There is only one thing to say, that this is a great book, a must read. It¹s my favorite book of the year. I couldn¹t put it down, and kept sneaking away to read more!! Everybody in my house was fighting over who could read it next. The description in the opening paragraph continues to stay with me. I loved the quality of the words. Staffel¹s view on things brings focus to mundane life and it¹s written in poetic, elegant language - but it¹s just not about words and style. It has substance and catches the essence of things. It is a grounded story that is put together magnificently. I loved her descriptions and the things that her observations helped me to see.The seemingly bleak circumstances are transcended by the details of the characters¹ lives. The richness of the writing gave joy to the characters. As I read the novel there was one gem after another that I wanted to hold on to forever. I kept turning down pages to revisit later.I loved this book and highly recommend it to others.

My husband studied with Staffel, and he's always praised her as a teacher. Now it's my turn to praise her as a writer (from a fellow author). I read "She Wanted Something Else" a few years ago and thought that it was good, but I didn't connect with those characters. In "Notebook" I felt so drawn to the characters--William, Ute, the teenagers, the fat mother--that I read the entire book in one sitting. My husband's grandmother, mother and uncle all survived the bombing of Dresden, so that particular topic resonated for me as well. I wish I could get my hands on Staffel's short story collection, and I hope she writes more novels!

For me a good book is revealed by how little time it takes me to read it. I read "The Notebook of Lost Things" in a day. The title is revealed in the book as something Helen treasures from her mother's past in firebombed Dresden. The intricate story is about ordinary people with quiet, recognizable lives. The prose is direct, economical and powerful. Deceivingly so. Staffel is an observer of astonishing powers. She notices the ordinary things we all do with an unbelievable attention to detail and nuance. The book takes a smart, perceptive look at loss and the resulting sadness. It is critical of lives lived solely for selfish reasons. Ultimately the book is an enlightened musing on how common people transcend ordinary lives to learn extraordinary lessons. It is a remarkably imaginative story. Complex and simple at the same time. Staffel's writing reminds me of Jane Smiley, particularly in the book "A Thousand Acres" in her clarity and simplicity. I can not say enough about this book. It is a sensuous, and very honest look at human nature and foible. I am continually trying to figure out how so much power is jammed into such a small book. And with such grace. Two books I have read lately sustain me with much pleasure and much to think about. Toni Morrison's "Paradise" and Megan Staffel's "The Notebook of Lost Things". In my opinion, Staffel's new novel has firmly established her as a writer of great significance.