The Book of Lost Friends

April 20, 2020
In this disappointing outing, Wingate (Before We Were Yours) explores the history of a small Louisiana town where a new teacher’s attempt to connect with her students leads her to learn about the difficult lives of three women. After the Civil War, freed slave Hannie Gossett works at Goswood Grove as a sharecropper and spends years hoping her mother, who was sold during the war, will return. In 1875, Hannie, in hopes of finding her family, follows the daughters of the man who once owned her to Texas, where he disappeared. In 1987, Benny Silva arrives in Augustine, La., to teach at a high school with an apathetic student body. As a ploy to capture their imaginations, she researches Goswood Grove and finds records about Hannie’s journey to Texas. Though the twists of Hannie’s and Benny’s stories will keep readers guessing, the book is marred by a lack of depth, and Hannie’s reliance on and trust in her former owner is frustratingly unquestioned. Benny, meanwhile, who likens her own experiences as an Italian-American to those of her impoverished students of color, comes off as naive. This underwhelming tale is sunk by its surfeit of deficiencies.

In a story spanning generations, Bahni Turpin and Sophie Amoss deliver mesmerizing performances. Turpin portrays Hannie Gossett, born a slave, trying to make a life for herself after "the Freedom." Turpin is outstanding as Hannie, who is determined not to be defeated as she searches for her family--last seen on the auction block. Amoss portrays Benny Silva, a thoughtful, engaged teacher facing a challenging high school English class in rural Louisiana. Her students are mostly poor and disinterested. Separating chapters are a series of actual classifieds, expertly narrated by the ensemble cast. They offer heartrending pleas from newly freed men and women who are searching for loved ones sold during slavery. Don't miss this remarkable audiobook. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine