Two families, generations apart, are forever changed by a heartbreaking injustice in this poignant novel, inspired by a true story, for readers of Orphan Train and The Nightingale.
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 fianc�, 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.
Advance praise for Before We Were Yours
“Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power. That Georgia Tann and her Memphis Tennessee Children’s Home Society could actually exist, unraveling the lives of countless children, stealing their pasts and changing their futures, will give you chills. But the real feat of this stirring novel is how deeply Wingate plunges us into the heart and mind of twelve-year-old river gypsy Rill Foss. Rill’s utterly singular voice will stay with you long after the last page is turned, as will Wingate’s courage to follow her anywhere. . . . Vivid and affecting.”–Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of Circling the Sun
“A powerful tale of family, of sisters, of secrets kept and secrets shared. I absolutely loved this book. I’m still basking in the afterglow, in shock at the true-crime elements, in awe at the journey of these characters who seem to have immortal souls.”–Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
“An unforgettable read . . . This captivating novel will quite likely break your heart, but because it’s Lisa Wingate at the helm, you will not be left broken. She is a master storyteller and never fails to get to the heart of what makes us hold on to hope.”–Susan Meissner, author of Secrets of a Charmed Life
“Lisa Wingate’s heart-racing tale of a family ripped apart by the Tennessee Children’s Home Society scandal rang so true I couldn’t sleep until I knew their fate. Days later, I’m still haunted by the diabolical plot to steal and sell the most vulnerable children to high bidders, sanctioned by high-ranking officials who looked the other way.”–Julie Kibler, author of Calling Me Home
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Summary
From: Rebecca Maney
Book Title: Before We Were Yours
Book Author: Lisa Wingate
What do you like about this book:
"You'll sleep here until we find out whether or not you're staying for good. . . . . "
"What's that mean . . for good?" Rill Foss's rhythmic world aboard her family's shanty boat was traumatically upended one dark stormy night on the river; she and her four siblings left aboard as their father frantically transported their mother to the city hospital. Forcibly removed from their home the next morning, the children are horrified to learn that the life they once enjoyed, however simple and pitiful in the eyes of many, has been substituted by an unimaginable nightmare. As wards of the Memphis Tennessee Children's Home Society, the children suffer intolerable indecencies, wondering if life on the Mississippi has become a distant and irreversible memory.
Federal prosecutor Avery Stafford has been groomed for greatness by her prestigious Aiken, South Carolina family for years, everyone assuming that she will marry her long time friend, then eventually seek her father's position in the state senate. Having recently returned to South Carolina, Avery is learning to deal with her beloved grandmother's transition into long term care along with her father's steady health decline. When she happens upon a photograph that sends her family history into a tailspin of uncertainly, her inquisitive mind demands to find the answers to questions that no one wants to answer.
Through-out the pages of "Before We Were Yours", Lisa Wingate beautifully merges disturbing reality with uplifting possibility for , . . . . "life is not unlike cinema. Each scene has its own music, and the music is created for the scene . . . . .. no matter how much we may love the melody of a bygone day or imagine the song of a future one, we must dance within the music of today". Will Avery devleop the courage to "find her own music"?
Enjoy another outstanding story by a masterful storyteller. I received a copy of this book from the author. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.
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