Review of 'The Echo of Lost Stories' by Victoria Scott

Review of 'The Echo of Lost Stories' by Victoria Scott

Release date: June 28th, 2026

Publisher: Boldwood Books

REVIEW

What an unforgettable, inspiring and captivating dual timeline by Victoria Scott! The title The Echo of Lost Stories is so apt as you will quickly see when entering this book’s charm. This stunning tale carried me away to the fascinating and atmospheric world of Charles Dickens of 1842 and also to a highly competitive and unscrupulous modern day academia environment. Added to that in the current thread is a battle to keep an allotment-garden for members of the community. There is so much here to keep you occupied and the content is incredibly intriguing! For these and many other reasons The Echo of Lost Stories has to be my all-time favourite of Victoria Scott’s books.  

Besides a well painted and vivid setting, the characters have emotional depth and are well developed. Belle and Emily are at the top of my favourites list but I enjoyed the other cast members who offer important contributions to the plot’s development which is intricate, multi-layered, magical and uplifting. I got the sense of Dickens’s Christmas Carol from the very start and those images we all love are woven beautifully into the past timeline but also flutter into the present through mysterious appearances. The past definitely runs not only alongside the present in perfect unity but at times merges or overlays what is happening in 2025. This may appear as ghostly elements in the story and there are plenty of spirit experiences. It is a fun journey in both timelines that flow back and forth effortlessly, and blend beautifully in the finale.

This novel carries a number of messages: a very big one is about transformation and second chances.  But another is about saving an important tradition and preserving a plot of land for green purposes. This message is imprinted in the dedication of the book how ‘we all need space, unless we have it, we cannot reach that sense of quiet in which whispers of better things come to us quietly.’  Quoted from Octavia Hill’s Article  Space For the People. Allotments are set up for those who do not have space for gardening. It is a unique practice particularly in England (and other European countries) that has been happening since Anglo Saxon days. A subdivided plot of land is assigned to various individuals or families to grow their own food. This provides a measure of freedom to those living in residences like apartments or homes with small yards. This privilege also offers neighbours some social activity and it can be a place where people get in touch with nature to clear their minds, lighten their hearts and connect with the natural world around them. In The Echo of Lost Stories a particular allotment comes under threat of termination when a duke wants to repurpose the land. The deed is in question and Emily must find a way to fight this potential loss that her friend and others rely on. Of course, the community rallies around to stop the takeover but Emily plays an important part in trying to save this land from ‘private redevelopment’.

In 1842, Isabelle/Belle Burdett is a complex, transformative character. After her beloved husband dies, grief overtakes her and she withdraws from her work life, family connections and even her daughter. But close to Christmas something happens that changes her life forever. She begins to see the world in a very different light. People from her past will reappear and she will question the intentions of some but positive things will come as a result of opening her heart again. I enjoyed immensly watching this woman grow and change and to see her get a second chance at life and love. Her unusual ‘rebirth’ story will be shared in a way others would never expect. And her secrets will remain hidden, until years into the future, when all will be revealed to Emily in 2025 and she will have an opportunity to put this information to good use. But not without conflict.

In the present timeline, history lecturer Emily is still grieving at the loss of her father. But one day she is called to an old dilapidated house in Cheapside that is being demolished. One of the developers has made an important discovery. A pile of old notebooks that may have some historical merit. The story within the pages sounds a lot like Dickens’s Christmas Carol but how can this be as this account was written before his tale was released? Of course, this throws up all kinds of questions and theories. And who wrote this as there is no name? This is a goldmine for Emily who wants to write a book but little does she know what war she will encounter after sharing her find.

This novel is pure delight: a real feast I thoroughly enjoyed. I read it almost non-stop as it is so good I did not want to put it down. And when the end came, I really did not want to say good bye to the characters of both timelines which I found equally immersive. Everything came together like a dream.

Do I recommend it? Totally! It is a real treasure that will inspire, warm, uplift and send your heart soaring into the stratosphere. The spiritual elements are gentle and welcoming. The love stories tender and triumphant. A great novel for those who love a good Christmas Carol mystery. 5 Stars and beyond. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the review copy.