I'll Walk Alone question

I just started reading I'll Walk Alone right after reading The Lost Years and was instantly confused. She uses some of the same characters in both these books. I thought for a second maybe these were sequels/prequels to each other. The Lost Years was written right after I'll Walk Alone. Do these stories somehow intertwine? Should I have read this book first? Do some of the occurrences in this book come up in "The Lost Years"? I just feel like this is not the best book to read now with the plot and characters from "The Lost Years" so fresh in my mind. It may cause some confusion.