Powerful novel about the era of reconstruction in Louisiana to appear in paperback


One of my favorite novels from last year, “The Book of Lost Friends,” by bestselling author Lisa Wingate, comes out in paperback next week with a new cover and an important and timely piece of it. Louisiana History.

“The Book of Lost Friends” is the compelling story of three young women searching for family amid post-Civil War destruction in the South, and a modern day teacher in South Louisiana who learns their history and its connection with its students. ‘ Lives.

With Juneteenth’s recent designation as a federal holiday, the historical component of this dual-timed novel is a timely reminder of how the Emancipation Proclamation was just the beginning for so many enslaved families, who had been torn from family members, sometimes decades ago. . Now free, many began to desperately search for long lost husbands, wives, children, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Thousands of people have used a surprising, and now almost forgotten, people finder to do so.

Plus, the novel reminds us of the power of preserving stories – which I hope might inspire some of you book lovers to write this summer. Your story is important to your family members and to help you sort through the many elements in your life.

The novel is constructed from actual “Lost Friends” commercials that appeared in “The Southwestern Christian Advocate,” a New Orleans-based newspaper, during the years of Reconstruction.

The hardcover version of “The Book of Lost Friends” was released last spring and has been a New York Times bestseller and book club favorite. Wingate is also the author of “Before We Were Yours”, which has sold over 2 million copies. Together, we co-wrote “Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Lived in the Tennessee Children’s Home Society,” the non-fictional sequel to her novel, also now in paperback.

Access the archives of lost friends

If you’d like to see the actual Lost Friends ads in the historic New Orleans Collection museum’s groundbreaking database, check out: https://www.hnoc.org/database/lost-friends.

Write your own story

Besides the well-documented history of this novel, one of the things I find so interesting about “The Book of Lost Friends” is that by writing to the Lost Friends column, thousands of families have preserved their own stories and the lessons these stories could teach. This summer, as the pandemic hopefully ends for good, we might be able to jot down some of our memories – either from this pandemic season or from memories of earlier times in our lives.

Take a spiral notebook or a new journal or open a computer file and try to write your story to keep it going. Perhaps you have early memories of the area, or perhaps you wish to introduce a member of your family for posterity. Or you can just make a list of 10 great moments from your personal history or the names of 10 people you admire in your network of friends and family – and why.

For more on storytelling for families, check out Wingate’s website: https://lisawingate.com/storytelling-for-families.

Audiobooks continue to gain popularity

I just re-subscribed to www.audible.com after letting my subscription expire. I admit that I love having access to audiobooks, and I’m clearly not alone. As more people have stayed at home during COVID-19, the popularity of audiobooks has continued to increase, with growth among younger listeners and with an increase in the number of people listening at home.

However, some people consider audiobooks to be non-real reading – and I recently read an interesting essay on how the talking book experience differs greatly from the written book. I find myself more likely to buy non-fiction books than novels to listen to.

I’m drawn to the ease of use of Audible, which now offers a variety of “free” books and podcasts with membership and was hooked by a recent special. Checking the library’s free audiobooks is one area where I haven’t had any success; my technical skills confuse me. However, your local librarian can help you overcome some of these technological challenges if you are not keen on purchasing audiobooks.

(I’m a huge fan of putting e-books on hold through the library website and reading them on my Kindle when they arrive – super easy and convenient.)

Most of my book reading is on the treadmill or on road trips, and this summer I’m on the hunt for some audio novels for pure entertainment. Recommendations ? Email me: [email protected].


About Karren Campbell

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