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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Lisa Wingate has knocked it out of the box again with her latest historical fiction book. I love that the idea for this story came to her from a fan email where the fan told her she needed to write something about these letters the former slaves had written trying to locate family that had been sold to other owners. The story is told in two time periods 1875 and 1987, and the two storylines are beautifully woven together. Lisa Wingate has an amazing writing ability and so eloquently captures the story, setting, and characters. There were many times I would marvel at how she expressed something. Both stories are captivating, and the characters are well-drawn. I also loved that these women with hardships were such strong women in the face of difficulty, and I loved how the modern day teacher persisted to find a way to connect with her students. It's a testament to the importance of good teachers and what they can do to help their students. It is also a very timely book with the examination of race in our society today. In our book group we did discuss whether a white person can legitimately tell the story of a black person, and we felt that it was acceptable for this one. Lisa did a tremendous amount of research and drew on the letters and original voices from the people she researched. I listened to the audiobook version of this book which was excellently narrated and really brought the book to life. I highly recommend this one for historical fiction fans.
Overall I enjoyed this story. I didn’t love it as Lucy as I loved this authors other book Before We Were Yours, but it was still a fun read. I didn’t really understand why the author introduced that Benny had a child she gave up on the last page of the book, that felt like a weird ending. I liked the story and enjoyed reading the book but didn’t totally love it, I found it to be a little slow/almost directionless at some points.
adventurous
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really enjoyed the way the book alternates between two timelines, weaving history together with the present. The real-life story of The Book of Lost Friends is fascinating and the use of real ads between chapters was a nice touch
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
reflective
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really enjoyed the double dialogue between the past and present and seeing their stories intertwine.
Great read. And timely, as I just finished it on Juneteenth, the week that June 19 became a Federal holiday. I enjoyed the back and forth of the two stories, and often, was tempted to skip a chapter to keep up with the characters and each story. Well-crafted, and pulled together in the end. Looking forward to read another of Linda Wingate's novels.