My rating: 5/5
A masterfully written novel that encapsulates the blessing of family, the horrors of slavery, and esteem of perseverance, The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate, will inspire heartfelt emotions towards the bravery of the enslaved and induce emboldening feelings towards liberty and the importance of familial bonds.
‘We die once when the last breath leaves our bodies. We die a second time when the last person speaks our name.’ The first death is beyond our control, but the second one we can strive to prevent.” –The Book of Lost Friends.
The Book of Lost Friends is brilliantly crafted with chapters that oscillates between two female main characters, Hannie Gossett and Benedetta ‘Benny’ Silva, who stories span over 100 years apart. Hannie’s story is set in 1875 in Louisiana during the post-Civil War era, in which she is an emancipated slave who remains living on her master’s plantation, in hopes that she will reunite with her family members who were forcefully sold away to other owners. When she unintentionally discovers the illegitimate mulatto daughter of her master has secretly arrived to the Gossett plantation, she discovers a scheming plan that could potentially negatively impact her future. This revelation leads her to reluctantly participate in a dangerous journey with the master’s daughters. During their tumultuous expedition, they obtain a book of lost friends, which provides hope towards the reunification of divided families through newspaper ads submitted by former slaves in hopes to find lost loved ones. Their journey will be met with challenges that will require an unrelenting will to survive and a desire for kinship.
Set in 1987 in the small town of Augustine, Louisiana, Benny Silva is a first-year teacher at a low-income school with impoverished students. The first few weeks prove challenging, as the students are unenthused with the curriculum and lack a desire to learn. She quickly discovers that the house she is living in is near the historical Gossett plantation, where the big house on the property contains significant history that may impact the residents of the town. She also discovers an old book that resurrects a gripping history that highlights the historical significance of the town, while imparting purpose to the students and driving her commitment to them as well.
The Book of Lost Friends is a fascinating page-turning novel with incredible character and plot driven narratives that tells of a dreadful time in American history while encompassing themes of hope, courage, survival, and forgiveness. The cast of characters are adequately constructed, diverse, and memorable. I loved that the novel is clean, with no derogatory language or sexual content. The story is intricately crafted and accurately depicts the post antebellum period. As a new reader to the author, I was impressed with the skillful writing and the proficient research that made the novel historically precise. I really enjoyed this story, and I look forward to reading more work by the author.
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