📚 The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate – A Plot I Liked but Couldn’t Keep My Eyes Open For
⭐Rating: ⭐½ (1.5 out of 5 stars)
Let me just say it:
This book bored me into a near coma.
And I never say that. Like, truly—DNF (Did Not Finish) is a phrase I rarely use. But oh boy, The Book of Lost Friends almost broke me. The premise sounded incredible, the cover is gorgeous, and I even saw people online comparing it to Before We Were Yours (also by Lisa Wingate) like it was the second coming of literary fiction.
So imagine my disappointment when I found myself yawning through every chapter. Like, why am I doing this to myself? But I powered through (barely) and here I am—reviewing it so I don’t feel like I completely wasted my time. 🙃
🌀 What’s it About?
This is a dual timeline novel, jumping between 1875 and 1987—I mean 1987—wait, no! Just kidding. It’s actually modern day (ish). I was too bored to keep track.
📜 1875 Timeline: Drama on the Plantation
We start in post-Civil War Louisiana, where 18-year-old Hannie Gossett has been working on a plantation for a decade. She’s an ex-slave who was separated from her family years earlier and is now waiting on a promised 40 acres and a mule—you know, standard back-pay for years of forced labor.
Problem is, the land is caught in legal limbo because the plantation owner, William Gossett, has gone poof. His legitimate daughter Missy Lavinia and illegitimate daughter Juneau Jane (yes, her name sounds like a boutique candle brand) are fighting over the inheritance.
The two girls decide to go to New Orleans to see a family attorney, and Hannie—like the real one holding this entire storyline together—dresses as a boy and drives the carriage so she can make sure she gets her piece of the land pie. But instead of solving any legal disputes, the attorney does what any slimy guy in fiction does: he kidnaps them.
They’re thrown onto a boat (the Genesee Star), and before you can say ye olde kidnapping, they’re headed to Texas.
👩🏫 Modern Day Timeline: A Teacher with Grit and a Really Bad Job Assignment
Fast forward to now-ish. Meet Benny Silva, an idealistic English teacher who signs up to teach in a poor district to pay off her student loans. (Been there, sister.)
The kids are hungry, wild, and not interested in the joys of literary symbolism. But Benny? Benny comes with snacks and optimism, which is pretty much the only combo that works with middle schoolers.
She’s fascinated by the local creepy Gossett mansion and starts digging into the town’s shady past. With the help of Nathan Gossett, the current owner and family descendant, she and her students uncover some seriously rich history—including the story of Hannie, Lavinia, and Juneau Jane.
📖 Enter: The Book of Lost Friends
Back in the 1800s timeline, the girls find refuge in a Black church in Texas, where the walls are covered with ads and newspaper clippings from formerly enslaved people looking for lost family. The girls decide to collect the stories and create a “Book of Lost Friends.” (Cue the meaningful title.)
Eventually, Hannie finds her family, Juneau finds purpose, and Lavinia probably finds another corset or something.
🎭 Present Day Plot Twist: Kids Get Inspired, Town Gets Mad
Benny’s students get so inspired, they want to put on a play reenacting what they’ve learned. Unfortunately, some of the locals aren’t thrilled that a bunch of Black kids and their white teacher are staging a story that includes slavery, injustice, and truth.
Benny’s job is on the line, but Nathan has her back, and she moves forward with the play anyway. And you know what? It’s a huge hit. Like viral-on-the-internet level of success.
At the end, we get a little extra twist: Benny once gave a child up for adoption and now dreams of a reunion someday. Which was actually kind of touching… but also completely disconnected from the rest of the plot. Like someone just tossed it in on the last page for a bonus emotional punch.
😴 My Take? A Snoozefest in a Pretty Package
Look. The concept? Actually awesome.
The writing? Technically fine.
The execution? Snooze button, smashed repeatedly.
It reminded me of how I felt reading Firefly Lane—except this one didn’t even try to make me cry. I know a lot of people love Lisa Wingate, and I’m still willing to give Before We Were Yours a try before I fully nope out of her catalog… but The Book of Lost Friends? Not it.
🛒 Want to Suffer (or Maybe Enjoy) It Yourself?
I mean, maybe I’m wrong and it’ll be your new favorite book? Who knows. Try it here:
👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Audible
📚 If You Liked This (But Maybe Want Something More Exciting…)
Try these instead:
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Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino (beautiful dual-timeline, but with spice)
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The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (if you actually want to feel something)
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Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (brilliant multigenerational story)
🧠 Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a book with a strong historical premise, social justice themes, and the pacing of cold molasses, this is your girl. But if you, like me, have the attention span of a gnat and need some plot-driven adrenaline to stay engaged—this might not be your cup of sweet tea.
Let me know in the comments:
🗨️ Did you love it and I’m just wrong?
🗨️ Or did it bore you to tears too?
And if you made it to the end of this review, you deserve a medal. Or a nap. 🥇😴
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