NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a dramatic historical novel of three young women searching for family amid the destruction of the post–Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who learns of their story and its vital connection to her students’ lives.“An absorbing historical . . . enthralling.”—Library JournalBestselling author Lisa Wingate … Journal
Bestselling author Lisa Wingate brings to life startling stories from actual “Lost Friends” advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as newly freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold away.
Louisiana, 1875: In the tumultuous era of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Hannie, a freed slave; Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now destitute plantation; and Juneau Jane, Lavinia’s Creole half sister. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following roads rife with vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of stolen inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and siblings before slavery’s end, the pilgrimage west reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the 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, is 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 lie the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.
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Wingate has crafted a captivating time-slip that is rich in hope. The indomitable spirit of those who were enslaved releases a clarion call to those who are present to never again allow this horrific tragedy. It’s also a beautiful story of friendship and family that spans generations.
Recommend to readers who enjoy inspirational time-slip novels.
I borrowed a copy from my local library. I’ve expressed my honest opinion.
Everyone should read this book. It’s not only great historical fiction, but inspiring on how the past is connected to the present. After the Civil War, free slaves sought desperately to find relatives that were sold away. Thanks to the Southern Methodist newspaper, people were able to post ads for 25 cents in hopes that they could reconnect. It’s a bitter history that can’t be ignored but has promise in telling the story and the strength of families.
A former slave’s journey to find relatives sold away before emancipation and a teacher’s struggle to inspire her unruly class in 1980s Louisiana by getting them interested in their past. Before each chapter is an extract from the ‘Southwestern’ where former slaves posted details of relatives sold which would be read out in African American churches, a sobering reminder of the enduring pain and evil of slavery even after it was abolished. So many must never have found parents or siblings they were so brutally parted from
One of the BEST books I have ever read. Please take time to read this book. Each chapter is set 100 years apart in the same location. Right after the Civil War is over and then in 1980s.
This is a beautifully written book about families that were torn apart in the time of slavery and the aftermath of the Civil War. The novel is told in alternating voice, by Hannie in 1875 and Benny in 1987.
Hannie is a former slave who still lives with her former owners, the Gossetts. She goes with Missy Lavinia Gossett and Juneau Jane (the child of Mr. Gossett and his mistress) from LA to find Mr. Gossett who has gone missing in TX. On their journey, they discover newspaper articles requesting help finding members of the family.
Meanwhile in 1987, Benny is a new teacher struggling to get the students interested in learning. Along with one of her students, she uncovers a treasure trove of books leading her to help bring history alive for the students, and highlighting the slave-0wning history of the town.
Interesting historical fiction–well-done!
“The Book of Lost Friends” by Lisa Wingate meanders the way dustmotes float through humid air, taking its time. Considering the subject matter, the pacing makes sense. Chapters begin with a real-life advertisements posted after the emancipation by former slaves searching for lost family and loved ones, heart-breaking reality encapsulated in a few words.
This book is told in dual timelines – post Civil War from the perspective of the emancipated Hanny and the late 1980’s by a new school teacher, Benedetta Silva, with a tough group of students.
Hanny’s a strong and inspiring woman who battles her way to a sort of justice for herself, her family, and in a strange twist, the daughter of the plantation owner to whom she was once enslaved.
Benedetta “Benny” “MS. Pooh” has a likeable voice and an endearing optimism. She helps the kids become passionate about an aspect of their schooling through research into their personal histories.
The tribulations presented to these women makes for an interesting glimpse into an oft-overlooked part of America’s past. After all, how successful were the “lost friends” pleas read from pulpits and presented in black-specific papers? I, for one, hope everyone was reunited, but of course I’m not that naive – only wishful.
A great story about ancestors and their plight in history.
THE BOOK OF LOST FRIENDS is a family saga about black and white relationships and connections in post Civil War America, that also connects with people living in the same area a hundred years later. Extremely engaging!
What ties everyone together is their connection to an old plantation at Goswood Grove in the small town of Augustine, Louisiana:
• One storyline takes place during the Reconstruction Era (1865-1877). Slavery has ended, though the lives of former enslaved people have changed little. With vastly different motivations, three brave women from Goswood Grove embark on a challenging trip to the Texas frontier, to find some important legal papers relating to the heir to the property. They are NOT friends, though they have longstanding ties. Can three women alone travel safely over such a long distance? How can they know who among the many people they encounter can be trusted? Do they have the smarts to even get to their destination? And how will their relationships with one another evolve?
• A second storyline involves young teacher Benedeta Silva, just beginning her teaching career in a very poor, small town public school with few resources and distinctly unmotivated students. Can she figure out a way to engage them in their school work? Would accessing the vast library at Goswood Grove help? Can she expect, as an outsider, to ever be accepted into this tightly knit society of haves and have nots? And why is there such resistance to her enthusiasm around helping her students?
I have written in other reviews about my annoyance at what I consider a much overused device in contemporary historical fiction — i.e. authors writing multiple storylines from different time periods, and then scattering the chapters throughout the novel, only connecting them at the very end. So often, the technique seems to do little more than add confusion and make both stories more difficult to follow. But this is one novel where Lisa Wingate skillfully employs that very device. AND it makes sense.
Her two story threads are easy to follow and clearly connected by the US history of slavery, which continues to impact all of us today. Central to that connection is a fascinating publication I knew nothing about before reading this book — the “lost friends” ads that were placed in a Methodist newspaper, The Southwestern Christian Advocate. For decades, placing ads in this publication (which were then read aloud around the country during church services) was one of the only ways former enslaved people had to try to locate family members who had been sold off years before, during the period of slavery. And actual excerpts that the author sprinkles throughout this novel are both dramatic and powerful, offering a glimpse into the pain and desperation so many Black Americans experienced.
Be prepared to go on an emotional journey as you navigate through two dual time lines .The historical aspect of this book is something that needs to be read through multi generations , the book of lost names needs to be told to many young and old.
This story kept me engaged from the first letter.
A captivating and emotional book, beautifully written. The Book Of Lost Friends is something I was unaware of, but am so glad to have found out about. These two stories, one in 1875 and the other in 1987, are woven together so beautifully and the strong, determined women portrayed here come to life on the pages. This is a book you will think about after you close the cover!
Another great book by Lisa Wingate. I recommended this book to my daughter who is an English teacher.
Like “Before We Were Yours” Ms.Wingate brings together a dark past and its connection to the present. The lost friends are family of slaves who were sold and lost to their family members. They memorize their names, owners who sold and bought them and where it happened. In the present a young teacher inspires her students to explore the past of their families and town.
If there were a higher number of stars, I would gladly give it to this book by Lisa Wingate. Could not put down! Loved it!
Loved this book. Lisa Wingate is a wonderful writer. I love her style of interweaving the past and present together. With this being historical fiction, the reader knows that this awful event actually happened……. hard to believe that people were treated this way.
Her book, Before We Were Yours, also written in the same style brought a different ‘dark side’ of history to life.
I recommend this book.
Fantastic book. Amazing to listen on Audible. Characters are so realistic. I wanted to listen to it all over again. Absolutely mesmerizing
One of my 2°20 favorites!
Beautifully written time split that connects a small town in Louisiana in the 80s to the a difficult time just after the Civil War.
I loved this book and have recommend to friends.
The historic revelance