The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate

Amy   

Lynnie


historical fiction

The Book of Lost Friends tells two tales set in Louisiana: the first story is from 1875 told by Hannie Gossett, an 18-year old girl born into slavery, and the second is from 1987 told by Benedetta (Benny) Silva, a 27-year old woman in her first year of teaching English at a school of disadvantaged children.  Both women’s stories are compelling and self-sufficient. However, the thin link between them grows a little thicker with the telling until the reader is finally rewarded with the connections at the end.

Amy's Review

Aside from the unnecessary Prologue and a section in the middle that dragged a little, I was completely absorbed in this novel.  It is rare for a novel with two points of view to land equal footing in each story. Normally, I’m more interested in one story than the other but this was wonderful. I loved that both the stories were so strong. This is the second novel I’ve read by Lisa Wingate and both novels have taught me about history of which I had been previously unaware.  From this book, I learned of the Lost Friends column which was an opportunity for separated slave families to reunite or learn about their relatives’ situations. It was fascinating to read actual clippings from the column between all the chapters.

I thought Wingate did a terrific job crafting the story, although she let Benny’s secret be withheld much too long, in my opinion. The rest of it was so entertaining.  The lead characters were warm, yet determined, and I loved getting to know them and spend time with them. The novel was full of adventure and heart-filled spirit.

I was supposed to meet Lisa Wingate at a book reading/signing this month and am sad it was canceled due to COVID-19. I will definitely read her future novels because I have loved the two I’ve read so much. I wanted to include a quote in this review. From Benny’s Classroom Constitution Articles, “Article Number Three:… Civil debate is a healthy and democratic process. If one cannot make one’s point without yelling, name-calling, or insulting others, one should develop a stronger argument before speaking further.” That, right there, is good life advice for all.

The audiobook was fantastic!  It was read by 6 narrators: one for each of the two main characters and four for the various Lost Friends articles.  All were terrific!  Hannie was read by one of my favorite narrators, Bahni Turpin. As usual she was stellar. She has a ton of voices and accents and perfect voice acting. I give her an A+.  Benny was read by Sophie Amoss and she was perfect for the role. She, too, had a diverse repertoire of voices and accents and I loved her voice acting also.  A+ for her too!

Lynnie's Review

This is the second book I've read by Lisa Wingate, and I'm a fan.

Similar to the first book of Wingate's I read (Before We Were Yours), The Book of Lost Friends is a tale of past and present, based on real records and facts. Set on the same property in Louisiana, Hannie tells the story of what it was like to live as a former slave and share cropper in 1875, while Benny's story takes place in 1987 as she tries to connect to her students, her new town, and the ghosts of the past.

I was drawn equally to both stories and found myself eager to see how they would get through their trials and circumstances and what path would find their stories co-mingled. Hannie and Benny were both compelling, as were the secondary characters and Wingate's writing compelled me forward while painting vivid images in my mind about what the characters were enduring. This is a tale of loss and there is plenty of heartbreak in its pages, but it is also a story about who and what we find along the way.