I've been reading books by Lisa Wingate for several years now, but I would have to say that her last two books, Before We Were Yours and The Book of Lost Friends, have been my very favorite. Something about the way Wingate wrote these two books sets them apart from her other books. I would highly recommend both of these books. I very rarely read books again, but I would definitely read these two books. I love how Wingate tied in a storyline in the past and the present. We meet Hannie from post Civil War south and Benny from current day in the novel, and Wingate goes back and forth between the two women's stories seamlessly. You feel like you are living Hannie's story as she gets embroiled in a journey to find someone that she hadn't planned on searching for and along the way becomes involved in the Book of Lost Friends. The Book of Lost Friends is a way that people separated due to the war and slavery were trying to find relatives for which they had lost contact. They would place ads in the newspapers in hopes of locating these long-lost relatives. On the other hand, we have Benny a young teacher in the late 1980's who is trying to make a difference in her new town of Augustine, Louisiana. She struggles for acceptance with the students and community members in Augustine and along the way becomes an integral part of the history of this community as well as the lives of her students. Wingate weaves an intriguing story that will keep you reading to find out what happens to both Hannie and Benny. Thanks to Random House Publishing, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC ebook of The Book of Lost Friends in exchange for an honest review. #TheBookofLostFriends #NetGalley

Lisa Wingate did it again!! She brought history to life and left me wanting to research the Lost Friends. This is a MUST read for all book clubs and lovers of historical fiction.

Lisa Wingate is known for engaging characters and vivid sense of place and time in her novels, and this one is no different. What is different is the lack of melodrama and overly predictable plots. This is a wonderful depiction of life in Louisiana in two eras -- one shortly after the Civil War and the other present day (well, the late 1980s). Both main characters are fully formed with real emotions and realistic past and present relationships. Both eras are distinct and the switch between time periods is smooth and adds greatly to the suspense of the story. The inserted "ads" for lost friends between each chapter tugs at the readers' heartstrings and brings a startling realism to the story.

Yes, the way the two stories interconnect may seem a bit implausible to some, those who are familiar with the history of the South will understand the connections and history buffs will testify to the realism depicted here. Wingate brings our history to life in the form of these two women, one Black, one White, one from the past, one from current day, and she does so brilliantly. I loved this book!

Took me a while to make my way through this one. However, I think the dawdling was beneficial because this is the kind of book where the characters' courage and the story's message about how the life we create for ourselves can be entirely different than the one we come from is meant to be savored not rushed. It requires you to reflect on the real lives of the "lost friends" not simply read about them in newspaper clippings. I think it makes the horror, the reality, of what separated families went through during the era of Reconstruction and afterwards more palpable. It forces you to confront the history that, for too long, has been swept beneath unmarked graves.

Told in split timelines, the chapters alternate in perspective between Hannie Gossett, a former slave in 1875 who goes on an odyssey of sorts to to find her people, her family, and a schoolteacher in rural Louisiana in 1987 named Benny Silva, who wants to make a difference in her students' lives. To inspire them to learn. The connection between these two timelines unfolds slowly, ploddingly if I'm being honest, but it packs a powerful punch by the end. You're drawn in, page by page.

A moving historical read based off real ads in southern newspapers. Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC!

This was my second Lisa Wingate book and I loved it as much as the first one I read (Before We Were Yours). She is such a great story teller of historical fiction, especially stories that make such an impact.

The Book of Lost Friends is a book with two stories woven together, one set in 1875 and one in 1987. I enjoyed both time periods. The 1875 storyline follows the abolition of slavery, where Hannie, a former slave, gets herself entangled in an adventure with the plantation owner's daughters. The 1987 plot follows Benny, a first-year teacher in a pretty rough area where her students aren't interested in learning.

Benny and Hannie's plots end up intertwining and it was such a fun journey getting to the point. I enjoyed the character development and the ending really solidified the 5-star rating for me.

*Thank you to the publisher for my ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion

Lisa Wingate follows up her New York Times bestselling <em>Before We Were Yours with another exquisite and deeply affecting fictional story inspired by actual events. The story opens in 1875 with Hannie, an eighteen-year-old former slave, still residing on the Louisiana plantation, Goswood Grove, where she was held against her will. She and her fellow former slaves are close to completing the ten-year sharecropper contract with "Old Mister" Gossett and then the little plot of land they have farmed will be theirs. Growing up, Hannie watched over Missy Lavinia, Old Mister's spoiled, petulant daughter, while trying to stay away from her cruel mother.

Nights are especially hard for Hannie because when she closes her eyes she sees her mother, hears her voice, and relives being ripped away from her. Hannie and her family were stolen by Jeptha Loach, a nephew of Missus Gossett, en route to Texas where the Gossetts planned to establish a new plantation during the war. Loach sold off Hannie's siblings, cousins, aunts, and mother to different buyers along the way. Eventually Hannie was returned to the Gossetts. All Hannie has left of her beloved family members are three blue beads that she wears around her neck -- remnants of her grandmother's necklace from Africa that was divided and distributed to every family member. Three beads each to wear as a sign of their identity should they ever be lucky enough to see each other again. "Blue means all us walk in the true way," her grandmother said while sharing stories about Africa where their ancestors were queens and princes, and the origin of the invaluable beads.

One night Hannie is surprised to see a visitor arrive at the plantation. Juneau Jane is the fourteen-year-old daughter of Old Mister and his placage wife in New Orleans. In those days, it was not uncommon for plantation owners to have more than one family, maintaining a separate home for a mistress and children. Old Mister has been away for four months, ever since he received word that his son, Lyle, was in trouble again, this time in Texas. The arrival of Juneau Jane indicates that Old Mister may be in trouble himself -- or worse -- and his absence means Old Missus may not honor the share cropper contract. Hannie sneaks into the main house to get information about Juneau Jane's sudden appearance, and attempt to locate the contract so that it can't be destroyed by Old Missus or anyone else. That sets in motion an epic and dangerous journey that has dramatic and permanent repercussions for Hannie, Lavinia, and Juneau Jane.

In 1987, Benny Silva arrives in the little town of Augustine to commence her career as a high school English teacher. She loves books and words, and wants to instill a love of reading in her students. But she finds there are no resources available to her except a few dilapidated copies of Animal Farm and her students are not engaged. Many of them arrive at school hungry and she spends part of her modest income buying snacks to give them so they can attempt to focus for a little while. Unlike the privileged students who attend the town's other high school, many of her students have unstable home lives, including absent or inattentive parents and younger siblings they must care for. Benny wants to help her students rise above their circumstances and believes she may have found a way when LaJuna Carter reveals the huge collection of books in the house at Goswood Grove, "an amalgamation of the generations of residents" of the home. The house is owned by Nathan Gossett, following the death of his sister, Robin, two years earlier. She was in the midst of a mysterious project. Nathan wants nothing to do with the house, choosing to spend his time operating a shrimp boat on the coast, while his uncles operate the companies that employ most of the town's residents. Benny seeks Nathan out and gets his permission to begin cataloguing the collection, hoping she will amass enough books to set up a classroom library. Benny also gets acquainted with Granny T, the plainspoken operator of the local diner, the Cluck and Oink barbecue. She becomes so enamored with Granny T and her wisdom that she invites her to come speak to her students. Granny T tells a mesmerizing story about her ancestors and how the local Carnegie Library was established -- in costume. The students are inspired and excited to undertake a project -- they will research local history and present, in costume as a local historical figure, their findings. But some of the town's residents prefer that history stay buried.

Wingate has been heralded a "master storyteller" for good reason. She employs alternating first-person narratives from Hannie and Benny set one hundred and twelve years apart. Interspersed are actual Lost Friend ads that were published in the Southwestern Christian Advocate, each of which is a heartbreaking story of a family ripped apart by slavery, war, and the aftermath of both. Both narratives are fast-paced and thoroughly engaging. As Hannie, Lavinia, and Juneau Jane, disguised as boys, travel deep into Texas in search of answers, they survive numerous close calls and encounter some surprising allies. Hannie experiences an awakening when they happen upon the Lost Friends ads. Because she can't read, Juneau Jane must read them aloud to her and they create a book in which they keep the information. Word spreads about the book, and they add entries as former slaves beseech them to note details about their lost family members. Hannie dares to hope that she might find her beloved mama and other relatives.

It is clear that the two storylines are related since Benny lives in a rented house on Gossett land which has passed through generations to Nathan. Wingate cleverly weaves a cohesive tale that is vividly and richly evocative, allowing her readers to effortlessly alternate their focus on the two time periods. She has taken care to remain faithful to the dialects of the regions and employed terminology relevant to the particular era. As a result, her characters' voices are distinctive, authentic, and credible. Inclusion of the Lost Friends ads provides emotional power to the narratives, serving as an ever-present reminder that, although Hannie, Benny, et al. are fictional characters, their stories are based on historical occurrences.

The Book of Lost Friends is a beautiful story told beautifully, inhabited by characters whose experiences evoke strong emotions and readers will remember long after reading the last page. Not surprisingly, the book debuted on the New York Times bestseller list immediately after publication and is rightfully destined to join Before We Were Yours as a classic and beloved volume of articulately-crafted historical fiction that resonates with and moves readers.

I was really looking forward to getting completely lost in this book and escaping reality for a while. But I just couldn't get into it. I thought the dual timeline stories moved extremely slow and I never really connected with the characters. However, I appreciate the exhaustive amount of research the author must have done in order to pen this story and it is definitely one that should be told. Even though it wasn't my cup of tea, I'm sure there will be many readers who really enjoy it.

This book is exactly why I love historical fiction. I was entertained, felt for the characters, and learned something along the way!

Told in alternating time periods ,1875 and 1987, this is the story of two young women Hannie and Benedetta (Benny). Hannie is an eighteen-year-old freed slave, still working the land of her former owner. Benny is a first-year English teacher, in a school that cares more about keeping the students out of trouble than their education.

I found both of these young women just as fascinating. I found Benny’s determination incredibly inspiring. She will do whatever it takes to give her students the education they deserve, while unknowingly uncovering secrets that certain people would rather remain buried. Hannie is a very spunky, smart young woman. She finds herself in a very precarious position and on a journey of a lifetime, all while trying to protect two daughters of her former owner.

I was not familiar with the Lost Friends ads prior to reading this book! They made an incredible backdrop to this very enlightening, touching, heartfelt book. Lisa Wingate did an amazing job blending fact and fiction in a story that I will not soon forget!

Lisa Wingate is back with another amazing novel! The Book of Lost Friends was everything I wanted it to be. While we're all in the midst of COVID-19, this was a book that served as a leisurely pass-time and was a beautiful story.

The Book of Lost Friends tells a fascinating tale of sadness, loss, and hope in two time lines. Following the civil war, three young women go on a arduous journey to find lost family, lost inheritance, lost history. In 1987, a first-year teacher struggles to engage her students in an impoverished and underfunded school district with a project on living history. Both stories are well-written with interesting well developed plots and characters. The plot moves smoothy and quickly covering difficult aspects of US history. The book will make you cry, but also feel hope in what can be. Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of the book.

I am a Lisa Wingate fan! I have read a few other Wingate books which I have loved, and The Book of Lost Friends did not disappoint! The story is told in dual timelines and I found both equally engaging. I love a book that teaches me a bit about history that I had previously known nothing about....that was the case with this book. The descriptions of Hannie's experiences just broke my heart. Wingate has a way with making her characters come alive. I will definitely be reading other books by this author!

I adored Lisa Wingate's latest novel! The Book of Lost Friends is a great escape read taking place in two time periods--the post Civil War south (Louisiana and Texas), as well as 1980s Louisiana. Though both storylines were captivating, I connected more with the modern storyline involving Benny, a young teacher trying to make a difference in an impoverished area. I appreciated her deep desire to influence her students, fight prejudice, and make a difference, but I also thought her own personal pain/history made her a unique character. Reading Hannie's post-Civil War story was harder. It was so sad considering the impact of slavery on "survivors" and their life long quests to reunite (sometimes unsuccessfully) with their families.

Overall, this was a great read. I would highly recommend the book. My only complaint was that it was a little hard to get into at the beginning, but maybe that's me reading during covid-19.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a free advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I’ve been in the mood for historical based fiction lately, and stumbled upon The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate. This tale shares a dual timeline, weaving back and forth between 1875 Louisiana and 1987 Louisiana.

Wingate transported me, and I quickly became caught up in both timelines.

Louisiana 1875– Freed slaves search for families in newspaper ads read from the pulpit of community churches. We follow Hannie, a freed slave who longs for her family as she gets caught up in the troubles of Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now-destitute plantation and Juneau Jane, her illegitimate free-born Creole half-sister. Unthinkable danger awaits as the sisters search for their father. Wingate paints the times, as she shares the truths and harsh realities of this turbulent time.

Louisiana 1987- A depressed town stuck in the past is where Benedetta Silva agrees to teach in order to pay off her student loan debt. She soon finds herself caught up in the students and the towns past. But in Augustine, Louisiana, not everyone wants the past revealed.

This story unfolded slowly as we got to know the characters and their circumstance. The stories surrounding Hannie were more action-packed and often dark, but Wingate quickly had me rooting for Benedetta and her students. I loved how she pulled them in and was aided by townfolk.

The past and present eventually wove together, and I appreciated how the author did this. I found the newspaper ads heartbreaking and a reminder of our dark past.

Lisa Wingate has written another great historical fiction novel. This one, like Before We Were Yours, is told from two different time periods that end up connecting their characters. The Book of Lost Friends is a book that was compiled of slaves and other people who were separated from their families. This was a way for them to start to try to find each other when they were freed and spread throughout the South. This story was complex and had multiple characters and story lines. I enjoyed it and will pick up this author any time she comes out with a new book.

I loved this book from the first page...I'm sure you will, too. Pick it up...start reading...and enjoy it. Five Stars.

The Book Of Lost Friends is my kind of book, I love fact-based historical fiction. I had a bit of a hard time getting into the book at first but I knew if I stayed the course, I would end up delighted that I did. I liked this story very much. I learned some things along the way and am happy to recommend this book.

Read if you: Want a moving post-Civil War story that has reverbations in 1980s Louisiana.

Lisa Wingate has a knack for tying stories set in two totally different time periods together; she does so successfully here, as she did in Before We Were Yours; Like that one, family separation is a major part of this story, as is the importance of recognizing the past, and its effects on the present.

Librarians and booksellers: You're probably ordering this already; Wingate is a very popular author.

Many thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

As with her previous novels, Lisa Wingate highlights an unknown part of history and creates a novel that both entertains and enlightens. The Book of Lost Friends was a way people could inquire about their relative that had been sold in slavery to different owners and wish to be reunited. The stories are heartbreaking and Lisa takes a story from the past and weaves it into the present. The characters were well developed and readers will root for them to be successful. Those readers that enjoyed her last novels will also love this one - great example of historical fiction. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the chance to review and offer an honest opinion.

Winegate returns to form in a new historical fiction novel based after the civil war. Oscillating between 1875 and 1987, The Book of Lost Friends tells the story of the endless toll slavery took on the African American family. In 1875, Hannie is on a quest to find her mom and siblings who she hasn't seen since they were all sold to different plantations in different states. What begins as an unexpected journey with unexpected travel partners, ends as an adventure that changes Hannie's life. Meanwhile, Bennie has just moved to Augustine, Louisiana in 1987 to being teaching. She is new to town and knows nothing about its history. Hoping to help her students love learning, Bennie digs deep into Augustine's history, making new friends and bitter rivals all over town.
Once again, I love the history revealed in Wingate's book. She does a great job of weaving two stories together through shared history. I connected with Bennie more than Hannie's story. I felt like there was something lacking in Hannie's story that didn't have me as riveted as Bennie's.

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate is an excellent read about two different time periods that she ties together beautifully. This novel is set in the time period shortly after the end of slavery and 100 years later. There are many loose threads that end up reveled together into a beautiful braid of a story. Each chapter ends leaving you wanting more. Read and enjoy!