I enjoyed this book however it was slow start. After about 30% of the book, I was hooked! I loved the characters and how the two different time periods was used to build the story.
The story alternates between 1875 with Hannie Gossett, a former slave and 1987 with Benny Silva a new teacher in a small southern town.
I enjoyed the sections of the book more that were set in 1875. The day to day description of this time period and how people were treated helped me connect with the story. The sections set in 1987 were well written, I just kept waiting for the connection to the other storyline. I loved how the two stories connected at the end. I would have loved to have a section at the end that described exactly what happened with each of the main characters from the 1875 storyline. Possible Spoiler- The final chapters does share some of the details of Hannie life letting the reader know she was married and had several children, and shares somethings about the other characters from 1875. I just wanted to know more. #TheBookofLostFriends #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For most of this book I was in the three start boat, but it kept me interested and I wanted to know what happened. The way this book tires together in the end is beautiful. The way the dual timeline is given is unique and intriguing.

1875: Hannie, a former slave, and her master's two daughters travel from Louisiana through Texas disguised as boys in search of him when he never returns home. Along the way, they are asked for help in searching for the loved ones of former slaves separated and sold to other owners. The ads will eventually be placed in the Southwestern. They start the Book of Lost Friends to more easily keep track of the information to pass along.
1987: Benedetta, or Benny, starts teaching in a rural Louisiana school to help pay her student loans. Her students are poverty-stricken with little hope of a future. Her efforts to engage them in anything are met with resistance and scorn. But when she starts a project researching the history of her students' families, she finally gets their interest.
I love that this story is based on real history. Hannie, who in the beginning was seperated from her entire family, spends the whole time in their travels desperately searching for any of them. It's her search for her loved ones that inspired others to ask after their own families. Hannie's loyalty to her traveling companions is inspiring. She would have had an easier time separating from them, especially after Lavinia suffers brain damage and becomes even more of a burden. I loved Bennie with her eternally optimistic attitude and her concern for the lives of her students. She reminds me of a teacher I had growing up. This book will be at the top of the historical fiction lists for sure.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This book alternates between two stories. Immediately following the civil war,
Hannie, a freed black, follows Lavinia, the daughter of her former master, and Juneau Jane, her former master's illegitimate daughter. When the two girls are kidnapped, Hannie does everything she can to free them. In the late 1980's, first year teacher Benedetta takes a job in rural Louisiana. She is distrusted by many of the residents and has a hard time making connections with her students.

The two points of view felt like two very different stories. Although they came together in the end, they did not fit together well. The author tried to leave each chapter with a cliff hanger before switching points of view. Then, when she returned to that point of view, she jumped ahead and then told what happened. It felt like this was used over and over. Despite these criticisms, I did enjoy the stories. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

A thought-provoking and emotionally powerful story set in two time periods - the Post-civil war South and Louisiana in 1987. Hannie Gossett, a slave, tells the story of her family being sold in pieces, and her quest to be reunited with the family lost to her during their time as slaves. Bennie is a first year teacher trying to reach her students through a family history project. This is a well-paced, beautifully written novel which explores a dark and shameful part of American history. Alternating chapters bring the storylines together, illuminating the importance of telling our stories in order to connect to our past and understand how we came to be who we are in the present. Despite the difficult themes, the characters in both time periods embody fierce determination as they fight their way through ignorance, racism, and elitism, with a powerful spirit of hope.

As always Lisa Wingate delivers an original and thoughtful book. In 1987 Benny Silva takes a teaching job in Augustine, Louisiana as a way to start over after her break up with her fiancee. Although she knew it would be tough, she never expected the academic disinterest and acceptance of poverty that she finds. When she enlists her landlord Nathan's help in getting his grandfather's personal library into the hands of the students, she stumbles on a project that will spark interest in Augustine's past. Alternating chapters tell the story of Hannie Gossett, a freed slave whose unexpected journey to Texas in 1875 shed more light on Augustine's storied past. Page breaks between the two time periods relay real messages taken from a newspaper that circulated among black churches in the late 19th century; each message tells of someone searching for family members "lost" to each other through slavery and reconstruction. Those messages give the book its title THE BOOK OF LOST FRIENDS, as Hannie becomes obsessed with searching for her own family and with helping others write their own "want ads." I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley and recommend it to readers who like quality Christian fiction.

This book got off to a slow start for me, but once i got about 25% of the way in, the storyline was moving more quickly for me. The book alternates between two time periods - post-Civil war time with Hannie, and 1987 time with school teacher Benny. The two story lines meld together really well and it's an interesting bit of history to learn more about.

An interesting story of 2 generations associated with a Louisiana plantation. In 1875, Hannie is a slave who dresses as a boy and takes the owner's daughters out on an errand, only to find herself on a longer journey to find their father. In 1987, Benny is a teacher who rents an outbuilding on the plantation and must find out how to inspire students who are so stuck in poverty. Mix in a scattering of letters from others looking for relatives, and you have a real story...

The Book of Lost Friends is a book every high school teacher should read. It is so inspiring to see how students can be excited and involved in school projects when you interest them in activities that are meaningful in their lives. Comparing the history of our ancestors to our present day lives is awesome. It was a book I could not put down until the past was connected to the present.

Wingate (Before We Were Yours) navigates seamlessly between 1875 and 1987, Louisiana, and explores the commonality of two very different women separated by over 100 years. Eighteen-year-old Hannie Gossett is living in post-Civil War Louisiana as a freed slave, eagerly awaiting the day when her mother, who was sold to another slave owner, will return for her. When Hannie hears that the daughter of her former owner, Lavinia Gossett, is going to travel with her half-sister, Juneau Jane, to meet with someone to verify Juneau Jane’s claims to her inheritance, Hannie impersonates a boy and goes along on the journey.

When both women are beaten and attacked at their meeting, Hannie finds them, and takes them to the safety of a nearby vacant church, were Juneau Jane begins to heal. Though Lavinia’s body heals, she remains mute. The church is papered with newspaper notices from the Southwestern Christian Advocate, detailing people seeking their lost loved ones. Together, the women journey to Texas in search of Mr. Gossett, taking the notices with them and sharing them with others along their journey.

The parallel plotline in 1987 Augustine, Louisiana, focuses on young teacher Benny Silva who has taken a position in an underprivileged school district to gain student loan forgiveness. As she seeks to find a way to connect to her students, she delves into the history of the Goswood Grove House and how it relates to her students. As the students become engaged, embarking on a project to connect the past to the present, Benny meets Nathan Gossett, a family descendant who has distanced himself from his entitled relatives. Benny enlists Nathan’s help in uncovering family secrets and continuing the research left behind after his sister Robin’s untimely death.

Based upon actual ads placed in the Southwestern Christian Advocate, a newspaper where pastors read the notices to their congregation, Wingate has breathed life into the quest of these people and interspersed the novel with details of real advertisements. The heartbreak of families separated by war and slavery is palpable, and highlighting the discovery of the ads enhances their impact on Hannie in her quest to find her mother and on Benny and her project to connect with students. Wingate’s novel is both moving and incredibly relevant and will immerse readers from the very first page.

Unique historical fiction telling a story about a not well known aspect of when slaves were freed. What a wonderful cast of characters; no matter which character was front and center I was happy to have them back; especially Granny T and Uncle Sarge. It is very unusual that I enjoyed the current story as much, perhaps at times more, than the historical one as the one set in the 1880s stretched my imagination a bit too far. The main character loves books and the 1970s TV series One Day at a Time; need I say more - how could I not relate to her. The writing was beautiful and it was easy to get lost in both stories even in these harrowing times. Just what I needed to escape the real world for a few hours.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Very emotionally exhausting book but a wonderful story. It took me a while to get through The Book of Lost Friends, it is a tough time to read such a heavy book right now. I think I would have enjoyed it more at a different time, but it is a well written, good book.

Lost Friends were real ads people placed by former slaves to find their family after the Civil War. Pastors read the letters in church. In alternating chapters, Hannie in 1875 searches for her family during Reconstruction in Louisiana. In 1987, Benny a teacher in a poor school has trouble reaching her students until she has a project where they research their family histories. Documents Benny finds in an old home connect the the past to the present. I liked the chapters from Benny's perspective the best since I'm an educator. Real Lost Friends ads are included throughout the story.

Exceptional!

In the Civil-War there was mass destruction and families were torn apart. This story tells the fascinating way that families reconnected and looked for one another amidst all the trauma (it definitely wasn't by way of internet!). After all, lightness can emerge after much darkness when given the opportunity.

There was so much ground covered in this novel. I was impressed! From the searching of loved ones to discussion of slavery, I was completely absorbed. I appreciated this book for so many reasons. Firstly, I loved learning about this time in history. I never knew how families searched for one another during the Civil War. Second - I thought it was interesting how Wingate successfully integrated the two shifting timelines. Many authors are using this technique and sometimes I like it, while other times not so much. In this novel, I really did like both timelines.

This was an excellent book that told about a not so well known time in history. Great read for historical fiction buffs!

This was a very emotional book written in alternating time periods. In 1875, Hannie Gosset is a former slave trying to find family members who were sold to different owners. She takes a long journey covering Louisiana and Texas with two other women who are half sisters of her former owner. They experience many hardships and danger in their travels.
In 1987 Benny, a school teacher, is trying to start a new chapter in her life teaching students in rural Louisiana. In trying to engage her students, they begin a history project where they discover the history of their own families.
An interesting piece if history is a newspaper that printed ads to help former slaves connect with their family. This paper crosses both time periods. This was a very inspiring story about some very strong remarkable women who took risks to find and protect relatives.
Lisa Wingate did not disappoint with this new book.

This was a very good story. Once again the author brings us a story about a true event that happened in history, which for me was a new story that I had not heard about.
A woman who had read the authors previous book, told her about a piece of history she was working on, one to preserve (the history of Lost friends column), which were composed of letters written to the Southwestern Christian Advocate, a Methodist paper, and other Southern papers by mainly freed slaves after the end of the civil war. People who were lost to each other due to being separated and sold in slavery, married off to someone or just not knowing what happened to their relative. These letters were sent to churches where they were read by the pastor in hopes that someone would know someone listed.
The story takes place between two time periods:
Louisiana 1875 where we follow three young women, Lavinia, heir to a now destitute Plantation, Juneau Jane her illegitimate free-born Creole half-sister, and Hannie, Lavinia's former slave.
They set off to find Lavina and Juneau Jane's father about their inheritance and Hannie to try and find out about her family.
Louisiana 1987, where first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, (Benny for short), struggles with teaching her students at a poor rural school in Augustine Louisiana.
These two stories come together as we merge the two time periods and the history of this town.
I don't want to spell out the story, but there is so much that goes on in this wonderfully written historical novel.
I cannot wait for another book by this author.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for a copy of this book.

Just as I appreciate a place rich in history and the efforts made to preserve it, I appreciate a novel that is the result of extensive historical research and careful writing so as to stay true to the original story. This novel is a beautiful journey of genealogy and the importance of knowing one’s roots and staying close to those you share them with. The Book of Lost Friends is the heartbreaking reality behind the families of the enslaved and what they experienced as they were ripped apart by slave trade and the years of searching that followed the emancipation. There were moments I stared at these pages disbelief that it was ever acceptable to treat humans this way. Though heart wrenching, this is a story that deserves to be told and not forgotten. I really enjoyed Lisa Wingate’s novel Before We Were Yours and this is another book well done.

4/5 ⭐️

The premise and inclusion of "lost friends" advertisements were a powerful choice by Wingate to tell a story of the South after slavery in a way many have not heard before. She is clearly a talented writer and I always appreciate a thoughtful historical fiction novel. Benny's modern story felt a little too "Freedom Writers" for me(did we really need a heartfelt but clueless white teacher to save the day and teach the youth of color that they have merit and worth? Can people of color not find value in their own stories without a white person paving the way?) Even so, the book was clearly well researched and written and certainly worth a read if historical fiction is your thing.

I have to put this down.
It's a good story. I love Lisa Wingate. This book is one of my most anticipated of the year. It's just not bringing me joy at the moment. I am very stressed and I feel like this book requires me to be more focused than I can be. I need something lighter.

What I can tell you - I've read a good portion. There are two timelines. I prefer one timeline over the other. One is easier to read for me personally, When we jump into the second timeline I find myself slightly confused. Did I miss something or is it a situation where everything will come together in the end and make more sense.

I will not be rating this right now. I will be purchasing this book when it releases. I'll give it another go when I'm in a better headspace.

It is unimaginable that a mother would have to endure the heartache of having her children and husband taken away from her while she witnessed them being “sold” to to another plantation owner. Unfortunately this happened all the time before the slaves were freed from their owners.
The Book Of Lost Friends is focused on this historical event. The Lost friends are the families that were torn apart and separated, sometimes for decades, but most often for forever.
There are two main characters in Th Book Of Lost Friends. One is Hannie Gossett, a former slave who was owned by the owner of the Gossett family plantation. She was separated from her mother and siblings when she was a young child. The other character is Benny Silva. Benny is a young and inexperienced teacher in modern times. She finds a teaching job far away from her home that brings her to the south where slaves were once sold generations before her time. She is now teaching in the town where the Gossett plantation is located. There are still Gossett family members in the area as well as ancestors of the slaves they once owned.
These two characters alternate their chapters and the novel explores the journey to reunite lost friends and families in the post civil war years. The story is heartbreaking and raw but definitely an interesting read. I especially liked Hannie and I admire her strength and goodness. There is a good deal of adventure and suspense too. This was not my first Lisa Wingate novel and I look forward to reading more of her books to come.