Well Written and Hard to Put Down
Synopsis (publisher)
For readers of Orphan Train and The Nightingale comes a “thought-provoking [and] complex tale about two families, two generations apart . . . based on a notorious true-life scandal.”*
Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty.
Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption.
Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong.
Details
- Author: Lisa Wingate
- Publisher: Ballantine Books (June 6, 2017)
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Read Excerpt
- Readers Guide
- Hardcover: 352 pages
My Thoughts:
While I tend to gravitate toward mysteries and more specifically psychological and legal mysteries, this book was so easy to get excited about. But I have to be honest, I listened to an audiobook narrated by Emily Rankin and Catherine Taber. They did a fabulous job of bringing the story to life. So if you are interested at all in audiobooks, I highly recommend this one.
Unlike some of the mysteries that I review, which start out with a bang, you may have to listen or read a chapter or two in order to become familiar with the two families. But I guarantee you won’t feel like you’re plugging through pages in order to get to the real story. You will be sucked into an incredible story that will feel beyond belief.
Why will it feel beyond belief? I’m going to assume you’ve already read the synopsis (above) so I won’t go into too much detail. But you will have learned that this story is based on historical facts. They are fictional characters, but they will touch you in a very emotional way that will feel unbelievable.
Rather than go on and on regarding my thoughts, it might be more meaningful to post a few interesting sites.
Audio Sample:
Read by: Catherine Taber & Emily Rankin
After Reading The Book check out these wonderful resources:
- Wonderful Book Club Kit (free)
- Video Regarding Tennessee Children’s Home Survivors
- Los Angeles Times Related Story: After 44 Tortured Years, a Mother Finds Her Stolen Child
- Information about the book by Lisa Wingate
What Concerned Me:
Nothing at all.
What I Liked Most:
Wingate does a remarkable job of breathing life in her fictional characters. This story of child exploitation is incredibly sad yet is full of love and family loyalty at the same time. I highly recommend Before We Were Yours.
About The Author
Lisa Wingate is a former journalist, inspirational speaker, and New York Times Bestselling Author of thirty novels. Her work has won or been nominated for many awards. Her blockbuster hit, Before We Were Yours remained on the New York Times Bestseller List for over one year, was Publishers Weekly’s #3 longest running bestseller of 2017, and was voted by readers as the 2017 Goodreads Choice Award winner for historical fiction. Before We Were Yours has been a book club favorite worldwide and to date has sold over one million copies.
