It’s 1987, and Benedetta Silva is about to set out on the most difficult adventure of her life --- teaching middle-school students at a poor district in southern Louisiana. She’s alone, having broken up recently with her fiancé, and with no support from her family. Her new rental home leaks, there’s no money to speak of in her bank account, and every student of hers seems to want to ruin her day and possibly her career, daily.

When she convinces Granny T., a legend of sorts in Augustine, Louisiana, to come to her classroom to talk about local history, Benny finally breaks through to her students. And at the same, she manages to upset almost everyone in town by simply getting them interested in local history. This is a topic that no one wants to think about or discuss, considering the town’s past and the former plantation that a portion of it now sits on.

"Wingate delivers a story that is heartbreaking and full of grief but also joy and optimism. It’s a perfect excuse to curl up on the couch and read."

In 1875 Louisiana, Hannie is hoping to finally enjoy her freedom as a cropper on the land her family has been farming for years as slaves. Unfortunately, with Old Mister Gossett currently out of the picture --- no one knows if he is alive or dead --- family members begin digging through every paper and hiding place in the house wanting to know what will become of the plantation and who will inherit it. His daughters --- one from his legal marriage, Lavinia, and one by his mistress, Juneau Jane --- decide that they need to find the information and team up to uncover what happened to their father’s will. Hannie manages to place herself squarely between the two Gossett daughters, determined to discover what will happen to the land for the good of her family at the plantation.

The three unwilling travel companions end up in Texas, chasing a ghost of a man they believe holds the key to their futures. Told side by side, Benny and Hannie’s journeys lead both women to discover that they are stronger than they thought they were, worthy of the love they seek, and the ties that connect us come in many shapes and sizes. And most importantly, the stories we all have to tell are meaningful, even in the smallest of ways.

This wonderful novel will make you want to cry, scream at the injustice, and marvel at the strange way that life brings us together. It’s full of stories, intertwined stories of people and places that make them who they are. Wingate does a masterful job of weaving a tale that brings to life a sad and disturbing part of American history. She showcases the strength of the women who carry these stories and live them.

THE BOOK OF LOST FRIENDS is at heart about families searching for one another. These characters take you along on the journey, and you find yourself right there with them. Wingate delivers a story that is heartbreaking and full of grief but also joy and optimism. It’s a perfect excuse to curl up on the couch and read.