The Dictionary of Lost Words

A Novel

By: Pip Williams

Narrated by: Pippa Bennett-Warner

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

©2021 Pip Williams (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"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)

For Lovers of Words!

As an English Literature teacher and Writing Coach, I found the history of the English Oxford Dictionary fascinating; I simply never considered how long it took and who determined what words comprised the first dictionary! Esme, from whom we 'view' the story, grows up in the 'Scripy' (the Scriptoriaum where an editor and his many scholars determine definitions for words they accept for the OED), hiding under her father's desk and picking up scraps of discarded words. The story chronicles the years of the dictionary's development surrounded by her maturation into a woman. WWI takes many of the men away from the Scripy, and the women's Sufferage Movements runs full-tilt. William's characterizations make Esme, Dah, Lizzie, Tilda, and Garreth come alive--and the voice portrayals match the characterizations perfectly. When the novel ends, I missed them all--a sure sign of a well-written novel. However, some may find the pacing a bit slow for their liking since time is spent defining words, arguing over words, and many other aspects of the dictionary's life.

Loved it!

If you enjoy historical fiction, read The Dictionary of Lost Words.
If you enjoy words and are interested in their history, read The Dictionary of Lost Words.
If you enjoy reading stories with good character development, read The Dictionary of Lost Words.
If you enjoy reading stories about family, read The Dictionary of Lost Words.
And if you enjoy reading stories about love, I highly recommend reading The Dictionary of Lost Words.
Pip William wrote a masterpiece. Her thorough research about the times surrounding the period in which the words were compiled and published in the first edition of the Oxford-English Dictionary allowed Williams to create a vivid and accurate historical backdrop for the reader to follow Esme grow up in an ever-changing world. I enjoyed every moment of this book and was delighted with how Williams focused on certain provocative words to make a point about how words can be ‘lost’ depending on who oversees the editing. Narrator Pippa Bennett-Warner does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life.

Words Reflect on Us

A wonderful historical fiction with a profound ending. I was left thinking back to a professional caution I developed to try to speak plainly. It came from the realization that even across the US in my own time a single word can have different meanings. Careful how you speak.

charming and delightful and enlightening

..... and compelling and thrilling and sweet and moving and there aren't even enough words. and the performance is absolutely flawless.

Loved this book

Perhaps started a little slowly but then flew. Author's note at end very interesting.

Highly recommend

An excellent book. The narrator does a beautiful job. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Love Love Love this book!

i don't write reviews but this book was moving and surprising and so informative to lovers of words. I cannot recommend it enough

My Favorite Book Ever

This book is more than a gem; it's a glittering diamond. I liked the Audible version so much, I am buying the hardcover for my library.

Excellently written historical fiction

The perfect blend of truth and historical fiction, this book is a page turner. The narration is perfect for the era and context of this story. Well done on every level. I only wish there were more. Very satisfying listen.

So glad my book group discovered this gem

I like historical fiction. And Pip Williams delivers on multiple fronts in an engrossing, revealing way. As she carefully sets the unpretentious scene and gives life to her characters, a slow beginning soon enters the swirling current of The Great War.