The Book of Lost Friends By Lisa Wingate

In 1875, Hannie Gossett was an emancipated slave who lived in Augustine, Louisiana. Her former owner was William Gossett from the Goswood Grove Plantation. She was living on the Goswood Grove Plantation working with Tati to fulfill her sharecrop contract. Tati planned to hand the land down to Hannie and the twins, Jason and John. The rest of Hannie’s family were sold illegally by the Missus’ brother and were scattered in Texas and Louisiana.

One day Hannie noticed a small figure heading to the main house. She was sure it was Juneau Jane, the Marse Gossett’s daughter to his other woman which he kept in New Orleans. The Missus would not be happy to see Juneau Jane at Goswood Grove. Hannie followed and learned that Juneau Jane was looking for papers. She and Missy Lavinia, Marse Gossett’s daughter to the Missus, planned a secret trip. Marse Gossett had been gone and long while. Was he dead? If so, each wanted to know if they were to receive what their father planned for them. Hannie wanted to know if the sharecrop contracts would be upheld. Hannie dresses up as a boy and drives the two half-sisters in their carriage. This began a great journey for the girls.

In 1987, Benedetta (Benny) Silva was beginning her first year teaching in Augustine, Louisiana. It was a very poor school. There were few books and the children had no interest in learning English. She only had a few copies of Animal Farm for all her classes to share. One of her students, LaJuna, told her about a big empty house full of books. Benny is determined to find the owner and see if they would donate the books to her class.

The book centers on a piece of history. There was a Methodist newspaper that was distributed in the south in the late 1800s called the Southwestern Christian Advocate. It ran “Lost Friend” ads. They were ads of emancipated slaves looking for friends and families. Throughout the book are copies of ads which were placed in this newspaper; one of them as from Hannie Gossett.

Lisa Wingate wrote this fictional novel based on that ad. Lisa Wingate is not afraid to address the sins of the past. Her novel “Before We Were Yours” was a best seller based on a Tennessee Children’s Home Society which stole children from their families and set them up for adoption for wealthier families.