This book, as well as a following book in the series, The Yellow Lantern, left me bored. I just could not get invested in the story and the first few chapters were difficult to figure out what was happening and who the characters were. There were many abrupt and confusing aspects to the story. While the horrors that Georgia Tann inflicted on the children placed in her care were real, this book just did not appeal to me.

I guess the writing style is just not one I particularly enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

Cecile Dowd is struggling to provide for her three-year-old daughter. Unwittingly trusting a neighbor puts little Millie Mae into the clutches of Georgia Tann, corrupt Memphis Tennessee Children’s Home Society director suspected of the disappearance of hundreds of children.

The writing style or something just didn't jive for me. The story seemed choppy and relied on Tann's pure evil to carry it.

2.75☆

This book along with the series I had kept seeing pop up in my searches for books coming out soon! The look of the book attracted me to it, so I read what it was about, I had heard of the Tennessee Children's Home Society before. So I jumped at the chance to read this book. This book captivated my attention from the beginning to the end! My heart went out to the characters and goes out to the children lost in real life to this sad, sad story.
In the book The Pink Bonnet. I loved how Cecile would not give up even when everyone including the police was against her. Cecile loved Millie so much that she never gave up, even when hope faltered she persisted. Her strong faith in God kept her going. Cecile's strong determination helped expose the cruelty and horribleness of Georgia Tann and her evil empire. Cecile is a woman worth admiring.
Percy was a man who had grown up without much and got caught up with the luxuries that he had been given for his lawyer services to Georgia Tann. But when he met Millie he began to question them. Percy showed great bravery in the fact that he gave up literally everything to try to help Cecile find Millie again.
Little Millie she was so brave and spunky. She never forgot her mother at all even when everyone around her tried to tell her that she was gone. Millie was a fighter and never gave up even when abused and stolen.
I highly recommend this book. It will teach you a lot and keep your attention from the first sentence to the very last!
"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

What an intriguing take on this part of history. Cecile Dowd and her plight had my heart from the beginning. Percy, on the other hand, has some maturing to do, but I so enjoyed his character development!

The historical aspect is intriguing and grotesque as you wonder, how could this have happened? Definitely a great book worth discussing over.

I was both intrigued by this book and horrified that it is based on what really happened back in Memphis, Tennessee in 1932. This book kept me up reading almost all night and was the first thing I had to read in the morning! As much as it was an intense topic I enjoyed seeing the characters come together.

Next book to read in the True Colors Historical Stories of American Crime is The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dickin

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

The Pink Bonnet is a perfect companion read to Lisa Wingate's book Before We Were Yours. Both books are about children who were kidnapped by Georgia Tann, the Tennessee Children's Home Society director. During her tenure, Georgia Tann is estimated to have kidnapped over five thousand children between 1924 and 1950. One thing that makes The Pink Bonnet stand apart from Before We Were Yours was that this author gave me a closer view of Georgia Tann and her evil ways. Every time Georgia was featured in the book it was a cringe worthy performance and I doubt the author really had to exaggerate. A person who is estimated to have kidnapped over five thousand children probably would be a horrible person to be around. It's just surprising that she got that many people to look the other way when it came to protecting the lives of innocent children. It would have been heartbreaking for families to have their children stolen from them and be told that you were unfit to parent them. I like how the author even let you into the psychology of the flip side of the equation. Many of the receiving parents justified their adoptions because they thought they were saving their adopted children from deplorable situations. Little did they know, that many of these adopted children were actually kidnapped from loving families who unwillingly gave their consent for these adoptions.

I found this book to be highly suspenseful and riveting. I actually read it in one day because it grabbed me from the beginning and never let up. I just can't imagine having to live through the kind of experience that Cecile lived through and have so many people turn you away when you think they should be obligated to help you. (Cecile's 3 year old daughter was kidnapped by Georgia Tann.) This is the second book I have read in this new true crimes series and have found both books to be very entertaining. I am looking forward to reading more books in the series.

Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review a copy of The Pink Bonnet. All thoughts expressed in this review are my honest opinions of this book.

This is the 2nd book in the Historical Stories of American Crime series, each book is a stand-alone. I liked the premise for both this series and this book. Georgia Tann was an unknown to me and what she deliberately did has left me somewhat speechless (author notes at the end were informative).

Liz Tolsa is not a new author for me, it was nice to get reacquainted with her writing again. This book is a little shorter than her usual fare and given the subject I think it was the right fit. Any longer would have dragged this story out and I don’t think my emotional side could have handled it. I’ll say this book is not for the faint of heart, there is a strong subject matter of abuse here and at times hard for me to read.

I struggled to connect with the players here, well except Millie - I loved her. I didn’t feel the emotions that this story warranted and seeing reviews it would appear the issue is me.

Though the ending was somewhat predictable I struggled with some unresolved plot points, without giving too much of the story I needed some closure and felt a little cheated - but based on history it couldn't really be changed.

The Pink Bonnet is a story of a mother’s determination, it’s a dark period in history that will stay with me for a long time. Not one of my best reviews, but seriously I needed to get this written and move on to something cheerful and try to put this out of my mind.

Thank you to the publisher (via Netgalley) for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Pink Bonnet # NetGalley
Liz Tolsma ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Liz Tolsma did a great job on her debut novel. This is a heartbreaking story about the broken adoption system in Tennessee when it was run by dishonest, non ethical figures who had no scruples In abusing the system. At times, as a reader, it just made my blood boil as to how these unfortunate children and parents were treated. The story follows one mother who after having her daughter taken, does everything in her power to get her back. She does gain some support along the way who help her in her persuit of her daughter. The system is so corrupt that it is hard to know who to trust. This story is based on a real person, Georgia Tann, who ruled over this system from the 1930’s to the 1950’s. I have read several stories based on these tragic adoptions and the broken system that allowed it to happen. This story does have a happy ending, but not all of them did. It is a real eye opener if you have not read about these horrible true stories about this broken adoption system. I do recommend this book to readers who like historical fiction, with a little romance thrown in. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love the idea of this series and have learned a little about history with each book that I have read. It is horrifying to know that magnitude of what one woman did to countless families. As far as the book goes, The Pink Bonnet is a quick and easy read. I did not get as emotionally invested as I had expected. I found myself slightly disconnected from Cecile and even Millie. I think it is because I struggled with the relationship development in the midst of the loss. There were moments that felt forced and maybe a little unrealistic to me. It was a quick read. I did enjoy it, it's just not going to make my list of favorites!

A roller coaster ride from beginning to end. Barbour Publishers has created a series of historical crime novels based on real crime that happened here in America. This is a story you will not want to believe is based on a real person and real events.

Two year's ago I got my first introduction to the sickening world of Georgia Tann when I read the book Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. As an adopted child, I see Georgia Tann as nothing short of Satan in the flesh. She took advantage of vulnerable parents, and young mothers only to make a buck.

Within the 256 pages of this book Ms. Tolsma weaves a mystery that keeps you turning the pages. Her historical research of not only Georgia Tann, but the Memphis Tennessee Children's Home Society is clearly evident on every page.

Cecile, Percy, and Millie as well as the supporting character's are real, and believable, as well as the situations they're put in. All of the children's actions throughout the book were something you would expect a child to do.

This is a horrible mark on America's history. And if we don't learn from our history we're bound to repeat it. With human trafficking so prevalent today I wonder if we don't have some of this repeating today. If you've ever seen Mommie Dearest you've seen how badly Joan Crawford treated her children. What's not shown in that movie is how she gets her kids. Georgia Tann sold them to her and other celebrities.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In a way I like it when a book really grips me—and in another way I don’t! If it grips me so that I can hardly wait till I have a chance to pick it up and read another page or two, I know it’s well-written and a fascinating story. On the other hand, that means I get distracted somewhat from my primary role as a wife and mother! And, in the case of The Pink Bonnet, I might even lose sleep because I read “for just a few minutes” after I go to bed early—and then I realize that nearly an hour has passed! Oops. Yes, this is quite the story.

Cecile had lost her husband to illness; all she had left, since her parents hadn’t approved of her marriage, was her three-year-old daughter Millie. Life was hard, during the Depression, and she had a hard time finding work to support the two of them—but as long as she had Millie, life was good. Then one day she came home to collect Millie from the neighbor who watched her for a few hours and found that her daughter was gone.What could Cecile do to find her baby?

Soon, Cecile found herself in a situation she could never have dreamed of, after discovering that Miss Georgia Tann, from the Tennessee Children’s Home, had stolen Millie. With the help of Miss Tann’s lawyer, Cecile searched for her little girl, only to have hope snatched from her fingertips time after time. How many more children had the woman stolen? What happened to all of them? The story switches back and forth between several points of view, including homes where little girls had been adopted. Would Cecile ever see her baby again? Could she and the lawyer evade retribution from the evil woman they were investigating? Many parts of this story are absolutely heartbreaking.

I’ve read a number of accounts of children who were stolen when very young and sold to adoptive parents, and because of someone I know who discovered that she had been adopted in suspicious circumstances, I really wanted to read this story. The author has done a superb job of showing readers what was happening to children in Tennessee during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. I couldn’t believe the corruption present in the government and law enforcement agencies, and the heartlessness of those involved in the illegal adoptions. This is a horrifying book—and a well-written mystery with a light romance included.

While this is a fictional event, its rooted in the tragic truth of Georgia Tann and her practices of kidnapping children for the purposes of black market adoption. This book made me sick to my stomach, cry, and rejoice in equal measure. Thanks to the publisher and author for allowing me to read this book for the purpose of review. I will be purchasing a copy when its out.

This book is every mothers worst nightmare. Definitely felt the emotions the author was trying to portray and felt like I was along for the journey. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

I thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. This author was new to me and I was not let down. It was a great story and very well written. The characters were easy to relate to and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend this to everyone!!

If I hadn't known that this book is really based on real circumstances, I would have found the story quite difficult to believe. How could a woman kidnap or steal so many children without being caught much much earlier??

As it is, I read "The Pink Bonnet" with a lot of sadness, imagining how so many children could have suffered because of the evil woman.

The story somehow did not flow for me. I kept reading to the end only because I wanted to know which child was really Cecilia's! And did she survive??

Thank you Netgalley and Barbour for this ARC. This is my honest review.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, Barbour Publishing, Inc and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Ms. Tolsma's novel, part of the True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime series, is a riveting one. A page turner that lingers with you well after you're done reading.

An excellent choice for readers of Historical Fiction. 5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

Life can be rough for a single mother. In 1933, it was worse. Looking for help to support herself and her 3 year old daughter, When her daughter disappears from The children's home run by Georgia Tann, it will be a long legal battle to find her.
I've read several books based on Georgia Tann and her long career of selling children. The subject has always stirred incredible disbelief that her system could have survived for so long and broken so many families. This book takes a different, more personal, approach to a dark time in history. As the mother and her lawyer search for her daughter, they will find and report to authorities enough crimes to crumble the Tann Home for Children.

This was a difficult book to read and took me a while to get through, not because of the writing, but the subject matter. Based on the true events of Georgia Tann who trafficked children via adoption, this mommy's heart could not deal with the horrible situation the moms and children had to face.

Some children (like Pearl) was lucky to be adopted into a loving family. Other children, like Fanny, was not so lucky - I had to skip the chapters about Fanny on the farm because I could just not deal with that detail.

"...there was nothing like a mother’s love, other than God’s love for His own children. Fierce. Determined. Protective." Cecile was like a fierce lioness in her search for her daughter.

The first half of the story I found a bit slow and took very long to get through. But at the 50% mark the suspense picked up and I found myself trying to find time to get back to the story and reading way past my bedtime to finish it to see what will happen.

I will not recommend this story to sensitive readers (I'm not a sensitive reader and found some parts disturbing, especially knowing it is based on factual events), but if you enjoy suspense and historical fiction, you would like this book.

Don't even know where to start with this book because it was true to begin with,nothing made up that's what makes it so hard to not even know where to begin! This lady ,not a lady,this woman feed off of other people's unhappiness! Some of the families of single parents had it had enough trying to take care of maybe just the two of them but It's nothing to compare with you wake up or come home to find your child gone and have no clue of where or any of you do know where your child is and after a time you are better or better living situation and your child of children are not where you left them! This woman decided that she was going to take your children of child and adopt them out without your day so! Then when you finally find out another search goes on to try and find out who adopted you child and where are they now and then on to of that you are good It's legal,like really,I can go get a lawyer or the police and have them help you,you can't afford a lawyer!! Very,very powerful book,my emotions were all over the place as I put myself in these peoples place as if they did this to me and my two boys!!I got mad,I cried,I was so sad! I had to put the book down ever so often to get myself calm down at times,but that's me,doesn't mean everyone will do this!! So,so many people were involved in this so call kidnapping and money making scam where they really didn't have to worry about money dud my this awful time in American history!! These that were involved they knew what they were doing and that it was against everything you were taught not to do by God. How they lived with themselves I have no clue but then to profit from it!! It's a.just read just make sure you have a hankie with you!Received this book from Net Galley,Ty so much!😺😺

Widowed Cecile Dowd is doing her best as a young mother to take care of her daughter, Millie Mae. Times are tough, though and jobs are pretty scarce during the Depression. The summer of 1933 was a difficult time for everyone and most especially for the single mother living in a rundown apartment. Cecile makes the mistake of leaving her daughter with the neighbor for a short time while this neighbor calls the society to have them take Millie due to poor care of the child. Cecile is devastated and is only left with Millie’s pink bonnet. She takes every avenue she can think of to get her child back, but just gets roadblocks at each attempt. She finds a sympathetic attorney that is actually willing to help her and they both quickly find out just how corrupt this woman and the society were.
The horrendous reign of Georgia Tann over the Tennessee Children’s Home Society was striking fear in the hearts of parents across the city. Memphis was as corrupt as it could be and Miss Tann literally got away with everything that she did. She stole children that she found living in “unacceptable” conditions and took them off the street corners if their parents weren’t watching closely. It was a tense time in our nation, and most especially in Memphis where this lawless woman kidnapped children on a daily basis. She took over 5,000 children and they were literally sold to the highest bidder. This was a money-making scheme for her and she lived well, raking in the bucks from people who desperately wanted a child.
This is part of True Colors, historical stories of American Crime series from Barbour Publishing. As a mother of two adult children, this is a difficult book to read because losing your child is a mother’s worse nightmare. I can’t imagine being in the situation of losing a child through no fault of your own. The Great Depression is dragging on and this mother is really doing the best that she can with a part time job. Her home is clean and neat but shabby due to lack of funds. The author handles the story very well and this fictionalized version of a true story will keep you turning the pages. There are excellent author notes at the end that details the research involved in the novel.
I received a copy of the book as a giveaway from the publisher and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”