book about a woman with [...] cancer be hilarious? The Department of Lost and Found is a brilliant combination of multiple modes of written and verbal expression - text, emails, diary entries, Blackberry messages, voice mails and more, which all combine to make this an entertaining, modern novel. A large undercurrent of the book reminisces about cheesy, old television shows. The Price is Right, for one, plays a significant role; Natalie's new obsession with this game show culminates in her appearance on the show--which is marred by a variety of complications including urgent back-stage Blackberry messages to a United States senator's office, a slightly illicit cross-country trip with her gynecologist, sweaty armpits, Bob Barker's bad make-up job, and how-in-the-world-would-a-New-Yorker-know-how-much-a-patio-set-costs-we-don't-do-patio-sets-in-New-York-City! all coalesce into a memorably hilarious scene. TDLF is also a fascinating study on imperfection; each character has his or her own share of flaws, but these flaws draw lives together in a meaningful way. Heartless old boyfriends, dirty office politics, dirty national politics, dirty family laundry, personal indiscretions, uncertainties, mistakes and apologies, and much more, make this book such a great read. The book also explores many of the ironies of life - how one can realize stunning beauty in an imperfect and scarred body, find strength among weakness, insatiable hunger while undergoing chemotherapy(thanks to pot-induced munchies), truth among lies, and most of all how love can be lost - and found - in the most unsuspecting of circumstances.

I loved The Department of Lost and Found, and it's not the type of fiction I usually read. But I was immediately drawn in by Natalie Miller, a thoroughly believable character, and her story. I learned a lot, I laughed, I cried and I thought about life and relationships and hope. An excellent read by a talented writer.

I absolutely LOVE this book! Allison Winn Scotch has written a phenomenal debut novel that's perfect for all women who are facing a big life transition of any kind -- whether it's getting married or turning 30, or 40, or 50, seeing your kids go off to college, etc. You'll find yourself thinking about how you got to be where you are, the people who helped form you along the way, and what you really need to embrace about your life right now. This is a GREAT read, and you'll think about it for a long time after the book is done. Not too many novels stay with you and inspire you like this one does. Great job, Allison! I hope you're working on your next novel right now, because I can't wait to read that one, too!

What a page-turner! TDLF was so terrific, I read it in a single day. It had me laughing one second, crying the next ... and rushing to find out what would happen to Natalie as she went through her journey. Also, as a friend of someone undergoing cancer treatment, this novel was a much-needed ray of sunshine; the bookshelves are stocked with tragic stories, and I was thrilled to finally read something that addressed the difficult aspects of cancer and still managed to be upbeat and provide hope. I'd definitely recommend this to others with cancer or who have friends or family members with cancer. That said, I would have related to TDFL even if cancer hadn't touched my life--it's that good. Needless to say, I can't wait to read Allison Winn Scotch's next book.

I'm an avid reader but have been disappointed lately by some of the contemporary fiction on the market. Not so with Allison Winn Scotch's debut novel. I couldn't put this book down and was sorry to see it end. We've all heard the phrase "Don't get so busy making a living that you forget to have a life." This could be the mantra of Natalie Miller. At 30, she seems to have it all until her world comes crashing down with a diagnosis of cancer which coincides with her boyfriend leaving her. Rather than sink into depression, Natalie directs her energies towards figuring out what went wrong in her past relationships by tracking down the five loves of her life. Given that Natalie is battling breast cancer, this could have been a deep, dark, novel yet Scotch portrays Natalie as a fighter and illustrates how she battles cancer with courage and humor. When Natalie faces her own immortality, she comes to the realization that she's been sleepwalking through much of her life. Her diagnosis brings an understanding of what she truly wants from life.