The Pink Bonnet is a fictional tale of the horrifying real account of the corrupt Memphis Tennessee Children’s Home Society led by Georgia Tann. For the most part, I enjoyed this novel, though I felt it was slow-moving at times. For readers who enjoy historical American crime stories, this book is sure to please. I am grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for this my honest review.

Memphis 1932,
"So what happens with Millie now?" "She'll be placed with a much more suitable family"
A charity organization kidnapped children to sell to wealthy families,a lawyer and a mother search and try to discover
Secrets, favors, break the law, help and save children, liars, pain.
The book shows the reader how much a mother loves her children, how much pain she has when something happen to them, how a mother
seems in need of help but she is strong, full of love, restless, determined to do the right thing for the youngers.
If everyone shows other people a bit of love, help, right, the world could be better.
Thank you to Liz Tolsma author, Barbour Publishing, Netgalley.

Settle in for a good emotional read!

This story was an incredible, amazing tale of a mother’s unrelenting love. Following Cecile’s journey was gut-wrenching at times, but there was always hope that she would succeed in rescuing her daughter from the grips of Georgia Tann.

Fans of Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate will adore this book. In fact, these two books would be a great pairing for book clubs, gifts, or just to enjoy on your own.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, but I also listened to the audio copy via the library. This review is my honest opinion.

3.5 stars
The best part of this story is how well it taps into Cecile's heartbreak over losing her little girl. The emotions portrayed in the book are so well done that it added another star; you feel what the characters are feeling. Though it wasn't exactly fun to identify with them because of the pain Cecile is going through, and the angst adoptive mothers Darcy and Gladys face in their private lives, it's well done.

The men in the book (mostly Vance and Griggs) aren't as well developed and honestly it came as a chock to discover late in the book that they had known each other as kids. They get the job done and serve a purpose, but I really didn't feel like I knew either of them super well.

I listened to a library copy audiobook, and the narrator honestly wasn't one of my favorites. She spoke often with a heavy Southern accent but then ignored some traditional Southern pronunciations, which really confused my mind (if you're from the deep South and you don't call bologna "baloney" at all times, are you really Southern?)

There were several places where the plot rather fell apart and I didn't think it was believable all the way through, but it's one of the more enjoyable ones from this series.

Thanks to the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.

What Happens When You Explore the Ugly Side of “Adoption?”
Written with careful attention to historical detail, The Pink Bonnet does more than chronicle a young mother’s desperate search for her child. It also shows a subtle picture of God’s relentless pursuit of His own children, ready to rescue each one from Satan’s clutches.

If it sounds cruel to compare Georgia Tann to Satan, well… you’ve got to read the book.

Lord Acton’s words about absolute power corrupting absolutely shows in the way Tolsma portrays the director of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. I believe in any other book written by any other author about any other person, the portrayal would have been over the top. Instead, Tolsma made me believe that I was watching the events play out on the screen.

Not going to lie. There were times I wanted to shake, smack, and otherwise do violent things to different characters. At first, I took that as a problem with Ms. Tolsma’s writing.

But I don’t think it is. I think her writing did exactly what it was supposed to. Since when does a panicked mother ever behave in logical, rational ways when the safety—rather, the life of her child—is at stake? That would have been unrealistic.

Look, I tend to be rather unruffleable. I just move along and do the next thing. Fix it. I’m a fixer. But when an airline moved my minor child to another airline that no one at LAX had ever heard of, you’d better believe I “ruffled.”

Sure, if you want to get nit-picky, there are tiny things. A couple of small anachronisms that most likely wouldn’t notice et cetera. But frankly, I didn’t even care.

From page one of The Pink Bonnet, I wanted Georgia Tann to get her comeuppance. I knew she wouldn’t—not really. I knew how her story ended and it was long after this book. Choosing this year instead of one closer to the end of the Memphis horrors? Brilliant. Leaving it open-ended like that only added to the suspense. And I think that’s pretty cool.

Who would like this book?
Lovers of suspense. Seriously, I think Liz Tolsma mentioned somewhere that this was her first suspense novel. It should not be her last. She managed to capture the momentum and keep it rolling. She got that “snowball” effect started and it crashed at the end of the book with a terrific bang. Well done.

Those who love spiritual truths woven into the story with subtlety and grace will love this. There were no deep theological discussions. You didn’t run across grandiose, spiritual epiphanies. Instead, the realistic clinging to prayer and the dual storyline layered over and under the main story—one of God’s care and provision, even in the dark ugliness of this world—proved rich and true.

Who might not care for it?
If you like your spiritual content overt and strong, you may not be satisfied.

Additionally, if emotional declarations of undying love aren’t your jam, be aware. There’s one near the end. It’s actually my only quibble, and not just because I’m not a big fan of sappy romance. Something about it felt forced—too clean and precise. As if the character read his lines from a playbook instead of speaking them from his heart.

Seriously, though. We’re talking half a page at most. And it’s probably just me. I really liked The Pink Bonnet—almost loved it. I’ll be rereading it as soon as possible because I wonder if I wouldn’t have absolutely loved it if I hadn’t been interrupted so many times while reading it.

If so, I’ll be adjusting my review then. Meanwhile, I recommend it for anyone who loves suspense and can handle the reality of ugliness perpetrated on children and innocent families. The scenes aren’t graphic, but they are realistic and don’t shy away from the horrors inflicted on Memphis during these years.

Of all the books in this true crime series, I really struggled to finish this one. Something about the main character, Cecile, just didn’t draw me in.

This was a book that brought to life a very difficult time in Memphis, with evil cruising the streets, no child was safe. I have read books about the Memphis Children's Society before, but never one that brings it to quite so personal of a level.

The story is about young widow, Cecile Dawd, and her three-year-old daughter, Millie Mae. When times get tough for Cecile she goes looking for work leaving her daughter in the care of an elderly neighbor. Never did it occur to her that her neighbor would call Georgia Tann and give her daughter away. Cecile does not give up and is determined to find her daughter, no matter what. When she meets Tann's legal assistant, Percy, she is more than outraged that he helped take her child, but then he realizes that what he did was wrong and helps Cecile try to find Millie Mae. Their attempts are great, but it seems Tann is always one step ahead of them, and hinders Cecile from finding her daughter.

This was a book that brought the time of the Memphis Children's Society to a more personal level, especially being a mother. The emotions, the roadblocks, the feeling of defeat in not having or being able to find your child. And to think there were so many that could not find their children.

I am loving this new mystery series and cannot wait to read the next.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I definitely felt for the poor widowed mother who lost her daughter. Until reading this book, I knew nothing of Miss Tan or the Tennessee Children's Home Society, so it was an eye-opening read to see that a place like that existed and that a person could be so cruel. I couldn't believe that she was able to steal and kidnap children just to sell them to richer families who wanted a child. I couldn't imagine being that mean, and I wonder if the families knew they were technically getting kidnapped children, not true orphans.

The single best thing about this book? It has a unique historical backdrop, one I haven't read about in fiction yet (let alone even heard of the whole affair before). It kept me pleasantly surprised as the story unfolded, as I had no clue whatsoever what was going to happen next. (A piece of history I don't know about? That's a bonus for me!)

Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based children's home, is snatching children right off the street, to sell them. Whoa! This is true stuff, people. Now, this particular story takes place in 1932. Cecile Dowd is now a single mom with a daughter, Millie Mae. Little three-year-old Millie Mae is taken... and just like that, Cecile goes on a manhunt to track down who took her daughter. Cecile enlists the help of the man who aids Georgia Tann in her kid-snatching endeavors. He's turning a new leaf it would seem, and he has access to the information.

The writing style is fairly good. The setting is super intriguing to me. Plus, it's true crime fictionalized AND falls under the Christian fiction genre? Yep, I just had to pick it up.

I love the premise of this series in basing stories upon true crimes. The Pink Bonnet is the second one in the series. I was previously exposed to the crimes of Georgia Tann through a novel by Lisa Wingate. Simply horrendous what happened to children and families at the hands of one woman over decades. While the crime itself is fascinating, I found some details of the fictional story line to not be fully plausible. Overall, it was a good novel and I look forward to the next in the series.

Love love love this series!!! It's managed to tie together several of my favorite things: true crime, historical fiction, and Christian fiction. Highly recommended!

This book is heartbreaking, and yet an excellent work of fiction. The history is sadly fascinating. I loved the perseverance of the main character!

The Pink Bonnet is part of Barbour Publishing’s new true crime series, which makes this statement from the front matter a little laughable:

"This book is a work of fiction … Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental."

Um, no. The Pink Bonnet is a fictional story based on the real-life Georgia Tann of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society, and her kidnapping and sale of babies and children in adoption between 1924 and 1950. Tann was aided in as many as 5,000 illegal adoptions by a lawyer, a judge, and a mayor.

Anyway …

I’ve previously read Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, a dual timeline story which dealt with one fictional family broken by Georgia Tann’s misdeeds, so I knew The Pink Bonnet was going to touch on the tough subject of adoption. Liz Tolsma was an excellent choice to write this story, as she’s an adoptive parent herself, so understands some of the issues firsthand.

The Pink Bonnet is the story of widow Cecile Dowd, whose three-year-old daughter is handed over to Georgia Tann by her neighbour, who was babysitting Millie Mae while Cecile ran an errand. Cecile will do anything to get her daughter back, but soon finds that logic and law aren’t on her side.

She needs help—which comes in the form of Percy Vance, one of Georgia Tann’s lawyers. Vance has his own reasons for supporting Tann’s adoption crusade. He begins to doubt Tann’s motives when he realises Mrs Dowd isn’t the uncaring and ignorant mother Tann portrayed.

This turns The Pink Bonnet into what could have been a run-of-the-mill romantic suspense chase to find Millie May. Instead, the author adds a layer of complexity by introducing two families who have recently adopted girls from Tann—girls they soon come to love. Is Millie one of these girls? Which one? And what will happen if and when Cecile Dowd finds her daughter?

There are no easy answers. I’ve read one previous novel in Barbour’s true crime series, The White City by Grace Hitchcock, the story of America’s first serial killer. In some ways I found that easier to read, because the author had injected touches of humour which kept the book from becoming too dark.

The Pink Bonnet had no such light-hearted moments, which increased the tension almost to the point of being unbearable (especially as I knew Georgia Tann was an evildoer who really did ruin thousands of lives). But it’s also an excellent novel that wasn’t afraid to ask the hard questions about adoption.

The story is timely, given the news stories of ICE officials taking suspected illegal immigrants into custody—including reports of children being taken on their way to or from school … something Georgia Tann was known to do.

Overall, The Pink Bonnet is a well-written and thought-provoking story, but one that might hit too close to home for some readers given the subject matter. Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

This was a very sad story of how things actually happened in it’s time. What a mother will go through, the lengths she will go to for her child. They are endless. A true mother never gives up on finding her child. This book will reach into your soul and yank out your heart. It has all the feels.

Very well written. Likable and unlikable characters. You will recognize some of the famous names too. This book will keep you on the edge.

Thank you #NetGalley for this book.

A 5 star book that I highly recommend.

The Pink Bonnet


What I think you should know:

The Pink Bonnet is the second book in the True Colors series, however it can be read as a stand alone because each book features a different true crime. This book contains a fictionalized tale about the dark side of adoption in the early 1930’s. It includes a real woman, Georgia Tann who an adoption in Memphis, Tennessee from 1924 to 1950.

What I wish I would have known:

Just how very heartbreaking this book is. If you have ever loved a child you may find yourself wondering what you would do if you were in the shoes of Cecile . This book contains children who have been taken from their families, often times kidnapped or taken under false circumstances.

Who I loved the most:
Cecile Dowd is such a strong mama, she was willing to go to the end of the earth to try to get back her baby. While I grew to love Perry Vance my heart ached for RD. Griggs and his wife. I also enjoyed how Liz Tolsma, the author, showed the darker side of politics and how far it reached.

Who will love this book( Just to name a few):
Fans of True Crime
Fans of Historical Fiction
Fans of Suspense

I received a complimentary copy for this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.

This is set in the early 1930s and the mother of a 3-year-old girl who is widowed. She is doing all she can to provide for her child and trusts her daughter to the care of children’s home. We find the director is known for the disappearance of many children. Her daughter ends up disappearing too. We go on the search along with her mother looking for this young child and hope they are reunited as a lawyer helps. The author does a wonderful job taking us through the journey and the emotions. Readers feel the mother’s determination to find her daughter and we are there in full suspense from start to finish. The author tells a fiction story of true crime happenings of the time providing readers an emotional picture of what parents had to deal with during that time and the heartache they felt.

It took me a bit to get into this book... but once I did I very much enjoyed it. I was shocked it was based on a true story... what a horrifying event for any parent/child to face!!

It's been some time since I read a Tolsma novel. But, let me tell you. This was a wonderful way to get back to her work! She took the perfect amount of true history and added beautiful details to it to turn this into an incredible, mysterious fictionalized novel. Definitely worthy of 4 stars and recommendations!

The Pink Bonnet by Liz Tolsma is not the typical book I’d select. I usually am not drawn to mysteries, crime, or even covers like this one. However, when I read the description I just couldn’t stay away. Then when I realized it was “based on strange-but-true history” I was riveted. The story had me locked in quickly, the first few pages dove right into the excitement which led to this being a very quick read.

Something sinister overshadows the Tennessee Children’s Home Society

The main character Cecile Dowd is widowed and struggling during the great depression, I don’t necessarily relate to her circumstances themselves; but the description of her child Millie and how she felt as a mother with a busy toddler who just can’t stay out of mischief… that I could relate to. I think this fact is why when the story takes a dark turn and Millie falls into the “clutches of Georgia Tann the corrupt Memphis Tennessee Children’s Home Society director” I felt like my own child was in danger.

I loved how Tolsma weaved together the suspense, mystery, and adventure. Honestly I felt like the faith aspect did not play a major role and when it was mentioned it was more like a fleeting or added thought or sentiment. This didn’t bother me as I feel like faith can be that way in our lives sometimes. However, if someone picked this up to read a historical fiction or mystery not realizing it had a faith element they might be taken aback by the inserted spiritual thoughts, or if the reader selected intentionally to read a “Christian fiction” with hopes of being encouraged or challenged spiritually I didn’t feel this story provided that.

All that said the story itself was fascinating. It made me want to learn more about this terrible piece of history and I thoroughly appreciated the “Author’s Note” at the end which included pieces of what was real and what was added by the author for the sake of the story.

The story will whisk you away, and definitely enraptured me in the adventure and suspense of whether or not Cecile Dowd will ever be reunited with her daughter.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of the book, all opinions are my own.

The Pink Bonnet is one of six books in the True Colors series. The books in this series are based on historical stories of American crime. The true story that inspired The Pink Bonnet is shocking and hard to believe. From 1924 until 1950, a corrupt lady named Georgia Tann ran an adoption agency in Tennessee. She was involved in many illegal procedures including kidnapping thousands of children and selling them for outrageous prices. The Pink Bonnet uses some fictional characters, but instances like this really did happen by the hands of Georgia Tann. In this book, Cecile Dowd's daughter is kidnapped by Georgia Tann and Cecile will stop at nothing to get her daughter back. Nothing can stop a mother's love.

I was so surprised to find out that this book was based on real circumstances. This story is so sad to read as you think about the thousands of parents who suffered the loss of their children. The author did a good job of telling this story and building characters that felt real and relevant to this historical crime story. I have enjoyed this series and look forward to reading the next book. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.