When I saw the synopsis of this book, I knew right then that I had to read it. Based in part on the infamous Georgia Tann, who brokered children from the 1920s to 1950 under the auspices of the Tennessee Children's Home Society, it is riveting, heart-wrenching and a compelling read. Tann organized, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country.

Five children are stolen one night in 1939 from their family's shanty boat when their father rushes their pregnant mother to the hospital. Told they will be returned as soon as their mother is well, they see hope on the horizon. But they are soon disabused of that notion. The facility's cruel director is in controlling and hateful and they are at her mercy. Completely.

Avery Stafford, present day SC, comes home to help her ailing father with his political career and has a totally chance encounter at a nursing home. This encounter will lead her down a path to a discovery that can wreak devastation on her family. Or bring peace.

Lisa Wingate has taken a horrific time in our history and weaved a tale that will absolutely break your heart and keep you spellbound until the last word. Told through the first person of 12 year old Rill Foss, Wingate delves deep into Rill's mind and heart very vividly. I was completely entranced with this novel. Unforgettable, thought provoking and captivating, it will also just break your heart as you read what was done to so many innocent children and think on how this must have affected their lives. I highly recommend this novel. It is a must read.

*I was given a preview copy of this book by the publisher via Net Galley. I was not asked to leave a positive review. My opinions are honest and my own.

I gave it 5 Stars on Goodness! Thanks to NetGalley I was able to read a ARC of this book.
Lisa Wingate has taken an ugly heartbreaking part of history and written a beautiful, loving story. I was taken in from the beginning and was sad to have it end.
I highly recommend buying a copy!

I received an ARC from Net Galley. This book was amazing. I could not put it down once I started it. The story of these 5 poor children and how they were taken away from their parents and basically sold to wealthy families really shocked me as I have never heard of this particular scandal in Tenesse (I'm from Chicago). Narrated by Mae (Rill) in the past where she and her siblings are kept in a holding house while waiting to be adopted. They are all maltreated and eventually split up except for Rill and her one sister, Fern. The other narrator in the present is Avery whose grandmother has dementia but she manages to connect her grandmother with another elderly lady in a different nursing home through pictures they both have. The story is sad but probably what really happened to so many of these children in the 4o's and 50's. The really terrible thing is that many powerful people knew this was going on and did nothing to stop it. Georgia Fann, the leader of the entire adoption scheme made tons of money selling kids to rich people. So so sad but clearly a piece of our history. Highly recommend this book as it is definitely worth your time. Lisa Wingate is an amazing writer!

Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate, draws you into the lives of the characters from the beginning. I couldn't put this book down. Georgia Tann, called "The Mother of Modern Adoption", had some unacceptable adoption practices, as seen in reports about the TN Children's Home Society. Imagine being deemed an unfit parent just because you were poor. Imagine being part of a rich, political family and discovering that your life may have started out differently than you thought. As Avery, a lawyer, visits a retirement home facility and meets an elderly lady, who mistakes her for someone else, she begins delving into her past. This is heart-wrenching, thought-provoking novel. This story is a book club "must read"!

In 1939, twelve-year-old Rill Foss lives with her parents, three younger sisters, and a toddler brother in a ramshackle shantyboat on the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tennessee. All is well in their world until the stormy night when their father has to rush their mother to the hospital across the river in a frantic attempt to save both her and the twin babies she's struggling to bring into the world. The next morning, while Rill and the fifteen-year-old ward of their family friend are in charge, the police come and force the five siblings into a car, saying they are taking the children to visit their folks in the hospital. Rill knows this is a lie but is powerless to prevent her siblings from being kidnapped and taken to the Tennessee Children's Home Society orphanage where Rill, her sisters, and her brother are plunged into a nightmare of abuse and separation.

In present-day South Carolina, Avery Stafford is a privileged daughter of a prominent family, a successful attorney, and engaged to marry a lifelong friend. While home helping her father the senator get through a health crisis, an elderly woman in a nursing home mistakes her for someone else...and changes Avery's life forever. Buried family secrets lead Avery to question who she is and what she wants in her life.

Rill and Avery's stories are told in alternating chapters, urgent and riveting, their paths slowly converging in ways both inevitable and unexpected. Bittersweet, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful.

4.5 stars, but I'm rounding up because the .5 off is solely due to my incomprehension over why the present-day characters feel the past should remain a secret. Who cares if it becomes public knowledge that nearly 80 years ago children were kidnapped and sold to adoptive families? The perpetrators are long since dead, and the victims deserve to have their stories told. How would it harm the senator if people knew his mother had been one of those children? This makes no sense to me.

For readers' advisors: all four doorways are strong, especially character & story. In some ways it qualifies as a "clean read," but the subject matter might not be what readers are looking for if they ask for that. The novel is based on real-life events wherein Georgia Tann ran a Memphis-based adoption organization that elevated the perception of adoption and orphans while simultaneously ripping families apart as she coordinated the kidnapping and sale of impoverished children to wealthy families across the country from the 1920s to 1950. Thousands of children endured horrific abuse, and hundreds died (or were killed).

I do not recommend reading this novel at bedtime because you won't be able to put it down, and if you did manage to put it down, you'd lay awake thinking about it instead of sleeping. Or at least, that's what happened to me!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

Twelve-year-old Rill Foss, the “princess of Kingdom Arcadia”, lives on the Mississippi River with her parents and four siblings in a homemade shanty boat built by her dad. The river proves to be more forgiving than land during the Great Depression, and Rill’s family flourishes on hard work, a little food, and lots of love. They don’t have much but they’re happy. Queenie, Rill’s mother, must be rushed to the hospital late one night while giving birth to twins. Policemen come to the boat the next day and kidnap the five siblings, starting a nightmare of abuse, scandal, loss and perseverance for Rill.
Told from two angles, one from Rill during the 30’s; the other from Avery, a distant relative during present day life in Aiken, South Carolina, the plot weaves closer and closer together, keeping your interest with each turn of the page (or touch of the screen, whichever applies!).
The story and people are fiction but based on true events that happened in Memphis Tennessee when Georgia Tann was investigated for child trafficking, running a black market baby adoption scheme that involved powerful political and Hollywood figures. Lisa Wingate gives life to each character and their surroundings; you’ll hurt for the victims as if they truly existed.
I can easily recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about human emotion, especially when the plot is based on historical events. It will captivate you with the first page, and you’ll keep reading until you can make sense of the mess created by stolen children, whose identities were wiped clean, names and histories changed. Excellent read, but will leave you with a sadness that this situation happened and flourished during harsh times.

This was a very well written, eye-opening book! I had no idea that this tragedy existed in our country's history. Something that should be taught in schools, and never be forgotten. The writing was exquisite, especially the chapters that were told by May/Rill.. I will definitely be recommending this book for purchase, and in Reader's Advisory!

love it so sad but i had to finish it. a must read

Fascinating story that was based on the true story of a black market child adoption scheme that ran out of the unlicensed Tennessee Child Home Society. It is amazing that this home ran from the 1920's to 1950's before it was shut down.
The author brings this story to us by introducing us to a family of five children who were taken by authorities after their parents were tricked into signing papers at the hospital they were told would help them with medical fees. Twelve year old Rill does everything in her power to keep her brothers and sisters together, but one by one, they disappear to other families. The book is also told from the point of view of wealthy Avery Stafford in the present day. After a chance encounter with an elderly woman at a retirement community, she begins to discover that her grandmother has a secret life and she sets out to discover more. Wonderful book that was so well written! I received a complimentary ebook from the publisher in exchange for a review.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and Lisa Wingate for the ARC (advanced reading copy) of "Before We Were Yours" by Lisa Wingate for my honest review.
The genres of this novel are Women's Fiction and Historical Fiction. This story has fictional characters but is based on the true scandal with Georgia Tann and the Memphis Adoption home. Children were kidnapped, and disadvantaged parents would sign papers unaware that their children were being sold to wealthy families for profit. There were reported cases of abuse and deaths at this Adoption home. Georgia Tann had many top Politicians and the law by her side, depriving the children of their rights, and treating them as chattel
The timeline and places for this story are in the past, 1939 in Memphis Tennessee, and in the present time in South Carolina.
The characters are described as complicated and complex. Georgia Tann is described as evil, dangerous, manipulative, and corrupt. Most of the employees that worked for Georgia Tann turned a blind eye, and some were sadistic and were bullies.
The author describes the children as innocent, frightened , scared, confused. Some of the children were brave and courageous.
In "Before We Were Yours", Lisa Wingate tells the story about a family that lives in a shanty by the river.The mother is having a difficult time delivering twins, and has to be moved to get medical help. In the time that the parents are gone, the children are taken by the local law officials and placed in the Memphis Adoption Agency.
I appreciate the way that Lisa Wingate writes about the hard times at the adoption home where the children are brought. I could feel my heart break at some of the parts in this story. The storytelling shifts between the past and the present.
Avery is a prominent attorney part of a wealthy and politically active family. Her father is in a political high political position. One of the discussions they are in involve nursing homes, and how the elderly are treated.
At one of the homes that they visit, an older resident calls Avery a different name, and insists that they know each other. This starts Avery on an adventure to discover her family and her self.
I like the way the author writes about betrayal, loyalty, and secrets. The author also describes family, friends, trust, love and hope, The author makes me think, what is the cost for searching for the truth? How could this scandal go on for so long and cause the consequences that it did for many families and children?
I would highly recommend this intriguing novel, and look forward to reading more from the author. There are some Kleenex moments.

I received this ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

This fictionalized story is based on the true events of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society which was organized and run by Georgia Tann in the late 1930’s. Rill Foss and her siblings are taken away from their parents and shoved into the adoption scheme of Tann.

This interesting book is well written and kept me wondering how the two story lines of May and Avery would eventually collide. There is much information on line about Tann, because of her the laws around adoption homes were changed.

Good book. 4☆

Where do I even begin? I loved every single thing about this book and could not get enough of it! It flowed perfectly from beginning to end, and from 1939 to present day (skipped back and forth from chapter to chapter). I loved getting to know all of the characters and seeing how the relationships tied together throughout the novel. This book was loosely based off of the despicable history of the Tennessee Children's Home Society; the deplorable conditions and the innocent lives that were forever affected from that time period. Yet, this story was not at all depressing, it was inspiring! I loved this book so much that I am putting it on my short list of "2017 Best Books". I have already told everyone within an ear shot of me that this is a must read!! This book will stick with me for a while and I plan to pick up some more books by Lisa Wingate!

This is the tenth book of Lisa Wingate's that I've read and I believe it is the best. Lisa has such a talent for weaving stories that beautifully blend past and present narratives and her wonderful writing seems to get better and better over time. Before We Were Yours is a heartbreaking tale of children being treated as commodities for greed and financial gain. This is tough subject matter and hard to stomach because it is based on facts, but also because we know innocents are exploited daily around the world. But this story does have some positive aspects and happiness woven throughout.

It's hard enough for those raised in "normal" circumstances to be who they truly are / want to be. I can't even imagine what it was like for the kidnapped children to have their families and identities ripped away from them. I applaud May, Judy and other characters in this book for creating their adult lives, but also reconnecting and remembering their childhood and beginning in life. I highly recommend everyone read this story, as well as Lisa's other titles, especially Dandelion Summer and The Story Keeper, two of my favorites!

Before We Were Yours is the first novel I've read by Ms. Wingate. I was totally captured by the story and by her writing. I've never been drawn in quite so deeply into the lives of characters and their tale. This book tells the historically correct story about the Tennessee Children’s Home Society which was run by Georgia Tann in the late 1930’s. The story of the main characters was fiction but based on what really happened to many of the children in this orphanage. The plot was written from two points of view, that of Rill, later named May by her adoptive parents and Avery, the daughter of a senator whose grandmother is now in a nursing home.
I've already started researching Ms. Wingate's other books and hope to have another similar experience.
Thanks go to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Ms. Wingate for an ARC is exchange for an honest opinion.

This story may be one of my favorites I've read this year so far. It begins in the thirties with five kids and their parents on a river boat. Amongst a storm, their mother has gone into labor and they have to head to the hospital leaving the five kids to fend for themselves. It's then that they are taken by men claiming they will be brought to their parents but they never are. The story jumps to present day with a young lawyer returning back to her hometown. The story effortless weaves a tale of homecoming between these eras and the characters bringing them together in the end, Knowing the book stems from true life events of many children in this time period is gut wrenching. Yet, as the book professes, secrets shouldn't stay buried forever.
I really enjoyed this book. It hooked me from the beginning. It's well written, the dialectal characters are easy to follow and it gives the book that much more life and realism. It's a definite read again and recommend.

Note: This book will also be reviewed on my blog the week of the 22nd of May,

5 amazing but heart breaking stars.

I have received this novel through the courtesy of NetGallery.
A book such as this one is why I love historical fiction. I so admire an author who can weave a story from what is actually an historical fact. And so it is with this novel.

Ms Wingate has given us the fictionalized story of the Floss family whose life as "river rats" was beloved by their children as much as the children were beloved by their parents. However, the experiences portrayed in this book are actually based on reality. The fact was that in the late thirties up until the early fifties, the Tennessee Children's Home Society which was run by a woman named Georgia Tann (truly evil incarnate) forms the background of what happened to the Floss children. It is a story of loss, of deprivation, of children being stolen from parents and bartered for money by an organization that was not put out of business until the fifties. Many of the children were nothing but chattel. Ms Tamm catered to the wealthy, the Hollywood glitterati, and those in politics. The adoptions brought in numerous amounts of money which of course Ms Tamm pocketed since she had no conscience and no scruples whatsoever.

Woven into this story also was the tale of the wealthy, politically savvy Stafford family and it is through the work of Avery Stafford, the daughter of a senator and granddaughter of a woman suffering the effects of Alzheimer's that the story is pieced together. The chapters alternate between Rill's telling and the determination of Avery to find out what it was that drove her grandmother to be secretive. As Avery discovers the truth, the story of the Flosses is peeled away and brought to its conclusion.

The way in which so many of these children were treated, how they were sold to families is one so bizarre that the reader might feel that they are reading a horror story. While it might be true that the organization did rescue some orphans, it seems like the bulk of the children were taken from unsuspecting parents who oftentimes signed surrender rights in the thought they they were protecting their children. These poor children not only were separated from their parents, treated abominably through beatings, lack of food, and common decency but also, in so many cases, parted from siblings, as was the case with Rill Floss, one of the main characters of this novel. The records of the adoptions were sealed until 1995 and woefully too many years had passed and many of the adoptees were either dead or missing as there were a number of children in the system who perished mysteriously.

For Rill and her siblings the poignant story of trying so valiantly to recover lost sisters and a brother was heart breaking. In the novel, we find out not only what has happened to the Floss family, but also learn that throughout life there are many secrets. Oftentimes the things that one keeps secret are the very things that eventually will set one free.

I can not recommend this novel more highly.

Wonderful story! Couldn't wait to see who was who. So well written with alternating narratives of past and present. This historical fiction prompted me to do some research. Amazing what secrets are hid in our history. A beautiful story of sister love. Love Lisa Wingate and her story telling ability!

Historical fiction at its best!
This story based on real events alternates between history and modern day family
A great read

First let me start by say three things...

1. I am super stingy with 5 star ratings. In my rating system, 5 stars are reserved for the best of the best. Where in my opinion this book belongs

2. I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher, Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review.

3. Wow, best book I've read in 2017.

Before We Were Yours is a heart wrenching, suspenseful, delightful book, it grabs you and won't let you go. The chapters are told in alternating voice between present day, told by Avery, and 1939 told by Rill. The Foss family was a poor family raising 5 children on a Shanty boat. Life on the river was difficult but all were happy and healthy until Queenie (the mom) goes into labor with twins and needs to be taken to a hospital leaving the children alone.

The Foss children are deceptively taken from their biological parents and placed in the cruel and abusive Tennessee Children's Home Society orphanage under the direction of Georgia Tann. Although the story is fictional, sadly the Tennessee Children's Home Society and Ms. Tann are not. I especially enjoyed the dialog, the chapters told by Rill in her "River" dialect were exceptionally well done. Current day and 1939 become entwined as the story unfolds and the suspense keeps you flipping pages faster and faster.

Thanks to Netgalley for the book for my Kindle.
What a tragic story of the lives of many children who were taken from their parents illegally and adopted/given to families with money under false pretenses. An historical fiction novel that will definitely tug at your heart.