Reviews

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate

Only show reviews with written explanations

cassdcamp's review

5.0

I loved the audiobook!

I didn’t get into Hannie’s story line nearly as much as I did Benny’s. Hannie’s journey to find her family, at times, reminded me of the Odyssey.
Windgate did another great job bringing history to life in these pages.

lindasdarby's review

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3.0

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was a really interesting premise and I enjoyed it but it did take awhile to really get going and I felt like once it started getting really good it just ended. There were two story lines and the story line with Hannie about her trying to find her family was really good from the start but the other story line was pretty slow and once it got kind of interesting it honestly just stopped. There was a bunch of foreshadowing that not only was there some big secret with the Gossett estate but also that Benny had some big secret and the Gossett secret didn't seem that big and Benny's bombshell - well it was hard to see how it really affected the story(and it didn't really delve into it either so it was strange). This book is kind of like this book review - could be good and super interesting but is missing editing and missing some plot points and the writer is kind of lazy and could have done a better job. I would still say it's worth your time though just for the real newspaper ads placed by former slaves looking for their family.

camchorse's review against another edition

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emotional informative sad medium-paced

3.5

mjl26's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

sylvanr's review

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Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

A liberal white woman writing about about slavery and intergenerational trauma without the knowledge and awareness of the depth of the topic. A white savior high school teacher explores an interesting history of reconstruction era record but fails to address the healing and complicated emotions that come with uncovering intergenerational trauma. Especially as white kids and black kids explore their roots as slave owners and slaves. That's a really complicated emotional process that needed to be addressed with a more holistic healing lens and not just by a few 'well intentioned' white main characters. I also find it uncomfortable when white authors take on the voice of slaves from history in first person. It buys into stereotypes and appropriates black voices.

knottyrambler's review

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5.0

I listened to the audio version of this book. I think it is a wonderful book that is very well written and produced. I couldn't put it down. I have recommended it to all my friends. A must read or listen.

melody_b419's review

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2.0

DNF, finally quit about 3/4 of the way through. This book came recommended by a friend, but I just did not enjoy it. I though the premise was really interesting but the intersection of the story lines was not intricate or interesting enough to hold me. I kept thinking - ok, there’s going to be a big moment/surprise where these stories come together, but it just never seemed to get there. I also found the voices of the characters to be somewhat weak and bland - like they were picked off an archetype bookshelf, but I feel that opinion might have been influenced by the audio book version that I was listening to. I’m glad that others have found this book so delightful, it just wasn’t for me!

cytipton's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Intriguing story but the writing was tedious. Especially the telling of the (more) modern day character of Benny. The trope of Benny as a white savior teacher for a town of struggling black kids who need this white outsider to charm them and show them how to discover their own history is embarrassing and belittling. The big reveal at the end of the book about Benny’s “big secret”, and the implication that this secret is on par with the suffering and generations of secrets of this once slave-holding community, is insensitive and misguided.

I did enjoy hearing Hanny’s story but wish we had heard more about what happened to the people she leaves behind. Her adventures were a bit far-fetched but at least they held my interest and taught me a bit more about the time period and weren’t as preachy and on the nose as Benny’s story.