Readers’ Circle : The Dictionary of Lost Words

In March we will read a much less fearsome book, this one a recent historical novel inspired by the birth of the Oxford English Dictionary during the early twentieth century. The main character is the daughter of one of the contributors to the ever-expanding tome who salvages words rejected and omitted from the dictionary because they pertain to the domestic sphere and women’s lives. As she sets out to reclaim otherwise silenced voices and to preserve them for posterity, this literary heroine rubs shoulders with suffragettes, falls in love, and witnesses the horrors of World War I. 

FYI: Your friendly librarian, Courtney, recently included this title in her yearlong zodiac book recommendations blog series. Check it out on the Virgo edition from around the autumn equinox of this past year (Sept. 2025).

Questions about Readers’ Circle can be emailed to Courtney at ckleftis@yarmouthlibrary.org