I'm so glad my book club read The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate in April. I intended to read it in 2020 when it was published, but life was consumed with the early days of the pandemic and the Presidential election cycle.
The dual timelines are set in 1875 and 1987 in the American South. In the 1875 plot, three very different girls endure the dangers of travelling together alone from Louisiana to Texas, each on a very personal quest. The more contemporary plot follows a first-year teacher in her efforts to engage her students at their poor rural school.
The historical storyline was inspired by actual "Lost Friends" ads printed in Southern newspapers after the Civil War and read aloud at Black church worship services. The ads were written by freed slaves desperate to reunite with family members who were forcibly separated. Each was heartbreaking, and I'm grateful at least one reunion was included.
I've enjoyed Ms. Wingate's novels for many years, but before reading this I was concerned about a while author telling such personal Black history. Thankfully this was written with great sensitivity from the point of view of a strong and compassionate ally. I connected with the characters in both timelines.
I listened to the audio while following along in a print book which was ideal. The audiobook has several talented narrators, one exclusively for the Lost Friends ads, and the print book was helpful to track the switches between timelines and the vernacular of the historic time period.
Our group had a thoughtful discussion on the novel, even though some members disliked the ending of the 1987 plot that seemed to come out of nowhere.
The dual timelines are set in 1875 and 1987 in the American South. In the 1875 plot, three very different girls endure the dangers of travelling together alone from Louisiana to Texas, each on a very personal quest. The more contemporary plot follows a first-year teacher in her efforts to engage her students at their poor rural school.
The historical storyline was inspired by actual "Lost Friends" ads printed in Southern newspapers after the Civil War and read aloud at Black church worship services. The ads were written by freed slaves desperate to reunite with family members who were forcibly separated. Each was heartbreaking, and I'm grateful at least one reunion was included.
I've enjoyed Ms. Wingate's novels for many years, but before reading this I was concerned about a while author telling such personal Black history. Thankfully this was written with great sensitivity from the point of view of a strong and compassionate ally. I connected with the characters in both timelines.
I listened to the audio while following along in a print book which was ideal. The audiobook has several talented narrators, one exclusively for the Lost Friends ads, and the print book was helpful to track the switches between timelines and the vernacular of the historic time period.
Our group had a thoughtful discussion on the novel, even though some members disliked the ending of the 1987 plot that seemed to come out of nowhere.
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