As always, Lisa Wingate writes engaging historical fiction that wraps a fictional story around an obscure fact that deserves more attention.

"Lost Friends" advertisements were published in newspapers after the Civil War. These ads were submitted by former slaves hoping to locate their loved ones who had been sold.

Hannie's story is an odyssey that begins in 1875 Louisiana as she unwittingly joins her former master's daughters on their quest to prove who is the rightful owner to the estate. Benny is a teacher in 1987 Augustine, Louisiana who is searching for a way to survive her first year teaching English to students who provide challenges at every turn. Each story is engrossing and I was reluctant to leave each character to return to the other at the end of each chapter.

The two stories tie together beautifully and the reader is left wanting to know more about the "Lost Friends." Excellent resources for further reading are provided at the end of the book.

Another winner from Lisa Wingate. 5-stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in return for an un-biased review.

I loved Lisa Wingate's Before We Were Yours so I think I was expecting the same thing from her latest novel. I found an engrossing story about a time in our history I did not know very much about.
Hannie is a freed slave searching for her family members who had been sold off to otther slave owners. After the war ends Hannie discovers the Lost Friends ads published in Louisiana written to assist former slaves in finding family members.
Benny is a first year teacher with student loans so she begins teaching in a poor, rural school in Louisiana. Her students are not motivated and disinterested in anything she is trying to teach them. The timelines begin to cross when Benny and her students begin to learn about and research local history, finding links to their own families as well as others in the town.
I know parts of Civil War history, including the selling off of families to separate owners but, I was not aware of The Lost Friends and how hard some people worked to assist these separated families.
This was another eye opening experience into a part of history I knew little about.
Thank you NetGalley, Random House, Ballantine Books and Lisa Wingate for another great read!

While I deeply connected with and loved Lisa Wingate's Before We Were Yours, I ended up DNFing this book at about 45%. Despite the author's statement at the beginning of the book, I felt uncomfortable with her choice to write about this topic in the current climate that is prioritizing own voices stories, and the importance of writers of color having the same access to publishing. While I was willing to still try the story despite these reservations, I found that it was moving very slowly, and at this point decided that it probably wouldn't be for me. I see by other reviews that I'm definitely in the minority here, and will give future books by the author a chance.

Dual timeline, one during the restoration period after the Civil War and the other 1987's in rural Louisiana. After reading, Before We Were Yours, I found this to be disappointing. It was rather slow moving and did not hold my attention. It's a hard subject but is important to call attention to the slaves that lost their family and friends during this sad part of our history.

Lisa Wingate does it again with a spectacular book of historical fiction. Though the story itself is a work or fiction, Lisa found actual “Lost Friends” columns and prints them in the book. I was so touched by this entire story and I can’t wait for everyone else to experience the search, the loss, and the love inside these pages.

This was at times a sad book. For a family to be ripped apart, sold off and not know where they ended up. It was heartbreaking. It did start a bit slow for me with the alternating back and forth. I like how Benny was able to turn her class interest around. I might have enjoyed her story more. Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy

After enjoying some of her previous novels, including Before We Were Yours, Lisa Wingate has quickly become one of my favorite historical fiction authors. So suffice to say, when I was she was publishing a new book in 2020 I was very intrigued!

The Book of Lost Friends takes us on another dual timeline journey, in post-civil war 1875 and 1987. While this is a work of fiction, Wingate includes real excerpts of the Book of Lost Friend which contains ads in which former slaves were seeking to be reunited with lost loved ones they were separated from due to slavery.

To be honest, this one took some time to get into, but I am so glad I stuck with it. Wingate succeeds at writing about troubling parts of our American history in an authentic manner while also tying it into a more contemporary storyline.

While this book focused on a very dark time of history, the beautiful parts of humanity also shined through. Just like with Before We Were Yours, the Book of Lost Friends introduced me to a darker part of history that I had previously not known a lot about and was such a powerful reminder of the power of strength, perseverance, and connection.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for an advanced copy.

20 // I enjoy reading historical fiction, but so much of what I pick up ends up being WWII historical fiction. THE BOOK OF LOST FRIENDS is a story of three women in the post-Civil War South, a time period I’ve not read much about, so I really enjoyed learning a little bit through the stories of the women in the book. if you enjoyed BEFORE WE WERE YOURS I think you’ll like this one, too. 4/5 ⭐️ out April 7.

thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the early copy of this book!

I have read all of the author'ssbooks and find them to be a good escape. This was no exception. A fun diversion for an afternoon read when the rest of the world seems to be coming apart, more every day. The book was some what predictable but always enjoy the writing and the occasional surprise.

I do believe Lisa Wingate has lived multiple lives! How else can someone who is free and prosperous living in this century write with such feeling, love, and sincerity about someone who is enslaved and poor living in the 19th century?
I enjoy books about the rebuilding of our nation after the end of the Civil War, but this one gives such a personal and affecting emotion to the characters. Hannie, a former slave, struggles to protect Lavinia, a pampered white girl who doesn’t accept that she is no longer the owner of Hannie, and Juneau Jane, Lavinia’s Creole half-sister. Terrible things happen, which were rampant and generally acceptable during that sad period of our history, but through it all, Hannie and Juneau Jane collect letters from former slaves they meet who are desperately searching for their lost relatives.
These letters, or “advertisements”, will be posted in a church magazine that is circulated to numerous African-American churches throughout the south. This part of the book is factual, and it’s so good that Lisa shines a light on this little-known fact. “Lost Friends” were advertisements published in the Southwest Christian Advocate. These ads were written by freed slaves, listing what little they knew of their splintered families in hopes that someone would recognize someone and help them reconnect. Lisa has taken these little known gems and created a believable, heartrending, and emotional story of three young lives.
Looking forward to 1987 Louisiana, Lisa has weaved the story of an energetic, compassionate, and determined teacher and her school project that brings both worlds beautifully together.
This is a different thread from Lisa’s last two books, but in no way is it less satisfying and heartwarming. Lisa reminds us that humanity still exists, and there are many beautiful stories and people in the darker days of our history.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Random House-Ballantine and NetGalley for making it available.)

Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy of The Book of Lost Friends. This novel introduced me to a period of history that I wasn’t very familiar with. I’ve read many stories taking place during slavery, but never really anything occurring after the Civil War ended.

This book takes place in a rural Louisiana town, alternating between 1875 and 1987. Hannie is a former slave, working with others as sharecroppers, on the cusp of owning their land after 10 years, when her life is completely disrupted by two young women. Their various adventures lead them to stumbling upon “Lost Friends,” published advertisements from freed slaves looking for loved ones they’d been separated from. They began to gather more stories as they encounter and share the ads, as Hannie searches for her family as well. In 1987, we meet Benny, a first year teacher new to the area, struggling to engage and challenge her students to learn about their town and their families’ past.

I struggled to get into this book, I’ll be honest. Luckily, about a third of the way through, the action picks up, and Hannie really comes alive as a character. While I enjoyed reading Benny’s perspective and loved what she did with her students, I liked the flashbacks of the past more, especially once I got over the awkward speech of two of the main characters. Lisa includes real life Lost Friend advertisements that inspired her writings, and they are heartbreaking.

Lisa Wingate does it again! She is a phenomenal writer of historical fiction. I thought this book was beautifully written and allowed you to truly love the characters involved.

Will I ever have the courage to face my unknown, to take the risk?

1875 - A plantation heir, her illegitimate half-sister and a former slave embark on an unexpected journey that takes them from Louisiana to Texas. Along the way, they discover a newspaper column - Lost Friends - with ads placed by freed slaves who are searching for their families.

1987 - A first year English teacher struggles to keep her poor, rural students engaged in class until she devises a class project that sets the whole town on edge.

A little slow at the start but what a story! Lisa Wingate once again creates beautifully rich characters that she thoughtfully weaves into the fabric of little known American history. Told over dual timelines, this book will take you on two journeys that intersect so perfectly by the end. Such a wonderful read!

The Book of Lost Friends is Lisa Wingate’s slow-burn and heart-wrenching dual storyline follow up to Before We Were Yours. I was a huge fan of Before We Were Yours and could not wait to read Wingate’s latest.

I had a difficult time getting into this book. Usually, with dual-storyline books, the story of the past is the one that draws me in quickest. In this case, however, I slogged through Hannie’s story eager to get to find out Bennie’s dilemmas. I was also drawn in by the inclusion of the real-life Lost Friends ads that served as chapter marks. As Wingate shared in her notes “They are stories of actual people who lived, and struggled, and who almost inadvertently left these small pieces of themselves for posterity,” Absent my favorable impressions of the author, other readers’ positive reviews, and a fascination for the Lost Friends ads, I may have abandoned it.

I’m glad I didn’t. The intersection of their stories in the final chapters was well worth it. Hannie was a former slave from Louisiana in 1875 who sets out on a journey to help the daughter of the daughter of her former master, and his illegitimate, free-born Creole daughter, legally establish their inheritance. Hannie’s adventures are harrowing, as she’s repeatedly called upon to use the survival skills she developed throughout her life in slavery. When learning of the Lost Friends ads, the group decides to travel to Texas in hopes of finding Hannie’s long lost family members. The present-day (1987) story is about a young Bennie, a strong woman who takes a job teaching English in poverty-stricken rural Louisiana. I cheered Bennie’s continual quest to connect with students, I adored her love for literature and was fascinated by her discoveries.

I would recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction who are interested in learning more about the post-Civil War era and the bone-deep scars on the people who lived through the era of slavery.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Historical fiction is a new found love for me, and this book is exactly the reason why. The author wrote this book with a dual storyline, one set in Louisiana and the other set in post-Civil War Texas. The storyline from the past delves into the problems this country was still facing at that time when it came to people of color. Three women, Lavinia, Hannie and Juneau Jane set out to find out what happened to Mr. Gossett. Their story is riddled with all sorts of drama and was wonderful to read.

The modern story features Benny, a teacher who is trying to connect not only with her students but with the town in general. She finds a way to get them interested in their family history and this is when the writing really excels.

I would highly recommend this book.

Lisa Wingate has a gift in writing historical fiction based on true events. This particular novel switches between two timelines, but it flows nicely and you will fall in love with the characters. I still prefer "Before We Were Yours" (a previous work of hers), but this still provides the heartwarming, tear jerking moments that Lisa Wingate is known and loved for :)

I am leery of books about the post Civil War south as being exploitive in some way, but this story involved the Lost Friends letters (Old New Orleans Collection) of which am a little aware and so gave it a try. It is seemingly well researched and spins a narrative that spans 100 years from just 10 years after the war to the novel’s present day. The story of Hannie, a freed slave searching for her family, and Bennie, a school teacher involved in the lives of her students whom are descendants of the plantation. I wanted a little more of the narrative to bridge the two storylines after Texas, the finish was a bit condensed and not satisfying to me as it could have been.

After the Civil War, freed slaves posted "Lost Friends" advertisements, seeking loved ones who had been sold off. In 1875, freed slave Hannie goes on an adventure with two step-sisters, daughter's of Hannie's former master. While Lavinia and Juneau Jane are looking for their father's will, Hannie is hoping to find her long-lost family. In 1987, searching for a way to connect to her students, teacher Benny Silva hopes that diving into the town's history will spark some interest. The novel starts slow, but eventually picks up and turns into an endearing tale of the importance of family history. Hannie's story is the more interesting of the two, revealing fascinating historical details of post-Civil War life. Wingate's smartest move was to include actual Lost Friends advertisements between chapters. In all, it might not be at the top of my list of the best April 2020 book releases but it holds it's own as a light historical fiction read.

Thank you @netgalley, #ballantinebooks and @randomhouse for this advance reader’s copy.
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I was so excited to get this advance copy of Lisa Wingate’s new book because I really enjoyed her 2017 novel, Before We Were Yours. The Book of Lost Friends is a unique and powerful story told in dual timelines. I was fascinated by the articles interspersed between chapters from the actual Lost Friends column written by emancipated slaves in hopes of reconnecting with loved ones they were separated from during slavery. Wingate brings these heartbreaking stories to life by shining a spotlight on the lives of former slaves in the post civil war era and how the atrocities of slavery are still impacting communities and families today.
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If I were going to give a criticism, it would be that there was almost too much going on in each timeline. Especially at the beginning I found myself getting confused and needing to reorient each time I picked up the book. I struggled to see how the two timelines and the Lost Friends articles were all going to come together, but the ending was wonderful. Overall, I think this book brings attention to important American history in a new and fresh way. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Hits shelves April 7!

This was a little hard for me to get into. It started slow but picked up in the middle. A good change to my usual pick of themes.