Beautifully written story spanning the years from 1875 to 1987. The chapters alternate from past to present told from the perspective of Hannie, a freed slave and Benny, a first year teacher teaching in rural Louisiana. This book is one that will stay with you for some time after finishing the book.
At times it is heartbreaking, at times it is touching and powerful. Overall it's SUCH a great book!
Thanks to Lisa Wingate, Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book captured me from the beginning. I'm obsessed with duel timelines and a bit of a mystery to solve. This follows Hannie as she watches her family torn apart and her determination to find them after the civil war. We also follow Benedetta during the 1980s as she takes a teaching job in Louisiana and falls in love with a group of kids just fighting to survive. The writing was beautiful, I felt like I was in the deep south the entire ride.

I was a little uncomfortable with the author being a white person and telling Black stories, as well as sharing a white savior narrative with regards to the teacher coming in to the lower income school and "rescuing" the children. On the other hand, I very much enjoyed the story about Benny's ability to connect with her students through her look at the history of their town and their ancestors. The Book of Lost Friends is a real historical concept, in which people wrote to the newspaper in search of their lost relatives, and I appreciated the inclusion of actual letters from this column. The history traced down from the plantation owner both through his children and his former slaves was very interesting as well.

This is an absorbing and unique perspective about the legacy of slavery in the south. From entries in the Lost Friends newspaper columns, Lisa Wingate created a narrative about ancestors, family, and the importance of learning history.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book covers such a dark part of history, but the author tells it authentically and tactfully.. I liked the characters and the history of the family. I thought it flowed well. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and it went back and forth from past to a more present time, so you have to pay attention to not miss anything.

One thing I love about author Lisa Wingate is that her novels depict historical events that most of us have never heard of. In her bestselling Before We Were Yours, she wrote about a fictional group of children who were stolen from their family and thrown into a Tennessee Orphanage. This particular group of children may have been fictional, but this did unfortunately happen to many other children.

Wingate alternates timelines in The Book of Lost Friends; both take place in Louisiana, one in 1875 and the other in 1987. In 1875, three girls as different as can be set off for Texas: Lavinia, the heir to a plantation; Hannie, her former slave; and Juneau Jane, Lavinia's half-Creole sister. Hannie is on the journey for a much different reason than the other two: she wants to find the members of her long-lost family, who were wrenched from her and sold.

In 1987, Benny Silva is a first-year educator teaching at a poor rural school. Her unorthodox methods as she tries to reach her students get the attention of the school board, who is desperate to keep what the students are learning secret. The timelines of Hannie and Benny come together in a rewarding way as Benny discovers what happened to the three girls from the other timeline.

Wingate includes real excerpts from "Lost Friends" advertisements that ran in Southern newspapers after the Civil War. These ads were taken out by people desperate to find their relatives who had been sold as slaves. The inclusion of these excerpts adds even more authenticity to a story that so needed to be told and shared.

MY RATING - 4

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really amazing read! i really liked how the story moved along and though it was a longer read, it was well worth it!

I finished this book in audio format in September 2020

I listened to the audio of this book and loved it. Lisa Wingate combines history and story to being us a book that is like listening to old family stories. Loved the characters and learning about the Lost Friends.

I had never heard of the Book of Lost Friends until I read this novel and realized that the author was publishing actual ads for people who were separated as a result of slavery. This historical research added immense value to the story. The story follows two trajectories. Bennie Silva is a new teacher in a small town in Louisiana, still dominated by distinctions of race and economic imbalance. As she struggles to connect with her students, she is thrown into their history as former slaves and share croppers. Hannie is a young slave girl who gets involved with her mistress, Lavinia, and Juneau Jane, a mulatto who has the same father as Lavinia as they both seek their inheritance.
The plot is well-developed as the threads between past and present come together. Hannie's story is amazing and her courage is inspirational. Wingate is exceptionally good at character and plot development. Her depictions of plantation life are historically accurate.
This book is recommended for fans of historical fiction, especially during the Civil War and reconstruction. The book also shows how a community can come together and come to terms with its history. I loved the characters, their grit and determination, and I appreciated learning new aspects of history, even though much is unsettling, but the book offers promise and resolution.
Highly recommend.

If you loved Before We Were Yours, you need to pick up this great historical fiction book by Lisa Wingate. It's a dual timeline, one in 1875 on a plantation in the south, and the other in 1987 in the same location. The protagonist
from 1987 find the stories of the three other women from 1875. Compelling and interesting,

This was an interesting story primarily told following the Civil War with a more modern dual story line. I enjoyed the story and characters. I was unfamiliar with the "Lost Friends" advertisements and appreciate learning more. I look forward to reading more from Lisa Wingate.

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate is a historical fiction story told in dual storylines. In 1875, during the Reconstruction Era, 18 year old Hannie was trying to locate family members that were sold by their owner. Southern newspapers would print “Lost Friends” ads, which were read to congregations in Black churches. These ads were read by preachers in hopes that families could be reunited. Each chapter begins with an authentic ad which was published in the news.
The other storyline takes place in 1987, when Benny Silva begins her teaching career at an impoverished rural Louisiana school. Benny is faced with disinterested students, lack of books and other materials. To get her students engaged, Benny comes up with a family history project and many of her students learn that they are descendents of the slaves that worked the land in their community.
This is a well written and researched story.

Originally, I tried reading this and could not get into it. I then decided to put the audiobook on reserve and liked it much better. I still preferred one storyline more than the other, Surprisingly. I preferred the later storyline from the late 1980s. The storyline of the former slaves in the 19th century was more confusing. Maybe because it sometimes used their dialect. This is another case, where 1/2 stars would have come in very handy. Personally, I rate it 3.5 stars and moved it up to 4 stars on G.oodreads

Another great one from Wingate! I really love how vivid her books are and atmospheric, really transporting you to a different place and time. These characters were real and lovable, and I was rooting for them the whole time! This story of lost friends was so touching, and I really loved this emotional ride.

In this book we are following two stories. First, we have the story of Hannie Gossett. Set in 1870’s Louisiana, Hannie is a young freed slave that is looking for her family. We learn about how the different members of her family and so many other slave families were separated at different times by being stolen or sold off. Hannie sets off on a mission with her former master’s daughter and illegitimate daughter.
Then we have the story of Bennie Silva set in 1987 Louisiana. Bennie is a new school teacher at a poor, rural school. While trying to get across to the kids, she begins to learn the history of the town and its people. Along with this she unearths some history that some don’t want to acknowledge and want her to keep quiet. Bennie knows though that the way to reach these kids is to help them learn withering own family history and to be proud of their heritage.
I found both stories to be interesting and the real articles from the Book of Friends was such a great touch.

I was a little confused in the early chapters but as the book progressed it captured me. Both the story from the late 1800s and the 1980s. So many threads to connect everything. A great historical fiction read. A favorite was the inclusion of real lost friends' ads.

Did not like this book as much as her prior books, which I have loved. This one was about families separated during slave auctions.

The Book of Lost Friends is inspired by actual "Lost Friends" advertisements following the Civil War. Former slaves seeking to find family members wrote advertisements naming their family members and their last known locations. These advertisements were published in a paper that was circulated throughout the south. The book weaves many of these actual advertisements through its dual timeline. We follow Hannie Gossett, a former slave navigating life and her "freedom" in the post-Civil War south. Hannie escapes Goswood Grove Plantation in search of her mother and other family members who had been sold at various slave auctions years earlier. Her journey takes her through the swamps of Louisiana and to the big, open lands of Texas, meeting others who are also searching for their loved ones and also meeting those who are not accepting of her freedom.

We also follow Benny Silva, a first year teacher in 1987 who arrives in the small town of Augustine, Louisiana hoping to inspire her students. She quickly becomes aware of the racial tension in town and the influence and historical significance that Gossett Industries, the town's largest employer, has on the community. As she learns more about Goswood Grove Plantation and the Gossett Family, she encourages her students to do a lineage project so they can learn more about the town's history, and even their own personal history.

I really appreciated how well-researched this book was and the historical details that were included. I was completely unaware of the existence of these Lost Friends advertisements and this book was an eye-opening look at the post-Civil War time period that isn't taught in schools. I enjoyed how the author brings together the storylines and how we must not hide nor ignore history.

I struggled with the slow start of the book and getting to know the characters. I was also thrown at first by the Lost Friends Advertisements found between chapters. I was trying to remember too many names at first. But, once I got the storylines and characters straight, I was hooked.

A great historical fiction that focuses on a time period I haven't read enough about. Highly recommend.

I had yet to jump on the Lisa Wingate bandwagon, but I've heard nothing but great things.

I was immediately intrigued with this story based on real facts and events set around the post-Civil War era. The lineup of strong female protagonists were wonderful. Hattie was fierce and loyal and I loved her.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed this story (the Author's Note at the end blew me away)...It was a little slow in the beginning and that almost made me throw in the towel...I'm glad I waited it out!

Having a hard time getting through this. I definitely do not love it as much as I loved her previous book. The story feels long and drawn out and doesn’t have nearly the same pull as previous work.