The Dictionary of Lost Words cover art

The Dictionary of Lost Words

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Dictionary of Lost Words

By: Pip Williams
Narrated by: Imogen Sage
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $34.99

Buy Now for $34.99

About this listen

In 1901, the word bondmaid was discovered missing from the Oxford English Dictionary. This is the story of the girl who stole it.

Motherless and irrepressibly curious, Esme spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of lexicographers are gathering words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day, she sees a slip containing the word bondmaid flutter to the floor unclaimed. Esme begins to collect other words from the Scriptorium that are misplaced, discarded or have been neglected by the dictionary men.

Over time, Esme realises that some words are considered more important than others - that words and meanings relating to women’s experiences often go unrecorded. She begins to collect words for another dictionary: The Dictionary of Lost Words.

Set when the women’s suffrage movement was at its height and the Great War loomed, The Dictionary of Lost Words reveals a lost narrative, hidden between the lines of a history written by men.

Please note: based on listener feedback, we have updated the audio with corrected pronunciations.

©2020 Pip Williams (P)2020 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Fiction Historical Fiction Women's Voices Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Inspiring Funny
All stars
Most relevant  
I loved this book. Williams dealt with the difficulties of single parenthood, gender roles, inequality , change and war without too much opinion, letting the reader feel through it.

A smashing read and so well voice acted; Imogen Sage is very talented.

Gentle sweet sad special

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
loved the characters, narrative and historical accuracy. narrator was great to listen to and read with care. highly recommend!

detailed, thought provoking and entertaining

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I bought this book based solely on it's title and it has turned out to be a book that I have recommended more than any other! I wish it had been published 20 years ago, it would have had a profound impact on my University career and my life there after. If you value words and language.... READ IT!!!

A Fantastic Entertaining and Informative Read!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved this one. Found myself eager to slip it on when I could steal a minute away with my headphones. A delicate build up, skilful narration and beautiful development of characters. And I learnt a lot about dictionaries! Easy to recommend.

Delicate but hearty

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I recommend this book to anyone who, like me, enjoys words and the origins of them.
The characters are well created and move through a beautifully described landscape.
The story is intriguing- presenting history in a captivating way.

A joy to listen to

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book is a far cry from the murder and mayhem I usually listen to. And I think I really enjoyed this beautiful story because it was fiction mixed with historical facts. I loved following the main character Esme from a little girl in the late 1800’s into adulthood in the 1900’s. How different life was then, and how women were perceived.
This book was beautifully narrated by Imogen Sage and I would listen to her again.

Well Worth Listening

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A surprisingly delightful story. I loved the main character and the story included factual information and people.

Thoroughly enjoyable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What a great book. The dictionary of Lost words is one of the best books I have ever listened to with the mix of historical information and fictional characters I will definitely be purchasing the written copy so I can read and re read. I loved the characters and even shed a few tears for them along the way.

Absolutely 5 stars

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved it from start to finish. From characters to story, so well developed and consuming.

Thoroughly enjoyable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What a well crafted story brilliantly narrated.
The writer brings the times and characters beautifully to life. As with everything gender plays such a role in the dictionary. This story is engaging, informative and enjoyable.
I highly recommend.

Excellent listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.