This historical novel introduced me to the heart-wrenching and sickening practices of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society & the adoptions and child placement activities that they had in place. I felt compassion for the sibling group that the story follows. The book flips between present time and history as Avery is working to uncover some of her grandmother's past that none of the family was ever aware of.

Set in Memphis Tennesse and on the Mississippi River, Before We Were Yours is a wonderful book but terribly sad story.  This historical fiction story is told in alternating timelines, one set in the past and one in the present.  It does not take long to engage the reader to want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens.  It has elements of historical fiction, mystery, and romance.  

While their parents are away, Rill Foss and her siblings are taken from the riverboat they live on and sent to the Tennessee Children's Home Society.  Rill spends much of the book trying to return herself and her siblings to their home on the Arcadia riverboat.  In present day, Avery meets May at a political event held at a nursing home.  She soon learns May is somehow connected to her grandmother who suffers from dementia.  Avery spends much of the book trying to unravel the mystery connection between her grandmother, Judy, and May.

This book is very well written and I will definitely look forward to reading more from this author.  The story pulled me in and made me care about the characters in a way that is rare.  The Tennessee Children's Home Society actually did exist.  While the author wrote a fictionalized story around it, some elements were based on truth.  Readers will be both amazed and horrified that such a place existed.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel.

While this novel is based on historical events and real persons who existed in Tennessee in the first half of the 20th century, preying on poor families and their children, I found that I had great difficulty relating to it, primarily because of the contemporary story and the primary protagonist. My thoughts vary on this book. Some aspects are well done and the expose of the decades-long adoption ring in Memphis is both interesting and abhorrent. But the total presentation still bothers me, particularly the "heroine" of the contemporary story, who might have stepped out of a romance novel. I wonder how this could have been done differently.

Avery seems the Southern society "girl" made good, who has succeeded brilliantly but is still being hounded by the somewhat stereotypical women around her to marry ASAP in order to fulfill her role in life. There is so much talk of beautifully groomed people and lawns and flower beds in the contemporary story, that I grew tired of reading it. And romance is fine, but must it be such a large component of what should be such a serious historical novel. Or perhaps that's the novel I wish it to be, not what it is.

I am glad to have learned of this history and to have had the opportunity to learn of it through historical fiction, which I find a valuable medium. I only wish the contemporary story had seemed as serious to me. I do realize that many, if not most readers have or may disagree with me, but I can only speak from my experience.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were well developed and the author kept me engaged in the story.

Books that are based on or inspired by real life events have become a favorite of mine, and this one didn't disappoint me. If you read Before We Were Yours (and you should) and it doesn't move or affect you in any way, then you need to check your pulse. The description will tell you everything you need to know about the book, but just know that it is astounding and worth every minute of your time. This is definitely a great book club read! Thank you, Netgalley & Lisa Wingate, for my copy in exchange for an honest opinion. 5 out of 5 stars!

Imagine that someone snatches your young children, then sells them to another family. Sadly, this actually happened, and the woman who did it was considered to be an upstanding person who was helping young orphans find homes. Mixing fact with fiction, Lisa Wingate creates this compelling story of family in her bestselling novel, “Before We Were Yours.”

In the present day, when Avery Stafford tours a nursing home with her father, she is approached by an elderly woman who confuses her for someone else. Intrigued, Avery visits the woman again and sees a photo on her nightstand of a woman who looks like she could be a member of Avery’s family. Slowly, she unravels a family secret of a tragic past. But it’s that past that has made them who they are today.

Weaving the past in among the current day story, Wingate creates a spellbinding novel that is impossible to put down. Tragic, heart wrenching at times, and poignant, this is a story you will not soon forget.

Avery Stafford, daughter of Senator Wells Stafford, was well aware of the family’s place in society and of the importance of maintaining it. Leaving her career as an attorney behind, she returned home to support her father through his chemotherapy and ultimately to be groomed for his Senate seat. After an appearance at a senior citizens’ center, Avery’s dragonfly bracelet, given to her by her Grandmother Judy, is found in a resident’s room. This chance meeting with May Crandall causes Avery to reconsider everything she ever believed about her family and herself.

Though life on the river was not always easy, Rill Foss was secure in her family’s love. The Depression had come and gone, though the Fosses had little to lose. When Rill’s mother Queenie was in a difficult labor, requiring a hospital visit, her father Briny told Rill to keep care of her siblings. Several days later, however, the children were picked up by police and taken to the Tennessee Children’s Home Society, where they were brutalized, given new names and birthdates, and were eventually sold to different families.

Wow. Knowing these kinds of things actually happened to so many children over so many years just amazes me, and not in a good way. How did Georgia Tann manage to get away with actually advertising children in the papers? How was she able to build an empire through essentially stealing children from their families? I truly enjoyed this story, and loved the way it continued to build, layer upon layer, showcasing both the Stafford and Foss families and Avery’s determination to learn the truth.

This book was about five children who lived on a shanty boat with their eccentric parents. The kids loved the life of living on the river because it was all they knew and they had parents that loved them. One night the parents have to go to the hospital and leave the oldest daughter, Rill, in charge of the other children. Unfortunately, that will be the last time the parents see their children. The next morning the kids are taken by police and handed off to Georgia Tann to place in a children's home claiming that the parents signed over rights at the hospital cause they couldn't handle raising this many kids. We also hear the present version of events through the voice of Avery Stafford. She's come home to be by her fathers side as he battles cancer and she is groomed to possibly take his spot as Senator. A chance encounter with the elderly May Crandall during a visit at a nursing home starts the ball rolling on this entire journey through a horrific past and putting the pieces together on how it relates to her family as well.
Ever since reading what this book was about I could NOT wait to get my hands on it. I tried countless times to win ARCs through Goodreads and other facebook sites but unfortunately never won. So alas I had to wait like a majority of the population to dig into this book. When it finally did come, I couldn't put it down. The writing was done so well and Lisa Wingate would leave you hanging at the end of each chapter, which really drove me nuts because the chapters alternating between perspective so once I got to the cliffhanger I had to keep reading through another chapter just to find out what happened and then was left with a different cliffhanger in the chapter between. I was up late many nights unable to put this book down.
The worst part about this book is knowing that it was based on actual events. How often to we read the paper or watch the news and just think, "My God, what is this world coming to with all these evil people." Sadly, the evil and corruption isn't anything new. It's just that we now live in an age ran by media so there are more routes and opportunities to get the news to us as well as to commit the horrendous crimes. The book brings to light the hell that many children experience while in the care of Georgia Tann. She manipulated poor parents into signing over rights to their children and when that didn't work she just stole them. Then placed them in a children's home where they were given just enough to survive and even then that wasn't enough to save some of the children. She would then sell the children at top dollar amounts to the society elite. She never even had to answer for these crimes because too many people's reputations were at stake and they paid good money to keep this out of the public eye. This was happening back in the 30's and it wasn't until 1995 that the adoption records were finally opened to help give some of these people closure. Could you imaging having to wait that long just to know where your siblings were or if they were even alive?? This is a story that needed to be told and I'm glad Lisa Wingate answered that need.

I remember the true events this is based on. Woman who instigated it died before she could be tried and sent to prison for it... universal miscarriage of justice. Adoption, except in the most extreme of cases, should never be an option. Tho' this is a fiction, it is based on a fact and should be read by everyone. Ruthless, monsters are out there and need to be watched out for. Good read.

**I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction, but this book blew me away. It's well written, and the author really draws you into the characters' lives. Very eye-opening and heart wrenching. Great read!

Ballantine Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Before We Were Yours. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Before We Were Yours is based on the true-life story regarding Georgia Tann, the director of an adoption organization that kidnapped and sold poor children to the wealthy. This historical fiction captures a part of America's past that was swept under the rug for many years after the crimes were committed, with many families never to be reunited.

In 1939, 12 year old Rill Foss and her 4 siblings are taken from their home in Memphis, after their father leaves them alone to take their mother to the hospital. Will Rill be able to keep her family together and keep her promise to protect her siblings?

Years later, Avery Stafford seems to have everything: a successful career as a lawyer, an impending marriage, and a loving family. When she returns home to help her father, Avery ends up embarking on a journey that will change what she knows about her past and may impact her future in a meaningful way.

The author did a great job of integrating her fictional characters into a historical period of time. Rill and her siblings came to life, in a way that seemed to fit with both the times and the situations. I would definitely recommend Before We Were Yours to readers who like historical fiction and mysteries.

Posted on: www.readingbetweenthepagesblog.wordpress.com
Date: 7/19/2017

This historical fiction book perfectly weaves two time periods together to tell a story of love, family, and perseverance.

It’s 1939 in Memphis, Tennessee. Queenie and Briny Foss have five children and Queenie is about to give birth to not just one, but two more. The family lives on their shantyboat, the Arcadia, along the Mississippi River. Queenie needs to be rushed to the hospital, leaving their oldest daughter Rill in charge of the other four kids. The police came knocking early the next morning and things would never be the same.

In the present day Avery Stafford is being groomed to potentially take over her dad’s Senate seat. While visiting a nursing home with her dad, Avery loses her dragonfly bracelet. She doesn’t realize it is gone until the nursing home calls her and informs her May Crandall, one of the residents, has found it. It is a sentimental heirloom from her Grandma Judy and she wants to thank May in person for finding it. This visit to May sets Avery on an unforgettable mystery that has the potential to change everything she has ever known.

This book alternates chapters from the present day, told from the perspective of Avery, and the past (1939 Memphis, Tennessee) told from Rill’s perspective. The two time periods have a much different feel. The present day reads like a mystery, with some family drama, and a bit of romance. The past is very much the opposite with heart-wrenching details of children being taken from their parents and being mistreated all for the almighty buck.

This book was based on actual events that took place at the Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage from the 1920’s through 1950. In A Note from the Author – Lisa Wingate tells us that the characters in this book are fictional, but their experiences mirror those reported by children who were taken from their families. The injustices these children suffered went unquestioned for years.

When writing a review for a book that is partially about the mistreatment of children, it sounds odd to say how much I loved the book. In the end it is an extremely heart-warming story about perseverance and never giving up. It will no doubt be one of my favorite books this year!

Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Lisa Wingate for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion.

AMAZING STORY, AMAZING BOOK. This is a gut wrenching story. That will have you enthralled until the end. I have recommended to many of my friends.

Get ready to pay attention as you shift between present day and the past. It is always fascinating to connect the events of the past and their effects on future generations, but this book does even more - it exposes some horrific adoption history. You will be shocked as you read of things that really happened at the same time you are inspired by human resilience!

Before We were Yours by Lisa Wingate is a tale of one woman’s determination to discover the truth behind her grandmother’s mysterious behavior. Avery Stafford is a successful federal lawyer who comes home to help with her ailing father, Senator Wells Stafford, who is up for reelection. While at political function with her dad, she is approached by an elderly woman who calls her by a different name. Avery’s heart is drawn to the elderly woman and as she seeks out information about the woman, she discovers a deeper mystery. Flashback to Tennessee, 1939, Rill Foss is the oldest child of Briny and Queenie Foss, river gypsies who live on their boat, Arcadia. Until one day when she and her four younger siblings are taken from their home and delivered to the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. There Rill tells her story of abuse and lies as she realizes what is going on. Will Avery discover the truth? Is her family connected to the elderly woman? Does Rill and her siblings ever make it home?
At first, Before We were Yours was slow to start. I wondered what the point was as I read back and forth between Avery’s point of view and Rill’s. But soon the story took off and I was hook. I couldn’t put it down. I read into the wee hours of the night, eagerly waiting for the resolution. What happened to Rill and her siblings? When I read the author’s note at the end of the book, I realized the story was based on real events of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society and the woman who ran it. I highly, highly recommend Before We were Yours for the great, intriguing story.

Before We were Yours
is available in hardcover and eBook

What a deeply moving, uniquely beautiful family love story and one of my favorite books this year! Yes, this is a work of fiction, but it reveals the heartbreaking truth of the Tennessee Children's Home Society orphanage in Memphis. I was not aware of the history of this place, nor the injustices associated with it. The author brilliantly weaves the tale of love and family into a coming of age history lesson with the modern day unraveling of family secrets. I highly recommend you read this book and pass it on to your friends and family. It is an important story to share and one that you will not soon forget.

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
This book is a fictionalized account of a family of siblings who were torn apart by a real adoption scandal in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Ril and her siblings were taken from their houseboat home when their mother went to the hospital to deliver twins. In the hospital, her mother was told that her babies were stillborn. Her husband unwittingly signed away all the children, thinking he was signing a paper to waive the costs for his wife’s hospital bill.

The woman behind this terrible account was Georgia Tann, who was the head of the Tennessee Children’s Home. Tann had helpers watching for vulnerable children who she had kidnapped and then delivered to shady boarding homes where they were kept until they were adopted out to couples who could afford the exorbitant adoption fees.

Ril’s name is changed to May and she has the good fortune to be adopted by a well to do couple who have also adopted her younger sister. Flash forward to the present when May is placed in a retirement home and meets rising lawyer Avery Stafford when she makes a political trip with her politician father. Through a set of circumstances, Avery and May become acquainted and pieces of their lost pasts begin to come together.

Lisa Wingate paints a painful picture of the reality of many of Georgia Tann’s adoptees. She layers a story from the present day against the past. Readers are kept in the dark as to the present-day identities of the siblings as the story unfolds. This well-paced story keeps readers wanting more. Wingate’s story-telling skills are excellent. Her characters are fascinating and well-drawn. This is an excellent read. I received a free copy from the publisher for my honest review.

Loved it! Finished in less than 2 days while on vacation in Maine. Back with my full review when I'm back home with my laptop

Daughter of Senator Wells Stafford, Avery Stafford has been groomed to take her father's place as the next senator in the prestigious line of Staffords. However, when her dragonfly bracelet is taken by a resident at a care facility, Avery Stafford is distracted from the family drama surrounding her father's cancer and the political aspirations that everyone is pushing on her. After meeting with the resident who took her bracelet, a photo on the mantel that looks like her Grandma Judy and the woman's knowledge about the bracelet lead Avery to suspect that there is more going on than she can see. Unable to leave the mystery buried, Avery begins a search for the truth.

Rill had always been at home on the river, living on their boat, the Arcadia. That boat was home to her, her parents, Briny and Queenie, and her siblings, Camillia, Lark, Farn, and Gabion. When Queenie goes into labor with another sibling and is taken to the hospital, Rill is left in charge, but the unthinkable happens. Forcibly taken from their home while promised a trip to the hospital to see their parents, Rill and her siblings are instead delivered to Mrs. Murphy's watchful care at a children's home. Though Rill tries her hardest to keep her family together, she is heartbroken time and time again - can they all stay together? Will they ever make it back to Briny and Queenie and their life on the river?

Though Before We Were Yours is a fictional account, it is based on facts about a real person, Georgia Tann, who together with those who worked for her manipulated the poor, stealing children from their rightful parents. It was all under the guise of caring for orphans and those less fortunate, but the power she held over adoptive parents and important leaders made her hold nearly absolute. Through the Tennessee Children's Home Society, she made money on the misfortune of the impoverished. This book brings this tragic piece of American history to life and gives it flesh and bones, showing how these real life events might have played out. The two connected story lines, the present and the past, are woven together until the picture finally becomes complete.

In my opinion, Before We Were Yours is a must-read! Reading it was definitely eye-opening for me - I had never heard about the history of the Tennessee Children's Home. It is a story about the strength of a sister's love and, though heartbreaking at moments, it is a story about finding where you belong because you find those you love. I spent most of the book hoping for the impossible happy ending... wishing my best for Rill and her siblings, and for Avery and her quest.

This book was provided free-of-charge by NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for my review. All opinions contained above are my own.

Beautiful, heart wrenching and so well written. This will be on everyone's To Be Read list this year.