The Book of Lost Friends Summary
Lisa Wingate

The Book of Lost Friends Overview

The past and present collide in the novel The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate. Benedetta “Benny” Silva, a teacher in a high school for underprivileged students, uses the history of the small Southern town in which they live to interest them in stories and the lessons those stories can teach. Unknowingly, Benny touches on an incident of racism that is still impacting the community even in modern times, a discovery that threatens the living history project she and her students are creating. Themes in the novel include the importance of stories, the importance of knowing one’s history, and the devastation of social injustice.