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A review by tristans_library
The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
4.0
Lisa Wingate's The Book of Lost Friends is based on actual “Lost Friends” advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones they had been separated from.
This story is told from alternating view points across centuries, and weaves together a remarkable story of survival, family, and the importance of stories and history.
1875 - Hannie Gossett was raised as a slave on the Gossett family plantation in Louisiana, and got separated from her mother towards the end of the war. Even though the slaves are supposed to be emancipated after the war, Hannie who is still a child, and doesn't know where her own family is, stays on with the Gossett family, helping take care of their pampered daughter Lavinia.
Juneau Jane is the illigitmate daughter of Mr. Gossett's affair with a creole woman in New Orleans. Upon Mr. Gossett's presumed death Juneau Jane and Lavinia find themselves forced to assist each other in financial matters. As Hannie eavesdrops on a conversation between the half sisters, she realizes her fate is tangled up with theirs.
Benedetta Silva is a literary loving Californian who takes on a teaching position for a poor rural school in Louisiana in 1987. As she settles into her rented house, Benedetta aka Benny, will quickly discover a connection to the Gossett family.
I loved Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate and was thrilled to get a chance to review her latest book. The Book of Lost Friends did not disappoint. It is full of wondrous writing, fantastic characters and an important historical story that is worth sharing, lest it be forgotten.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Lisa Wingate for the advanced copy of The Book of Lost Friends in exchange for my honest review.
This story is told from alternating view points across centuries, and weaves together a remarkable story of survival, family, and the importance of stories and history.
1875 - Hannie Gossett was raised as a slave on the Gossett family plantation in Louisiana, and got separated from her mother towards the end of the war. Even though the slaves are supposed to be emancipated after the war, Hannie who is still a child, and doesn't know where her own family is, stays on with the Gossett family, helping take care of their pampered daughter Lavinia.
Juneau Jane is the illigitmate daughter of Mr. Gossett's affair with a creole woman in New Orleans. Upon Mr. Gossett's presumed death Juneau Jane and Lavinia find themselves forced to assist each other in financial matters. As Hannie eavesdrops on a conversation between the half sisters, she realizes her fate is tangled up with theirs.
Benedetta Silva is a literary loving Californian who takes on a teaching position for a poor rural school in Louisiana in 1987. As she settles into her rented house, Benedetta aka Benny, will quickly discover a connection to the Gossett family.
I loved Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate and was thrilled to get a chance to review her latest book. The Book of Lost Friends did not disappoint. It is full of wondrous writing, fantastic characters and an important historical story that is worth sharing, lest it be forgotten.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Lisa Wingate for the advanced copy of The Book of Lost Friends in exchange for my honest review.