The Lost Year

In 2020, Matthew , a 13-year-old boy in New Jersey, finds solace in video games as the Covid pandemic isolates him from friends and his father, who is stuck in Paris. His mother insists on less screen time, especially with his great-grandmother GG , moving in for safety. A mishap with a bow and arrow results in a two-week gaming ban, forcing Matthew to engage with GG 's past. This leads him to a mysterious box of her belongings, setting the stage for a journey into family history and self-discovery. In 1932 Kyiv, Mila is a young Pioneer, proud of her Soviet identity and her father's Communist

Theme 1: Matthew's Pandemic Gaming Escape

This thread running through The Lost Year gives the story its emotional weight. Katherine Marsh weaves it into the narrative with skill, ensuring that the reader feels the stakes as deeply as the characters do.

Theme 2: Mila's Soviet Reality Check

This thread running through The Lost Year gives the story its emotional weight. Katherine Marsh weaves it into the narrative with skill, ensuring that the reader feels the stakes as deeply as the characters do.

Theme 3: Helen's American Struggles

This thread running through The Lost Year gives the story its emotional weight. Katherine Marsh weaves it into the narrative with skill, ensuring that the reader feels the stakes as deeply as the characters do.

What Readers Say About The Lost Year

The Lost Year has resonated with readers for its emotional honesty and vivid storytelling. Many describe finishing it in a single sitting — drawn forward by Katherine Marsh's prose and an almost desperate need to know how it ends.

A Passage Worth Sitting With

"Matthew's Pandemic Gaming Escape" — Katherine Marsh, The Lost Year

About the Author

Katherine Marsh is the author of The Lost Year. Known for emotionally resonant storytelling, their work has found devoted readers across the globe.