Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for an advance copy of this book an exchange for an honest review.

“We die once when the last breath leaves our bodies. We die a second time when the last person speaks our name. The first death is beyond our control, but the second one we strive to prevent”

What is this book about?
Post Civil war in Louisiana 1875… Three woman head to Texas for different reasons. Lavinina, a former slave owner, Juneau June, her free-born half sister and Hannie, Lavinina’s former slave. For the sisters, they are trying to find their father to see what his final wishes are regarding his land and who is suppose to inherit it. For Hannie, she is desperate to find her 8 siblings and mother who she was separated from before the war ended. Is her family alive and will she find them? Post civil war is dangerous in the south. Will these women find their way safely?

Louisiana 1987… Benny Silva is a first year teacher taking a job in a rural town in Louisiana. As she finishes her first few weeks she’s not sure she’s cut out for what the job entails. The students don’t trust her, they aren’t respectful, they don’t care about learning and many live in poverty. Benny is determined though and the students begin to learn about the towns rich history and the students become engaged and they become excited to go to her class.

What did I think?
Wow! Wow! Wow! It’s hard for me to articulate how much I loved this book and how much it made me think. The story goes between two different time lines. One is post civil war and the other is late 1980’s. Being born in the mid 1980’s it really put into perspective how slavery really wasn’t that long ago. It seem like we are so far removed from it but in reality its only been about 150 years. The story articulates well what the time period was like in the south post civil war and how dangerous it was for freed slaves. I also had no idea that many freed slaves wrote letters to a newspaper looking for their loved ones. It pulled at my heart strings. I can not image my boys being ripped out of my arms and sold. Wingate included these letters within her book and it was both beautiful and heartbreaking. Lastly, Benny’s storyline, a teacher in the 1980’s and how she ends up connecting her students to the towns history is just amazing. I felt so connected to these characters that I cried several times. Great read!!

http://ramblinhamlin.com/the-book-of-lost-friends/

I fell in love with Lisa Wingate after reading Tending Roses and Before We Were Yours. When I had the chance to read a preview copy of this book, I couldn't wait. I was not disappointed and will read it again after publication.

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate was inspired by post civil war column “Lost Friends” published in Southwestern Christine Advocate. Former slaves could place ads inquiring about loved ones they had been separated from due to slavery. Wingate develops an interesting and moving story bringing life to this little known piece of history.
The novel is told in two different time periods a century apart. The chapters alternate between 1875 and 1987. The 1875 story is told through Hannie, a former slave, who is traveling with the daughter of her former master and his illegitimate free-born Creole daughter. Hannie is the strong one of the group who is trying to help the two sisters find their father and gain their inheritance. Along the way they discover the “Lost Friends” ads in a church where they have taken shelter. Hannie decides to travel on with the girls to Texas in hopes of locating the family she was separated from several years before.
The 1987 story line is told through Bennie, a first year teacher in poverty stricken area in Louisiana. In an attempt to inspire her students, she encourages them to write a story of a historical person of interest from their family or town.
I loved how the two centuries merge and intersect. I enjoyed both story lines and kept reading, anxious to discover what would happen next to Hannie and Bennie.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Lisa Wingate is a master of historically based fictional tales. I enjoyed The Book of Lost Friends, dare I say, even more than Before We Were Yours!

The novel is told through varying perspective chapters, from either Benny Silva, a teacher in the early 1980s, or Hannie Gossett, a slave and sharecropper from the 1870s.

Wingate so deftly pulls you into each character’s storyline, first as Benny takes a job in a small town, trying to connect with her students and teach them the importance of reading and knowing their history. Meanwhile, Hannie is in the midst of trying to protect and save Juneau Jane and Missy Lavinia, as they search for their father William Gossett, so that Juneau Jane will have her rightful inheritance.

As the story progresses and unfolds, Benny’s classroom research project “Underground” brings her students to life as they research a historical person of interest from their town/history. As the novel progresses both time periods reach closer and closer to connecting the dots for you as a reader, while I found myself racing to the next chapter so I could get equally back to each character to find out what happens next.

While searching for William Gossett, Juneau and Hannie begin the novel’s namesake, the Book of Lost Friends, and what a beautiful story it weaves- their desire to help so many people tirelessly reconnecting lost friends and families, in the midst of Hannie’s own search in Texas for her lost family.

As characters, both past and present in the novel, hide, seek and learn information they may or may not be proud of, the grow the characters show is indisputable. I really liked this novel! All the stars! If you are a historical fiction fan, and you enjoyed Before We Were Yours, grab this one and read it!

"Sad thing when stories die for the lack of listenin' ears."

I've always been a reader if the slave period. I find it very interesting and sad.
Lisa Wingate did a wonderful job of her research for the fantastic novel.
Two timelines: Louisiana and Texas, 1875 show Hannie Gossett traveling with her master's daughters and uncovering a newspaper, "Lost Friends" of former slaves trying to find family members.
Louisiana, 1987 shows Bennie, new teacher trying to keep her students interested by having them write about an ancestor. Thus The Underground Research Project is born. The children learn about themselves, each other and their families.
This was a wonderful book. I read all the way to end with some tears and happiness for the characters!

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for the eARC

The latest book from a favorite author that has lots of ingredients in a novel that I like – two timelines, characters who loves books, a Carnegie Library, strong female characters, based in real history (both the big picture post Civil War South and also the specific and something I hadn’t heard about, the lost friends ads read from the pulpits), and very hard situations but also hope. I had read many of Lisa Wingate’s earlier books then read Before We Were Yours in 2017 when it was one of my five star reads so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Book of Lost Friends. Given the opportunity to read an advance copy I adjusted my planned reading and my evenings for the last couple of days and wasn’t disappointed. Great story, entertaining and makes you think. Only things that I would say to make this review a little more balanced is that there a few things that seemed a little bit far fetched and the modern storyline started out feeling a tiny bit cliché (first year teacher new in a small town, meets and joins forces with the handsome but kind of closed off bachelor).

This was a powerful, well researched piece of historical fiction. The author did an amazing job tying the two stories (Hannie's and Benny's) together. Author note and consulted works list are also strong. My only issue was that the telling of the story of Hannie. I felt uncomfortable and found the important question surrounding stories popping up in my head: "who is telling this story?" and "whose story is this to tell?"

Lisa Wingate's The Book of Lost Friends is an engrossing read. Told in two separate frames: 1875 and 1987 the author deftly weaves the story fabric. The more recent part details a young teacher struggling to connect with her students in Louisiana and who finds herself in the midst of a family history that involves most of the town. The older angle reveals the family history and all the pain, sorrow, and joy it entailed. I loved the story, the characters, and the research the author did. It's another compelling read.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this story about slavery in the South and the consequences of human beings being treated as objects . The chapters alternate between the slave , Hannie in 1875 and a teacher , Benny Silva who is researching slavery in 1987. The story centers around the Underground Research Project (a living history project) that Benny was working on and the book of Lost Friends that Hannie was working on. . The story covered 9 generations of black and white families that were related and referenced as “left hand families” . I learned a lot about how slaves were sold and traded and forced to become concubines for their masters. This is another outstanding Lisa Wingate novel that educates and enlightens the reader

This book is historical fiction taking place in Louisiana during 1988 and in Louisiana and Texas in 1985. It is the story of the freed slaves trying to find those family members who were sold during slavery. The 1988 story takes in place in Louisiana where a new teacher tries to show her students that their stories are based on their history. This book was so compelling with the two stories intersecting.

This book is a beautifully written novel set in 1875 after slaves were freed, and in 1987. Each chapter alternates between narration by Hannie, as she travels to Texas with her master’s daughters. They hear about a newspaper that publishes notices from former slaves trying to find family members lost through the buying and selling of slaves. The 1987 narration is by Benny, a new teacher in rural Louisiana. She has trouble interesting her students in learning until she assigns them to research and write about an ancestor. The characters are superbly portrayed, and the book is so well written you feel like you are there and personally know the characters. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are the own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Wingate is one of my favorite historical fiction writers. I loved how she manages to incorporates real historical events into her stories. Since this hasn't been released yet, I don't want to give too much away. Its told in two different time lines and of course there is a connection there. This is a raw and emotional book!

I fell in love with Lisa Wingate's writing after reading Before we were Yours. That was such a powerful book. I absolutely couldn't wait to read The Book of Lost Friends. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. This book did not disappoint. I truly believe this will be one of the best books of 2020.

Another fantastic book by Lisa Wingate. I found myself having a hard time putting it down! It moves back and forth through time: from the post Civil War era where Freed slaves are searching for lost family to the modern day South where a struggling new teacher is trying to engage her students. I loved the ending where the characters in the two time periods come together. A must read I highly recommend!

I recieved an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and will recommend it often!

Lisa Wingate has woven a magnificent historical tale of heartache, separation, and redemption set in the pre civil war slavery days of a small Louisiana town. She alternates each chapter using the same town and a young first year teachers experiences with it’s descendants. The research Ms. Wingate engages in is first rate, as usual. She sheds light on a subject little spoken about. The main character shows the strength and determination of a David fighting Goliath. The characters come alive and you find yourself not only rooting for them, but on the edge of your seat throughout much of the narrative.
I give this book 5 stars and recommend it highly.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.. I love that historical fiction educates me but wrapped in the beauty of a fictional story. The Lost Friends publication was real and sought to re-unite many those enslaved and separated from their families. There is great sadness sometimes in our nation’s history and the lack of respect and humanity shown to any individual but as this story shows us there is always hope that comes from the bravery of one or many individuals, I would have given it 4 stars but really felt the author waited too far to the end to reveal the lost friend/secret the present day main character held.

I loved this book! The Book of Lost Friends will be hard to beat for 2020. I suspect that it will be my favorite for the year.

Each chapter is written in alternating timelines. In 1875 we meet Hannie, a former slave and 1987, Benny a new school teacher, trying to get through to her kids, in a very rural area of Louisiana.

Sometimes reading books with alternating timelines like this can be very confusing and you simply wonder how they are going to intersect, WELLLLLLLLL, Ms Wingate did a wonderful job of tying the two together. I loved everything about this book.

I knew nothing about post Civil War and the "Lost Friends" newspaper article. Apparently, the freed slaves would post family names in the hopes of reconnecting with family members that had been ripped from their lives. These posts would circulate through the Black churches to be read by the pastor. The chapters that begin with the "lost friends" adds were heartbreaking.

I rarely (almost never) quote from books that I read, however, this is a quote that has stayed with me: "We die once when the last breath leaves our bodies. We die a second time when the last person speaks our name."

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine Books for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release in April 2020.

Loved this book. The history in it is fabulous. Really well done. The characters were very believable and endearing. I was never aware of the Lost Friends aspect, and reading this made me want to learn more. Just a very well done historical novel, and I will be recommending it for purchase!