Lisa Wingate’s (2020) is a compelling dual-timeline historical novel that explores themes of family, identity, and the enduring power of stories. Inspired by actual "Lost Friends" advertisements from post-Civil War newspapers, the book follows two parallel journeys in Louisiana separated by a century. Plot Summary
“I learned about the lost friends project that I never knew about — fascinating!” The StoryGraph El Libro De Los Amigos Perdidos Lisa Wingate ...
Benedetta "Benny" Silva, a first-year teacher, arrives in the impoverished town of Augustine, Louisiana. Struggling to engage her apathetic students, she discovers the century-old story of the three women and a "Lost Friends" ledger. This discovery becomes a bridge to help her students connect with their own heritage. Critical Perspectives Struggling to engage her apathetic students, she discovers
Reviewers from The StoryGraph and All About Romance highlight Wingate's use of real historical newspaper ads as "heart-wrenching" and "illuminating". The narrative weaves together two distinct timelines that
The narrative weaves together two distinct timelines that eventually converge:
Some critics, such as those at Colloquium , praise the "authentic and credible" character voices. However, a review from Big Little Literature suggests the dialect used for Black characters can occasionally feel like a "cliché".
While many find the dual timelines "not confusing" and "beautifully interwoven", some readers felt the modern 1987 storyline was less developed or wrapped up too quickly compared to the 1875 era. Reader Experiences