Journalist / Author
Lost and Found

Lost and Found in London

How the Railway Tracks Hotel Changed Me
By Kathleen O'Hara
Readers' Reactions to Lost and Found in London:
"I have just finished your book, and now can't wait for the sequel - your adventures back in Canada!

Seriously, it was great - I really liked the flow - the narrative of your doings and adventures in the UK with all your friends, mixed in with the self discovery and improvement project. A really nice combination, I thought. Teaching with a story, the old fashioned way. Many of your little asides, like what would have happened if YOU were Queen, made me laugh out loud. You have such a great sense of humour in person, and it was wonderful when it burst through in your words - I could hear you laughing!

As for the self discovery and improvement content, it was excellent. I have been reading Eckhardt Tolle for the past year or so, and his methods of standing back and listening and watching your words and actions, from another mental place, has many parallels with your conscious/unconscious/subconscious mind model. I think meditation is the key to many of these methods of self discovery and improvement - sharpening the ability to stand back and observe our automatic thoughts and actions. A good self examination technique however you implement it. And the mental de-briefing after a difficult encounter is also key - we've got to learn from our successes as well as our failures, and be able to identify which are which!"

Allan Mather, Salt Spring Island, BC

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"... I have immensely enjoyed reading your book. I didn't want it to end---so there'll be another in a year or two, I hope!

In so many ways it resonated with me, as I share many of your goals and aspirations (although I've gone about this differently) and I've also met various stumbling blocks along the way. At my ripe old age of 66, I'm still thinking "when I get organized, or get past 'survival mode', or get enough courage, or whatever, I'm going to do---", but your book has inspired me to try a little harder, I hope, to become more positive and more active, and to stop making excuses, and realize that I may not have forever to do whatever!

"... you've been successful in writing a book which is helping improve the world, as I expect it's going to push me and others to make some positive moves towards achieving some of those worthwhile goals that so many of us share."

E. B., Kingston, Ontario

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"I have finished your book with that feeling of wishing it would not end. I loved it. In particular the warmth with which you invite the reader to share in your journey and quest.

Most of us, and I include myself, muddle through our lives without ever really stopping and asking oneself " what am I doing ? ", " where am I headed?", "is this the life which gives me fulfillment?". Your book gives one a great wake-up call as well as the tools with which to get to know oneself and answer these questions. And then to start on the path of enriching one's own life and those of others.

As I said in my earlier mail, you write with a very light hand which makes for very comfortable reading. Also, and this cannot have been easy, I think that you got the right balance in the book between the sessions with Chris, the flashbacks and the other activities such as meeting friends and doing things.

Congratulations for the book."

Aref Hakki, Cairo, Egypt

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"Well it turns out that I'm not much of an editor! I've given myself three days and I really, really like your book just as it is. It reads so well. I gobbled it up from start to finish and all I can say is, I want more! I honestly wouldn't change a thing. It's great! Congratulations! ...

I'm back to enjoying a good cup of coffee and reading your treasure right now. I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying your adventure! I'm really proud of you. Love, love, love the writing style. Can't wait to hear it as an audio-book! ...

Maybe you should put a note of caution to your readers........Only begin this novel if you have time to indulge yourself for several hours a day! (It's so frustrating not to be able to sit and enjoy it full tilt.)"

CJ Stoness, Westport, Ontario

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"I have to confess off the top that self-help systems and books about them, like religion (a close cousin), are not innately of interest to me. That said, your self-deprecating and humourous confessions made for easy and bytimes touching reading. I do admire your courage in turning your journalist's eye upon yourself, even at the risk of self-absorption."

Chris West, Kingston, Ontario

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"I bought your book yesterday (eBook version) and today I sailed to my favourite anchorage and read the first few chapters. I very much enjoyed them. You are a very good writer. I plan to follow the xercises myself - listing one's top 20 accomplishments, etc., seems like an interesting way of self-discovery. I am keen to see how things progress at the RTH ... I finished your book yesterday and can honestly say I really enjoyed it and found it interesting. As I said, I plan to do the exercises myself, as I believe they would be beneficial."

Bruce Buttimore, Toronto, Ontario

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"I liked that the book was set over a short time period (2 weeks of your life). This made the story very "manageable" and also created intrigue as to what would happen at the end of the two weeks. And yes, I, like your mom, felt a certain sense of suspense throughout - would you stay?, would you and Julian re-unite?, what new discoveries would you make about yourself?, what direction would those discoveries send you? etc.

The language was clear and easy to understand - not overly poetic or overly detailed - which makes the book very accessible to a variety of readers. The ideas were also highly accessible and not cumbersome or too complex for the average reader.

I liked how you used characters - you gave just enough detail to introduce the characters but mostly focussed on how they added to your experience. This kept a sense of coherence to the whole story ... I liked how honest you were about your feelings - your honesty made it all feel very real. I felt my eyes get teary as I read your obituary ...

WELL DONE!!

"On a personal note, I could relate to a great deal in the book. I am fascinated by spiritual journeys and feel that changing the world begins with changing ourselves - it is hard to work on the external problems when we don't have our internal stuff at least partially figured out. I have been on a rather intense, amazing spiritual journey over the past four years and I, like you, long to help others make the same kinds of personal transformations."

M. R., Kingston, Ontario