The Book of Lost Friends: A Novel

Reading The Book of Lost Friends--what a privilege. It's one of those books that makes you go, "Wow," not only as you finish but while you are reading it. I didn't want it to end, and now I want as many more like it as Lisa Wingate is prepared to give her readers. The stories of Hannie Gossett and Benedetta Silva connect beautifully, forming the best example of a split time novel I've seen from Lisa Wingate. The stories feed into each other, showing how the past informs the present and the present influences past choices so that future generations can have positive experiences. Within that, the diversity of human experiences shines more than in most books I've read lately. In one book, we get the stories of an ex-slave girl, a privileged mixed-race girl (both of whom are forced to live as boys), and a 1980s teacher who looks privileged because she's white and middle-class, but is nursing pain and lack. Within *that*, we also get the non-POV stories of people like Nathan and Robin Gossett, LaJuna Gossett, Shad and Gar Fish, and Missy Lavinia, all of whom have multifaceted backgrounds and journeys. You'd think Lisa would drop the ball somewhere during all these journeys, but she gives the secondary characters just enough page time and shading to both pop and fit seamlessly into the main protagonists' stories. Additionally, she crafts her novel around universal themes without being preachy, so that when they are directly addressed, the reader can support that decision. For instance, the themes of privilege vs. want, freedom vs. slavery, could've been heavy-handed. Instead, organic things like Hannie's conversations with Juneau Jane or Benedetta bringing her students pooperoos, turn these into themes that make you think. As noted, every character pops off the page and has a distinct, relatable voice. Having been a teacher--and a misunderstood one at that--I identified heavily with Benedetta, but also rooted for Hannie, and even Juneau Jane and Lavinia as well. Their character growth occurs across a great mix of internal and external stakes, and I loved the interwoven surprises, such as the true identity of Moses, the reappearance of Gus McKlatchy in both timelines, and the revelation of Robin's project, as well as how it affected Benedetta's students. The Louisiana and Texas settings suck you in and keep you riveted. I loved accompanying Benedetta on her walks through the cemetery, and during Hannie's chapters, I could absolutely feel the constant humidity, muck, and heat. (Eck, but in a good way)! Goswood Grove functions as a character in itself, like a stately old woman who might be "crumbling" or dealing with "dementia," but still has a story to tell if you'll listen. The Cluck and Oink and Granny T were two of my favorite additions, and I especially loved how much the kids loved Granny T. But I think my favorite location had to be Judge Gossett's library, partly because of LaJuna's relationship with it. It reminded me of The Book Thief, with a Southern Gothic twist. As with any great book, it's the scenes that stick in your mind. I had so many favorites it would take forever to list them all, but here are a few to keep an eye out for: -Benedetta's first conversations with Granny T. and Sarge -Granny T's presentation -Hannie's midnight jaunt to the library -Hannie and Juneau Jane discover the Lost Friends and begin writing down stories -Hannie and Juneau Jane cement sisterhood -Benedetta confronts the Gossett-ruled school board -The final Tales from the Underground project/unification of prologue and epilogue The Book of Lost Friends as an object also unites the stories of modern students and families in the best way I've ever seen it done. Benedetta's half of the story could've easily been the same old, "save our underprivileged students" story, but not only does she learn from the kids, they learn from her and embrace their history in deep, organic ways. Special mention to Benedetta's conversation with Gar Fish over his history (oops, another wonderful scene I forgot)! I could, as you can see, go on all day, but I'll leave this review here. Just a few more words: Read it. You're going to love it. And, to Lisa Wingate, can we have a sequel ASAP, PLEASE? Thanks! -

Two speakers alternate: a former slave in 1857, and a present-day school teacher in the present. Riveting historical information, believable characters--several worth rooting for and worrying about! A bit long, but definitely worth persevering.

Great book, great characters (real people). The courage and resilience of people is amazing. This is a realistic journey told through the lens of compassion, grace, and mercy.

This book has a modern and historic POV. The modern one is from Bennie’s POV, a brand new teacher in a low-economic area in Louisiana. She wants to get her students engaged, and eventually comes upon an angle letting them research their ancestors to do that. The Gossett family has a tangled history in that town, white slave owners to their black slaves, all bearing the same surname. The historic POV is from Hattie, a slave girl who is eventually freed, then indentured to the same plantation family. She is pulled into an adventure against her will when she sees the Master’s daughter by his mistress sneak into the home while the master is out. She follows her, then realizes the master’s daughter by his wife has urged her half-sister to find her father’s documents. There are nefarious plots in place, and Hattie ends up saving the two daughters of her master and ending up in Texas as she tries to stay ahead of the bad men they got mixed up with. It’s a riveting story about slavery, the world after the Civil War down south, and all the lost friends these people are looking for decades later, trying to find their missing family members sold during slave times. Great book!

Five Stars Minus. I bought this book for two reasons: (1) I liked her book Before We Were Yours and (2) a close friend recommended it highly. The book switches between two main points of view. Hannie is a former slave in Louisiana in 1975. She is looking for the members of her family who were stolen and sold before the end of the Civil War. Bennie is a teacher in Louisiana in 1987. She is a new English teacher at a small town school in the shadow of the plantation where Hannie lived as a slave. True confession: I started this book two times before I forged ahead. The switching point of view made the beginning less engaging and there is a Kindle specific problem. The hook to this story is the search for Lost Friends. I had no idea that in the years after the Civil War, many freed slaves composed personal ads with their family history and published the ads in a newspaper. That newspaper asked churches throughout the South to read and post the ads. The aim was to reunite family and friends separated by slavery and the Civil War. It is compelling and interesting. Unfortunately for Kindle readers, the actual ads that end Hannie’s chapters are reproduced as graphics that cannot be enlarged. If I turned my light to a very bright setting and changed my glasses, I could puzzle through the ads. Needless to say, that took me out of the story and made reading in bed disruptive. Hence, the stopping and starting. The third time was the charm, and I got caught up in the story. Hannie is bright, strong, resilient, and loyal. She is on a great journey through Louisiana and Texas to find her family and to find her former owner. The details and dangers of the journey are written well. Bennie is also a good character. She is trying hard to connect with her students and connect them with the possibility that their lives can be different. Many of the town residents are descendants of the plantation owners and slaves. This is a book where you can care about the characters, including the secondary characters. There is romance that is romantic. (No graphic sex scenes for those who care.) I enjoyed this book. I would have enjoyed it more without one “surprise” secret revelation that comes near then end. To avoid spoilers I will not say more, but to me it cheapened the story and lessened the impact. Nevertheless, this is history that I did not know, and the writing is very good.

It is 1875 and a still young country is emerging from the harrowing events of its lengthy civil war. In the aftermath of that conflict, both freed slaves and their former masters have begun the fraught process of attempting to reconcile the past while looking to the future. Hannie Gossett, a young woman who is now sharecropping on the Louisiana farm where she used to be a slave, has just embarked with two other girls on a long and dangerous journey to Texas in an attempt to reunite with the family she has been separated from for most of her life. Along the way, Hannie will come across many other former slaves also trying to find their own people, which leads her to keep a journal of those hopeful and heartbreaking searches for all of the “lost friends”. It is 1987 and Benedetta Silva, a thirty-something woman reeling from a failed relationship and other secrets she is afraid to confront, has just begun a job teaching English at an underserved high school in rural Louisiana. The only place she can find to rent is a dilapidated outbuilding of a once grand plantation estate that is on the edge of the town’s cemetery. In an effort to reach her disinterested, underachieving students, Benny launches a project that will force them research their own personal histories and, in the process, force an unwilling community to confront the horrible legacy of their shared past. With the aid of Nathan Gossett, heir to the plantation properties, the two unlock century-old mysteries that connect the two timelines. In The Book of Lost Friends, Lisa Wingate does a wonderful job of weaving together the stories of these two women, who end up having a lot more in common than anyone might suspect. Told from both Hannie’s and Benny’s perspectives in alternating chapters, the novel bounces between the two stories fairly smoothly, building the suspense in each quite nicely. The only real problem I had with this literary device is that Hannie’s story was substantially more interesting and engaging than was Benny’s; in fact, the angst level in the latter went a little too far so that, by the conclusion, that whole plotline bordered on being melodramatic. Still, the author did an impressive amount of research to produce this work of historical fiction and I found it to be a pleasurable reading experience from beginning to end.

I wasn't so sure about the book but, it grabbed me quickly. Loved the story and made me really start to think of the history of our country. I feel for those who never were able to find there loved ones. It is so important to save our family stories and to share with the next generation.

Lisa Wingate writes based on researching her topic, but then weaves it into a story we can appreciate. Well written, the characters stay with you.

This book was absolutely wonderful! It gripped me in the first few chapters, and didn't let go until the end. Beautifully written story. Not an easy story, but one that needs to be told and heard.

An interesting dual timeline story based on real letters published in late 19 century America by people searching for their long lost families who had been dispersed after being sold into slavery. Even after emancipation life was still exceedingly hard for former slaves trying to eke out a living in the post American Civil War era.

Loved it, good book group read

Although the actual story is fictional the idea behind it is true. Set over two time periods, firstly the story of Hannie Gossett a free slave, who still works her masters land and then Benedetta Silva in the 1980's. Henrietta is a teacher who is trying to inspire her pupils. The clever way in which the author slowly pulls the two characters stories together is extremely clever.

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