Before We Were Yours: A Novel

by Lisa Wingate

THE BLOCKBUSTER HIT—Over two million copies sold! A New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller

“Poignant, engrossing.”—People • “Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power.”—Paula McLain

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.

Publishers Weekly’s #3 Longest-Running Bestseller of 2017 • Winner of the Southern Book Prize • If All Arkansas Read the Same Book Selection

This edition includes a new essay by the author about shantyboat life.

• ISBN10: 0425284700
• ISBN13: 9780425284704
• Publish Date: 21 May 2019 (first published 6 June 2016)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Ballantine Books Inc.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780425284704

Reviews

[Marissa Lupe Author]

Much like the kids I've met volunteering through the foster care system; the children in "Before We Were Yours", by @author_lisa_wingate will stick to my heart as sap sticks to a tree. Forever held tight there, solidifying and becoming one with my being. Trying to see into the depths of the atrocities committed against children, is like trying to see through the water in a storm; ever changing direction, constant and deep. Yet somehow, Mrs. Wingate shared this story with so much love and hope, I wasn't focused on the wrongs committed. Instead I'm left with a smile and a sense of courage to face anything.. much like Rill, my new heroine. Please add this title to your book lists, you won't be disappointed. ❤️

[kaliwinn]

My rating: 5/5

**************

This book had me laughing, crying, and overall emotional from start to finish! This was my first Lisa Wingate book, but it definitely made me want to read more. 

**************

Before We Were Yours is based on a true story of Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children's Home that ran from the 1930s through 1950 when it was finally shut down. Tann was operating what, on the outside seemed to be a legitimate group home facility for children without biological families. However, Tann was actually stealing children away from their homes and selling them to wealthy families who wanted to adopt. 

**************

Wingate creates a compelling set of characters who experience the children's home, and through “time leaps” slowly reveals what truly happened to a family when the children were taken by Tann. The children Wingate created were fictional, however Georgia Tann was a central figure throughout the novel. 

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

From the minute I heard about Before We Were Yours I knew I had to read it and once I finally got my hands on a copy, I was NOT disappointed. The way this story is told -- the present reflecting back to the past -- is one of my favorite storytelling devices. Rill's voice is strong and the need to find her family and know what happened pulls you through the book. The connection to the present storyline is a bit weak for my taste, but nonetheless, I sped through this book anxious to know the connection between the folks involved and what the resolution would be. The events in this book are based on a true life events and the resolution is satisfying and not overly saccharine.

[pagesbycyndy]

Review

This book was one that I read in one sitting. I really connected with the characters. The way that the past and the present were threaded throughout the book made the story come alive. I could just picture the setting and the characters as they were in the late thirties to early nineteen forties. This was also a tearjerker,  all of the siblings ripped from their parents as their mother was recovering in the hospital. What they go through as they are waiting to be sold to a wealthy  family is just beyond sad, this is based on the real life scandal of Georgia Tann who stole poor children from their homes and sold them to wealthy families. May aka Rill is a strong character who tries her very best to keep her siblings together but only succeeds with one. Avery is from the present day and is just uncovering her grandmothers secret that is long buried. I thought that the story was so well written and very respectful to the subject matter.

Avery seemed to do what is expected of her by her wealthy family most of her life. When she starts to unravel her grandmothers past Avery starts to come into her own. There is a bit of a romance but not too much to take away form the story. This story is one that has stayed with me since I put the book down. It was a very moving book. I look forward to reading more from this author.This review was originally posted on Cindy's Book Binge