I had a hard time liking this book, which surprised me as I had liked Before We Were Yours so well.
I do like dual time lines in stories, and that was one thing that kept me reading until the end. I enjoyed the 1987 story more than the 1875 one, which at times was boring to me
I thought the ending seemed rushed, and after reading the whole book, would’ve liked a bit more detail in the resolution.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it! The Book of Lost Friends is another stunner from Lisa Wingate. While the events of this book are not based on one particular person, they are very indicative of the times, and provide a very compelling story. And I knew nothing about the ads for missing friends and family that were published after the Civil War, so that part was fascinating, if saddening. This is a dual timeline novel, alternating between 1875 and 1987 rural Louisiana. In 1875, Hannie, a former slave, and two of her former master's daughters wind up on a grueling and dangerous trek through Louisiana and Texas, all of them searching for family. Opening each chapter are actual ads of people searching for their missing family members with details of when and where they were sold, and who they belonged to. In 1987, Benny is a young teacher who moves to that same area of Louisiana to teach in an impoverished school for a program that will pay off her student loan debt. She soon sees that she needs to do something special to inspire her students to want to learn, not only general school subjects but to know their own history. The connection between the residents of 1875 and 1987 is very deftly written, and again, just a compelling story - and a reminder for us all of the power of family and family history. Many thanks to Random House/Ballantine Books for the e-arc. 4.5 stars!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review, and I can easily give one as I loved the book!.

In her distinctive voice, Lisa Wingate brings to life startling stories from actual "Lost Friends" advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold off.

Louisiana, 1875 In the tumultuous aftermath of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now-destitute plantation; Juneau Jane, her illegitimate free-born Creole half-sister; and Hannie, Lavinia's former slave. Each carries secrets as they head for Texas, following dangerous roads. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and eight siblings before slavery's end, the pilgrimage westward reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the seemingly limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope.

Louisiana, 1987: For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt--until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, seems suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled live oaks and run-down plantation homes lies the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.

Lisa Wingate is a master at tying two histories into one as they merge at the end of the story.

This is my first Arc from NetGalley. I tried really hard to like The Book of Lost Friends but I just couldn't get into it. I found I was dreading that wording and finding the long descriptions of everything so hard to follow. I was about 40 percent in and just couldn't bring myself to finish it.

Another fascinating aspect of American history that was completely unknown (untaught?) to me. Dual timelines are used to contrast a current-era English teacher trying to reach students in a “throw-away” school, with three women from the past, connected to the plantation that anchors the area, and their post-Civil War ordeal.

Wingate does a marvelous job, once again, of creating characters to care for, in believable settings that are not overwrought with extraneous detail.

Well researched.

Lisa Wingate has delivered another great book. Well written plot with dual time lines that are woven together perfectly. You will love this book. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

Lisa Wingate has done it again, another wonderful book. This one is a tale to read slowly, schedule several hours with no interruptions, bring in a comfy chair, a nice comforter and just savor this little gem. I have read several of Ms. Wingate’s books and have loved all of them.
In this one, we’ve got a dual timeline story, switching between the 1880’s and 1987. I don’t really know how she does it, but she intertwines the past, the present, a little bit of tasty romance, a developing storyline in both timeframes with developed characters and just the best bit of humor that makes you just outright laugh. What a ride!!!
I can’t decide whom I enjoyed the most, Nathan, Hannie, Juneau Jane, Granny T, Bennie or Sarge. They all have a great story to tell. My only small con on this book was towards the ending, there was a whole lot of information that I had to re-read to try and make sure I understood who was who. But that was such a small inconvenience of an otherwise great memorable story.
The research on this one was done so well and it really brings to light the history of slavery. I highly recommend for all historical fiction readers.
I was so glad I was allowed an ARC from Random House Publishing Group from NetGalley for my honest unbiased review. Thank you!! This one gets high 5 stars!! Great gook.

I was really looking forward to this book as I loved Before We Were Yours. Unfortunately, this book just did not hold my interest. The first 60-70% dragged for me. The last part of the story just went to quick. It was hurried and just didn’t flow for me. I did keep with it hoping it would engage me, but it just didn’t. I can only give this 2.5 stars which I will round up to 3.
#TheBookofLostFriends #NetGalley

I am a huge fan of this author and this book did not disappoint. While it started slowly , I was glad I stood with it. I like books that navigate between time periods.
I recommend this book

Filled with rich historical plots, this story is slow to build while you invest in all of the characters. Told in alternating time lines the story picks up quickly. Fans of Lisa Wingate will enjoy this story. It’s heartbreaking and hopeful. You can’t help but cheer for the teacher and students working on this project of lost friends and family.

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate is a story told from alternating timelines between the 1870s and 1987. The story is slow to start and thus did not grab me initially, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Once the stories started weaving together and I could see how they link is when I kept reading and couldn't put the book down. I would rate this 3.5 out of 5 stars so rounded up to 4 stars.

Amazing story! I couldn’t put the book down. The author brought a little piece of history to life for me that I was not aware of.

I wanted to like this book. I was really interested to read and learn more by reading this book. But I started reading and I just couldn't make my way through the style of writing. I'm so sorry!

Wonderful book about learning from the past. A historical fiction that deals with slavery, a teacher trying to motivate students who seem to have lost interest, and the connection between the two. LIsa Wingate knows how to weave a beautiful tale, and she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

The year is 1875. Hannie knows her people are free, but are so close to owning the land they worked as slaves. However, their master is sick and Hannie knows that his wife will burn the papers were he to pass. She must find them, and ends up on a journey with his daughter, and his illegitimate daughter to find the truth. In 1987, Benny is teaching at a poor rural school, and trying to get the kids excited about English. When she learns a bit about the local plantation and towns past, she has an idea that could really get the students invested.

So I have to start by saying this book completely drew me in from the get go, but around 60% it dragged a bit for me. Once I hit 75% though I was right back in the thick of it! Im not sure if I was just more invested in the other book I was reading at the time, but I think that might have been it. So if you get to that point and feel the same, keep going! This story was told in dual timelines, and I definitely found myself preferring the current day timeline, but the past was still fascinating. The synopsis for this one was so hard to write because there is so much happening in the story. I love the entire idea behind the book of lost friends, and that Wingate included some of the ones she found within the book. It was a horrible part of our history, but it was fascinating to learn more about it. As always, Wingate took a piece of history that many don’t know much about and shone a light on it, in a truly beautiful novel.

The story starts out in Louisiana in 1875 in the era of Reconstruction. Laconia the pampered heir to a destitute plantation, Hannie a freed slave, and Juneau Jane Lavinia's Creole half sister set out to find Levine's dad. The journey they go on is filled with danger but you will love the girls. Janine is looking for her list family and they start a book of list slaves hoping they can help others who have lost family. Moving from past to 1987 Benedetta is a teacher in a poor rural area where she and her students in Louisiana find out that without finding out your past how can you move on to the future. This is a very heart warming story that will stay with you along time.

I received this book "The Book of Lost Friends" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. I liked this book and of course the historical aspect of it. But it could have been better and there were parts I found boring. The story itself was actually a very interesting. I feel that the book started off very slow for me and if it were a different author I might have put it down. There was so much of the story in the beginning of the book. Also the descriptions of things that I felt a bit bored by it. The story did pick up and kept my interest until the end. But the end seemed rushed. I would have liked less of the story that was told in the beginning and more of the end story. More of Hannie when she left Texas, more of Benny and Nathan, more of Nathan's family that didn't approve of anyone getting into the family's business, those pieces of the story that just fell off.

I would like to thank #Netgalley and #Balantine Books for giving me an ARC for my honest review .

This is a tale of heartbreak and joy, taking place in the last 1800 with Hannie, a slave child and in the late 1900’s with Benny, a young first year teacher at an underprivileged school in Louisiana.

Hannie's story begins with her being separated from her family as each member is sold and she ends up at a plantation in Louisiana. Her mother has given her and each of her siblings 3 stones that their grandmother collected in hopes that they would meet again in the future and could identify each other with them. Hannie spends most of her young life in this quest and her travels comes across a church that's inner walls are covered with newspaper ADS asking about lost relatives and where these people could be found. One of her missions is to collect more information along her journey to help other people find their family.

Benny is a struggling first year teacher that gets her students interested in finding their roots and she and her class begin their assignment by finding out about their ancestors by reading articles but most importantly asking the older generations about their past. Benny wants them to know they are important and worthy.

Both women are finding who they are and working towards what’s important to them. I was sorry to see the stories end but both stories meshed beautifully.

I am looking forward to reading future books from Lisa Wingate. Her books are well written and thought provoking.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I'm pretty sure this will be one of the books to read on 20202.

The story is told from two different times and view points. Hannie, a former slave in 1875 and Benny, a teacher in 1987. The story is based on facts where ads were placed in a southern newspaper by former slaves who were looking for their families. Reading these ads was heartbreaking at times as they were actual ads. This was an ugly time in American history.

The book starts off a bit slow and trying to keep the people straight was a difficult at times but I was soon engrossed in the book. I love how Benny kept trying to get her students engaged and interested in their past.

There was a quote in the book that really stuck with me. "We die once when the last breath leaves our bodies. We die a second time when the last person speaks our name." It made me think of my relatives who have passed and does anyone remember them? Will someone remember me?

History is in the voice d the teller and the perception of the listener. “The Book of Lost Friends” brings post Civil War history to life through the lives of three drastically different young women who share both histories and their personal fears and secrets
. Wingate adds another level of personal involvement by weaving the present day lives of school aged children in the late 1980’s who are searching for inspiration for their futures by seeking answers about their histories in the past. “The Book of Lost Friends” is an intriguing look at how the past colors our future and gives us a foundation to move forward into the unknown.