This is a great real-life account of stories of families that were affected by Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children's Home Society. I highly recommend it for anyone who reads Wingate’s novel Before We Were Yours and wants to learn more about this terrible part of our history. Wingate and Christie do a wonderful job documenting these stories and bringing the survivors and their families together- giving them a place to speak out and share their stories. It’s a heartbreaking read, and it took me a month to get through it, but it’s worth it.

Thank you to Ballentine Books via NetGalley for the advanced copy to review.

I am absolutely horrified such a person as Georgia Tann existed. The pain suffered for generations is a tragedy. It’s also horrifying to think she was never officially brought to justice.

While I agree some children went on to live extraordinary lives it still doesn’t change how crudely they were adopted. I do believe you should have the right to your adoption records. I do not know much about adoptions but if there is one thing I hope is learned is that adoption facilities should get detailed health information of the families from the families for the children.

My eyes have been opened and my heart hurts for the Georgia Tann kids. Hopefully, nothing like this happens in the USA again.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

I read "Before We Were Yours" by Lisa Wingate and knew I would have to read "Before and After" also. This is the non-fiction piece to Ms. Wingate's novel. These are the heart-wrenching stories of the children that were either stolen, taken illegally, or parents that did not know what they were signing. Some children went to good families, others did not. This is their take on the situation they were put in and how they coped. Some of those children just want closure, others want to find their siblings. There are good stories and there are the sad stories but Georgia Tann got off too easy. Shame on the Tennessee system to not realize what was going on. It was great to read about the reunions that did happen and sad to read about the ones that did not. Thank you to Ms. Christie and Ms. Wingate, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Before reading Lisa Wingate's Before We Were Yours, I had never heard of the Tennessee Children's Home Society even though I only live a few hours from Memphis. That book touched so many people who were unaware of the history of that place and for those who lived it, it stirred so many memories. They, in turn, needed to tell their first hand accounts and the rest of us needed to hear their heartbreaking but courageous stories. May we all learn from their words so that this travesty is never allowed to happen again.

I thought this book was just okay. After really enjoying the original, I had high hopes for this one and loved the premise of following up with those directly affected by this tragedy and injustice, but the delivery was difficult for me. The story jumped around and with so many characters and story lines, it got extremely confusing and was hard for me to follow.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Following the publication of "Before We Were Yours" by Lisa Wingate, there was great interest among some of the real adoptees and their families to get together, share their histories, and possibly find lost relatives. "Before and After" came about as the two authors arranged and ultimately held a successful and tearful reunion. It was heartbreaking to read about Georgia Tann and her Tennessee Children's Home Society during the 1920s until 1950. It is sobering to realize the impact that the earlier events had on the lives of the adoptees, their families, and their birth families.

On the positive side, some of the adoptees realized that their adoptive parents provided wonderful lives and more security and love than they might otherwise have received.

This is perfect example of how important reading can be. The prior volume of historical fiction led to real-life reunions and allowed these people to discover more about their roots.

A great follow up to Before We Were Yours. Enjoyed reading the stories of the children and families that were affected by Georgia Tann's evil actions.

I tried so hard to get into the book. It was good, I’m not disputing that. It just kept my heart broken and at a time when I needed more uplifts than that. The characters in this book are so sad to me. The treatment of children who have no one. It was truly awful to me. I’ll never understand how anyone can take a child and treat them less than human.

Some of the characters in this book were great and others I very much disliked. It was well written for sure but so darn sad. I never want to think about things like this happening again if I can help it.

Thank you to #NetGalley for this book.

4 stars from me

Before and After was a book that was hard to read but also hard to put down. Hard to read because it told the stories of some of the children who lived at the Tennessee Children's Home Society and the hard lives that they lived there. But it was also hard to put down because I became so involved in those lives that I had to find out what happened to them as they got older.

I read Lisa' book, Before We Were Yours and loved it! Before and After touches on some of the real-life stories of the children who were affected by living at the Tennessee Children's Home Society—stories that are both heartbreaking and touching. It was amazing to me, and I'm sure to Lisa Wingate as well, the response her book got from the children, now adults, who lived in this home, sometimes wrenched away from their families.

Before and After brings some of those children and their families together so they can get some closure on that time in their lives and move on. What a beautiful thing it would have been to witness these reunions. This truly is an amazing story!

If you are a fan of the book Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate I highly recommend this book of stories from the real orphans/victims of the Tennessee Children's home and Georgia Tann. This woman did not only affect one generation of children but these children carried that pain into their own lives and families and it affected generations.

I am sure there are 100's more stories out there but this was a really fascinating cross section of the orphans.

Thanks to Lisa Wingate for bringing these stories to light and giving these victims the courage to tell their stories! And to the victims thank you for the courage to tell these stories!

Highly recommend reading both this book and Before We Were Yours!

Oh my, what an incredible story! Where fact meets fiction in a most unexpected way! This amazing story took on a life of its own after hearing from many of the real life survivors who were adopted out of the Tennessee Children’s Home, under the care of Georgia Tann.

I am not a writer, but if I were I would imagine that this book must be one of the most heartwarming, rewarding things an author could become a part of. Many of the real-life children (now adults) became inspired to tell their story and let their truth be heard because of Lisa Wingate’s story Before We Were Yours. Their personal experiences vary greatly. Many had wonderful stories of their upbringing to tell, others did not, but they all share a common bond and I find it nothing less than amazing.

If you loved Before We Were Yours and want to learn more, I highly recommend this nonfiction companion!

I loved Before We Were Yours and was haunted by the story. When I learned stories of the actual survivors of Georgia Tann's Tennessee Children's Home Society were to be told by Lisa Wingate, I jumped at the chance to read the stories.

You must read Before We Were Yours before reading this book for it to have the impact and meaning it deserves. When you finish Before We Were Yours, you will want to know more. The author and Judy Christie joined forces to tell the stories children who survived this nightmare. There were successful adoptions, if you could call them that. The author did not dwell on the negative and salacious details, but the trauma experienced by many of the survivors (and their children) was described with respect and fairness.

The horror of having children illegally taken from poor mothers without explanation or legal recourse, and no or false documentation for prevention of reunification is a nightmare that is not isolated in our history. The trauma inflicted on both the parents and the children reverberated for generations. This is a powerful book told through excellent writing and it is as relevant today as it was during Georgia Tann's time. Monsters still exist.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book for an unbiased review.

4.5 Stars. I was so incredibly moved by Lisa Wingate’s “Before We Were Yours”, and this is the truth behind the fiction. Beautifully composed, this was at times like a newspaper, then a personal interest piece, then a scrapbook, and dotted with photos & article cuttings. I have been in turns stunned, incredulous, and horrified that such a system that was intended to protect children and the needy instead preyed on them, but this gives the rest of the story. By the end of the book, the highlighted adoptees, family members, and coordinators felt more like friends, and proved that there was hope outside of Georgia Tann’s reign of terror.

Heartbreaking accounts from the victims of the Tennessee Children's Home Society scandal. A must read for anyone who enjoyed Before We Were Yours. I'm left wondering if it's possible Georgia Tann convinced herself that she was doing something good by all of this or if money was her only thought. I'm curious whether or not she ever denied an orphan or a family wanting to adopt?

Before We Were Yours is fiction based on Georgia Tann and The Tennessee Children's Home Society where children were basically sold, some were stolen children. After the release of the book, people whose lives were affected by Georgia Tann began coming forward telling their stories. Children of those people wanted information on the birth families for medical history, as well as wanting to know what happened. Why were they given up? Do they have other siblings? Who is my family? We also get to know about some of the birth mothers and why they felt they had to give up their children. Some had their children stolen from them to be sold. Georgia Tann preyed on the young, scared, and the very poor.
Judy Christie, along with Lisa Wingate began to interview family members, as well as some of those adopted out of the Home, and plan a weekend reunion for those affected by this scandal. Thus, the book Before and After.
One has to wonder how a woman, and those she had in the palm of her hand, be so uncaring of these children and so wicked? We learn of ill babies who came to the home, to be left in a crib to basically, sink or swim.
We also learn of the graves of so many who did not make it.
So many sad stories, but very brave and determined people to choose to seek out their birth information.
Also, sad that Georgia Tann did not pay for her hideous crimes here in this life. How someone could have such a cold heart is beyond my understanding.
How emotional this must have been for those telling their stories, and for the two authors listening and writing them.
I believe that in the reunion came healing for many people. Also, the making of new friends.
This is a very touching and moving book.
I was given this to read by the publisher, Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Few books have impacted me the way that BEFORE WE WERE YOURS, did two years ago. I can't explain why it hit me so hard, I'm not adopted and beyond my sister giving away a son I have no other close ties to the subject. Perhaps it's because the subject matter was just so heart wrenching. Now Lisa Wingate and Judy Christie return with real stories from adoptees and their families, real victims of the Tennesee Children's Home Society nightmare. Such passion and love is found in these stories, there is no grand embellishment, just the honest raw stories that people have lived with all their lives. I cannot say enough about this book, it is beautiful and leaves me feeling hopeful for the men and women who were once just babies and children when caught in this awful deceit. Must Read!

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Win-gate published the stories of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society and Georgia Tann. I had no idea this occurred in history and it remains with me as a devastating and eye-opening read.

I was so excited to hear Lisa Wingate and Judy Christie had a non-fiction version of real-life experiences. They are similar to the fictional accounts but the true accounts were remarkable to read. Some had positive experiences but it was just devastating to hear of how this impacted so many people.

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy.

This pulls at your heartstrings! Quite an insight to how one woman can change the life of generations. Very well written and with such compassion from the author!

After Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate was published the stories of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society and Georgia Tann exploded. Many of the affected children recognized themselves in the fictional work.

Upon contacting Lisa Wingate with their stories, the idea of a reunion was sparked. This true book brings some of those real-life experiences to light. While they are similar to Ms. Wingate’s fictional account the factual sharing of what children really went through is staggering. Some had positive experiences but many recall tragic events as the result of Ms. Tann’s corruption.

I would highly recommend reading Before We Were Yours first to get an idea of the horrible things that occurred by association with Tennessee Children’s Home Society. For example, one woman said that the prior book was her life. Without having read the story she is referring to the reader will have no basis of reference. Then, read this book. It is certainly recommended, as well.

As is always the case with books by Lisa Wingate, this is well written and captivating.


I received an ARC from Ballantine Books through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am submitting this review voluntarily.

I'm sorry-this book got archived before I downloaded it. I am interested in it, though, and am planning on buying it. When I do, I will leave a review here.