Lisa Wingate tells the stories of those, especially children, whose lives have been lost or forgotten in our history. In this dual timeline story Lisa reveals the shameful history of her home state of Oklahoma as timber and oil barons stole the land and livelihood from Native Americans and their families. Ollie and Nessa leave their home escaping from Ollie’s abusive stepfather after Nessa’s sister Hazel, both Choctaw, disappears and Ollie becomes concerned for Nessa’s safety. Their goal is to reach Shelterwood, a refuge Ollie’s father built up on Winding Stair mountain. Along the way they meet a number of other children fleeing work and family abuse.
Valerie is a present day ranger who takes an assignment in the new Winding Stair park to start over with her young son after her husband died in a tragic mountain accident. Facing discrimination bordering harassment, she is determined to find a young man who’s gone missing and, in the process, discovers hidden secrets of the mountains.
The two storylines converge at the end.
Shelterwood is beautifully written and well-researched drawing heavily on archival texts.
The characters are well-formed and the plot weaves together perfectly. Descriptions of the mountains were stunning.
Highly recommend, especially for those who want to understand the personal stories of our American history—the stories of those abused and with no voice and those who gave voice when no one else would.
This stands alongside Before We Were Yours as a portal into a time and period little known to most.

Shelterwood was another amazing book by Lisa Wingate. I appreciate all the research she puts in to her books. This was another story by her that I won't soon forget.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.
I was attracted to this book right off the bat because of the author. I had read a beautiful book of hers a few years back, "Before We Were Yours" and was excited to give this new one a try. The synopsis looked interesting.
The book switches back and forth from 1909 to 1990 with two different viewpoints; one from a child, Ollie and the other from an adult, Val, a park ranger. I typically enjoy historical fiction and this fit the bill perfectly with the two alternating time frames, one very historic and the other more recent, but still over thirty years ago.
There is adventure along with mystery between both storylines and I kept wanting to turn the page to get to the next part. Set in a fictional national park, the imagery and description from the author made it feel like I was right there, along for the ride in the forest. While the story was fast paced, had crime elements, as well as a little mystery, I felt at ease and peaceful reading the book because how the authors words made me feel. I never felt nervous or on edge trying to figure out the "who-done-it", I just wanted more of the story and was so pleased when the two stories started to connect. It only took me short time to finish this book, it was a great read!
I would recommend this book, and especially to anyone who enjoyed Lisa Wingate's other novel "Before We Were Yours."

As with her other books, Lisa Wingate has done a great job with her research into this interesting & heart wrenching part of American history that I’m sure most people do not know about. It’s a dual timeline of 1909 & 1990, the links are not confusing and it’s all well told. It’s a fast moving story in both parts, with a bit of thriller vibes to it. It is also a hard read, like others of her books, as it covers hard topics. Content warnings will be helpful for some readers (child abuse, drug use, racism). Overall though, a well written book that I would recommend to anyone interested in this part of history/can handle the subject matter.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy of Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate. As a fan, I couldn’t wait to read this book on a topic in which I knew little. The treatment of indigenous people in order to steal their lands away from them is a topic of boos and movies such as Killer of the Flower Moon. Oklahoma lands were where indigenous people were forced to move, then once the value of the lands became evident, a new track was taken to pull the land out from under them.
Told in dual timelines, we see a group of children called elf children, trying to get by and the white folks trying to “save them”, when in reality they want to control their land. 80 years later we meet a park ranger, new in the job and a rare female in the position, trying to raise her son alone, adjust to the new home and position, and stumbling into a possible murder mystery.
This is not a page turner for me. In fact I loved the last 20%, epilogue, and authors notes the best. The beginning of the books as very good but I soon found myself wanting more and we were in a cycle of getting in and out of trouble with the kids, and trying to follow dead ends in a case while the locals were covering up their tracks. It was hard to keep interest in the middle, for me.
Over all though, Lisa Wingate knows how to write books about orphans, stolen children, and kids done wrong. This is an unusual historical fiction in a sea of WWII books, so give credit where due. While I might (ok would) suggest Before We Were Yours first, this book would be a grab for folks wanting more after “flower moon” written in a historical fiction fashion.
3.5 stars but no more.

Lisa Wingate has another great book in her latest Shelterwood. This book has a dual timeline plot that is woven together seamlessly. I definitely recommend this book. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC. This is my unbiased review.

I received a copy of the book "Shelterwood" by Lisa Wingate, from NetGalley. I would rate this book a 3l5. I have been a fan of Lisa Wingate so was happy to read her recent book. Sheltewood takes place in Oklahoma. The times are set in two different years. 1909 and 1990. In 1909 the book follows three young girls. Olive or "Ollie" Hazel and Nessa. Ollie is 11, Hazel 13, and Nessa is six. Hazel and her sister Nessa are Native american from the Choctaw tribe. the girls who are orphans come to live with Ollie and her mother and stepmother. Hazel disappears and now Ollie and Nessa are on their own and have to escape to the woods and find a way to survive. Fast forward to 1990 Valerie narrates her story. She is in law enforcement and is trying to locate a missing teenager. when they come to a cave they find the skeletons of three children who have been there for years. now the book goes back and forth from 1909 following the children and other kids who are in the woods trying to survive.and 1990 with Valerie trying to piece together the mystery of the three skeletons and finding the missing teen. Since this book focuses on two certain years the readers find out eventually how these years come together. In my opinion I preferred the year 1909, I found the parts in 1990 with Valerie dragging in parts and wanting to go back to 1909. The author explains at the end of the book the history of indigenous people and how they were treated in Oklahoma in 1909.

This is a dual timeline story about the elf children and the women who fought to protect them and their rights.
1909 Olive is living with her mom and stepdad along with 2 orphaned Choctaw girls., Hazel and Nessie. When Hazel goes missing, Olive and Nessie leave to find her and get away from their mean stepdad. The story follows them as they are on the run trying to get to the Winding Stairs.

1990 Valerie and her 8 year old son move to Oklahoma because she takes the job as the park ranger law enforcement for the Horsethief Trail National Park. Soon after she arrives bones of three children are found in a cave and a teenage hiker goes missing.

I am a fan of Lisa Wingate since she wrote “ Before We Were Yours”. She does a wonderful job with all her research in her books and this book as well. This is a fast moving story with historical history aspects and a thriller as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House- Ballantine for the arc copy of this book.

Once again Lisa Wingate has reminded us of the treatment children endured during periods of our past history in the U.S.
Shelterwood has a dual story timeline in both 1909 and 1990. The story is based on real events that took place in Oklahoma. The various tribes of the Indian nations of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole were forced to leave their lands throughout the Midwest and south and head west. Many of them settling in Oklahoma. This story begins with Olive Augusta Radley, a young child who runs away from a brutal stepfather with two young Choctaw girls. They survive in the woods and mountains on whatever they can find and meet up with other abandoned and abused children also on the run. Many of these Indian children were owners of land after their parents either died or lost touch. But so called guardians, men with little to no true relationship to them, were able to illegally obtain ownership of these lands leaving the children with nothing and to fend for themselves.

A new park ranger and recent hire in Oklahoma with the National Park Service, Valerie Boren-O’Dell, becomes involved in the cases of missing bones of three children found in a cave as well as two missing teens believed to be lost or hiding in the Winding Stair Mountains.

How all these events are intertwined becomes a story that is both heart wrenching to read and yet such an interesting part of history. Lisa Wingate provides extraordinary research into the events of the past that many probably know nothing about.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely heartwrenching historical fiction novel split in time between fin-de-siecle Oklahoma and the late 1990s. It centers on the stories of a group of children called the elves, who are orphaned, neglected, and taken advantage of, and the modern-day park ranger who tries to figure out what happened to them. It's hard to say I recommend this one - it's fascinating and historically nuanced but the child abuse is incredibly hard to read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

4 ⭐️s!! Lisa Wingate has done it again with another heart wrenching historical fiction! Two time lines, the 1990s and the early 1900s, will tell the story of the Choctaw tribal lands. Ollie and Nessa broke my heart as they endured the hard life and hatred in Oklahoma. Make sure you add this book to TBR list! Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Net Galley giving me the opportunity to give my honest opinion on this novel.

The story takes place in Oklahoma in two time frames 1909 and 1999. The earlier story tells of Olive Augusta Radley, an eleven year old, and her concern for two Choctaw children who are boarding in their home. Olive flees with the younger girl, Nessa, after the older girl disappears. They run to the outlaw ridden Winding Stair Mountains, and while along the way meet up with other exploited children and they form a band.

In 1999, Ranger Valerie Boren O’dell, a new hire meets controversy when a teen goes missing on a hike The park opening is causing some worries and then a cave is discovered with the skeletons of three young girls.

The story is all tied up with the land, the oil, and other minerals, and the ownership of such land is the cause of the children's plight.

Once again, Lisa Wingate explores deeply a topic that I was not aware of. I always like that her concern is and has been the children and this story is proof that in times past children were a target of the worst kind.

Thank you to Lisa Wingate, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this amazing story.

I enjoyed this next Lisa Wingate novel. The Oklahoma history was new to me so I definitely learned something and recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about how children and native Americans were treated at the turn of the century. I loved the back and forth in time and the wrapping up of the story connections at the end. Mostly I enjoyed the character Ollie, who was a true pioneer and feminist at an early age. A very quick read because it will be hard to put down..
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

I have enjoyed all of this authors books, and this one is no exception, even though I am not a big historical fiction fan. The story she tells here is important because it is based on fact.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When I came across this book, I was really excited, because I loved Lisa Wingate’s,” Before We Were Yours”.
Even though the author has shined a light on a very sad part of Oklahoma, US and Indian history, I have to say I was extremely disappointed in the book. There were two main characters, and she switched each chapter, highlighting, one of the characters. I’ve read many books like this before and usually it doesn’t bother me, but just as I was getting into the character, the chapter ended and she switched to another character. I found this very disconcerting. I also felt that when she would finally get back a chapter about the former character, she didn’t pick up where she left off. It seemed like there were parts missing, and therefore hard to follow. I certainly enjoyed the last two chapters, and she did a very clever way of pulling it all together, but prior to that it was a long slog .

Lisa Wingate never fails to please with her writing. Wonderful historical fiction about the forgotten indigenous children from Oklahoma. This story weaves together the tail from 1909 and 1990 to bring to a close a story that needed to end. Very well written. I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

I absolutely loved Before We Were Yours, so I was incredibly excited to read Shelterwood. It did not disappoint!

The story begins uncertainly for both main characters and follows them through hardships and the sadness of loss. Valerie is looking to solve a mystery (plus heal her heart & start living) and Ollie is looking to survive and make something of herself.

The story follows these two as we watch their stories unfold and it’s a delight as they do.

Provided by NetGalley + Ballantine Books, but all opinions are my own.

Four plus stars on another amazing historic novel from Lisa Wingate.

Alternating timelines (not my favorite) between 1909 and 1990 Oklahoma outline greed, graft, the plight of natives at the end of the Trail of Tears, and the abuses experienced by those impoverished by the rich and greedy. Another story that certainly wasn’t taught when I was in school, a dark time in American and Oklahoman history that’s been hidden.

I am so grateful for authors like Wingate who uncover stories like this, make them readable and real, and remind us that we really must be vigilant to keep history from repeating itself.

This book took me on a heartbreaking journey through a time in our nation's history that should have never been ignored. The monstrosities that Native American children and their families endured were truly appalling and despicable. The story takes place in Oklahoma, alternating POVs between Ollie in 1909 and Valerie in 1990. Ollie is eleven years old, and she took me on a fairy tale adventure into the forest with her band of wayward kids. Her story was so vivid and rich in the history of that time period that I felt like I had travelled back there myself. Back to a time before women's rights when books were only distributed by library wagons and children were abandoned to fend for themselves. I learned so many things that I had never known. Despite this tale being hard to stomach, it was educational, interesting and extremely well written. I would have liked to know more about the history of Joel and Val, but it wasn't necessary. Just a personal preference. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend!  

Thank you to the author, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

Lisa Wingate’s Shelterwood is a Historical novel which alternates in time between 1909 and 1990. The 1990 sections feature Valerie, a newly appointed Park Ranger who becomes involved in the discovery of three sets of bones in a cave in Oklahoma. The 1909 sections follows the fates of Ollie and a small group of orphans, some of whom are Choctaw Indians in the same Oklahoma mountains. In the end, the two timelines meet and mesh, which should feel more satisfying than it does - possibly because the pieces are revealed in a retelling by an old Choctaw woman instead of coming from one of the characters, which feels clinical and emotionless. Wingate’s ability to capture the landscape is skilled - in both timelines the reader is immersed in the lush beauty of the mountains, the woods and the surrounding areas become like secondary characters. This is a captivating novel about history and politics, what it means to leave behind a life you have loved for something new, and how it feels to push through uncertainty to trust and happiness.