Lost & Found

More about the book

Eighteen months before Kathryn Schulz’s father passed away, she met the woman who would become her wife. In this profound exploration, Schulz intertwines the narratives of love and loss, examining how our lives are shaped by both. She reflects on the maddening disappearance of everyday items and the larger devastations of war, pandemics, and natural disasters, while also celebrating the joy of new love and discovery. At the heart of the narrative are three distinct American families: Schulz’s own, shaped by her charming, absentminded Jewish refugee father; her partner’s family, a brilliant farmer’s daughter and devout Christian; and the new family they create together through marriage. Schulz delves into universal themes, exploring how personal happiness can coexist with global catastrophe, the irritations we feel toward those we love, and the inseparable nature of love and loss. The book serves as both memoir and guide, navigating a world filled with wonder and suffering, demanding our gratitude alongside our grief. As a staff writer for the New Yorker and Pulitzer Prize winner, Schulz writes with curiosity and wit, offering emotional clarity reminiscent of C. S. Lewis and intellectual depth akin to Susan Sontag. This tender meditation on the human experience invites readers to reflect on love, loss, and the complexities of life.