After the Civil War, thousands of formerly enslaved people placed “Lost Friends” advertisements in newspapers, desperately searching for family members torn away by slavery.
Inspired by those real-life notices, Lisa Wingate’s The Book of Lost Friends weaves together two unforgettable stories more than a century apart.
In 1875, eighteen-year-old Hannie Gossett sets out across the dangerous postwar South on a journey that may finally lead her to the family she lost as a child. Along the way, a collection of names and stories becomes a powerful record of people refusing to let their loved ones disappear.
In 1987, teacher Benedetta Silva uncovers the long-buried history of a Louisiana plantation—and discovers that the past may hold the key to transforming her students, her community, and her own life.
The Book of Lost Friends is a moving story of family, memory, courage, and the enduring hope of finding what was once thought lost.
Read the Instaread summary to discover their remarkable journey.
