The Book of Lost Names

Even though The Book of Lost Friends was slow to get into, in the end, I really enjoyed Lisa Wingate's newest historical fiction novel. Wingate is the author of Before We Were Yours, another historical fiction novel that I really enjoyed reading.

I bet if you asked most people what this book is about, they'd tell you it's about Reconstruction and the post-Civil War years. And that is what it's about. "The Book of Lost Friends" is a book that former slave, Hannie, and Juneau Jane, illegitimate daughter of Hannie's former master, keep to hopefully help former slaves reconnect with their families. "Lost Friends" was an actual advertisement published in Southern newspapers after the Civil War and read by preachers at Southern churches. Lavinia, Juneau Jane's legitimate sister, and Juneau Jane are looking for word about their father, mostly to protect their inheritances. At first Hannie follows them to make sure that her sharecropping contract is protected, but gradually she is led to search for her family that had been sold away over 10 years earlier.

The parallel story is about Benny, a brand new English teacher who has been sent to Augustine in rural Louisiana for her first few years of teaching in order to get student loan forgiveness. Many of Benny's student come to school hungry, when they're able to come to school. She yearns to find a way to connect to these students. Although Benny's upbringing was much different, she sees a part of herself and her teen years in many of her students making her want to connect even more. When Benny meets some old-timers from Augustine, she becomes interested in their stories. And realizes that perhaps her students should be hearing those stories rather than reading books like Animal Farm.

Benny's story was the story that I connected to. I really wanted her plan to reach these kids to succeed. I found that story more engaging than the 1875 storyline, but I also wish that there was more backstory to Benny's tale.

I think you really have to be a serious historical fiction fan to like this sometimes slow-moving book, but I did enjoy it and would recommend it to some.

Before We Were Yours

Have I told you lately that I love historical fiction?

I had a hard time getting into Lisa Wingate's latest historical fiction novel, Before We Were Yours. The beginning was not only confusing but it was pretty slow moving. But once I got things figured out and got into the groove, I couldn't wait to see what happens next.

Sometimes historical fiction teaches me about positive time periods, people and places. Other times, like in the case of Before We Were Yours, I get to learn about some really horrific episodes in history. Wingate tells the story of the Tennessee Children's Home Society orphanage and the scheme that Georgia Tann, director of the organization, had for what basically amounted to the kidnapping and selling of children. Blonde-haired children with blue eyes were most desired. Georgia Tann was well connected to wealthy families who for one reason or another couldn't have children of their own. Frequently, there was extortion that occurred after children were placed... or sold. The children were taken from hospitals, from the street while walking to school, or simply just when the parents weren't looking. Georgia Tann put on a good public front while running homes where the children were neglected, often abused and some children, far too many children, died.

Avery Stafford, the daughter of a wealthy senator in South Carolina has come home to help her father get through a medical crisis. She has a chance encounter with an older woman when her father was making an appearance at a nursing home. There's just something about the woman that gives Avery pause. When she gets a phone call later that the older woman was found with Avery's bracelet, Avery decides to pick up the bracelet directly from the woman. She discovers that there's some sort of connection between this older woman, May, and her grandmother, Judy.

Wingate alternates the story of the Foss children, told by oldest sibling  Rill with Avery's attempt to discover what the connection is between May and Judy. Avery enlists the help of Trent who also has some sort of connection thru his grandfather, Trent. The strength of the story is in the weaving of the tales. This is a family drama, a love story, a story about secrets and a story about the strength of sisterhood.

My community book club will be discussing Before We Were Yours in August. I hope that I remember enough about it for me to participate meaningfully. I look forward to discussing this one.

April 4: Going thru my iPad looking at pages I captured in order to write my review of The Librarian of Auschwitz and I found this one that I never referenced. This is probably not meaningful to you, but it's meaningful to me, to my brother and to my cousins.

Fern?
I'm sorry?
Fernie, it's me. Tears frame her eyes. Oh dear, I've missed you so. They told me you were gone. I knew you'd never break our promise.
For a second, I want to be Fern, just to make her happy - to give her a respite from standing by herself gazing into the wisteria. She seemed so very lonely out there. Lost.

 When we were younger, my brother and our first cousin went to visit our cousin's grandmother at a nursing home, there was a woman calling out for Rupert. My cousin had stuck his head in the door, thinking his grandmother might be in there. At that time, he so wished that he was Rupert. Years later, he and my brother, instead of addressing each other by name or by cuz, they use Rupert.