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Lost Titles, Forgotten Rhymes: A Guide to Finding Novels, Stories, and Poems

This guide provides tips for finding novels and other literary works when you can't recall the author's name or full title of the work.

Introduction

Pierre Latour. Lost and found.. 1880. Library of Congress Music Division.

Locating a novel, short story, or poem without knowing its title or author can be a frustrating and difficult endeavor. This guide is intended to help readers identify a literary work when they know only its plot, subject, or other secondary characteristics such as a character's name, an illustration, or snippets of remembered words and phrases.

Still need help locating a book or other work after reviewing this guide? Submit your inquiry through our Ask a Librarian service to receive assistance from Library of Congress staff.  You can also use Ask a Librarian service to report errors, suggest additions, or send other comments to the guide author.