I'm struggling with writing this review because I expected this book to wreck me, but that wasn't the case. Because of how short each person's story was I had a hard time connecting with the characters and I feel this book would have been better if they focused on only a few stories. I really wanted to love this one, but ultimately I was indifferent. This topic had the opportunity to be a great book, but it fell short.

What an amazing book!  These true stories of what happened during the time that Georgia Tann  operated her unlicensed Tennessee orphanage after stealing babies, illegally talking the mothers into giving them up permanently instead of temporary foster care.  There were many ways Tann got babies and children and hid them.  This horrible place operated from 1924-1950.
It's very sad what happened to discover many babies died that were sick or premature due to the neglect in the Tennessee Children's Home Society.  This book shares many true experiences by the adoptees and their families.  It is the kind of book that I didn't want to read yet I just knew I had to!  The pain, agony, feelings and knowing something was missing  these adoptees shared in their interviews is heart- wrenching.   As I read to the end my heart felt heavy and I felt like I wanted to do something to help!
This book comes after Lisa Wingate's novel, Before We Were Yours and both books are amazing!

Before and After documents more of Georgia Tann's reprehensible actions. Wingate's novel struck a chord with so many who were adopted and had many unanswered questions. This was such a compelling and heartbreaking read. So many lives affected by a vile woman who played God and profited from it. I enjoyed reading the individual stories, although some reunions were not so joyous. Anyone who read Wingate's book just has to read this book as well.

If you read the book, Before I Was Yours, by Lisa Wingate, you read a historical novel about an Orphanage run by Georgia Tann , which was a black-market baby business at the Tennessee Children's Home Society in Memphis,Tennessee, between the 1920's to 1950.
Lisa's book, brought new awareness of Tann's lucrative career in child trafficking, where much of the profit from the sale of the children went straight into Tann's pocket, under the guise of transportation and court fees.
In this book Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate, documented the stories of 15 adoptees, who were now just finding out about what happened to them as children, or meeting for the first time with others who went through the same thing as they did.
Many have been able to find relatives, which was very hard as they had no real information to go on, names changed as babies and laws that blocked their search until recently.
This was a heart warming look at the resilience of many people as we get a view of what their lives were like both before and after their adoptions.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing
Group-Ballantine for the ARC of this book.

I was fascinated with Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society all the way through. I give it five stars.

This is my 3rd book about the TN Children's Home adoption scandal and it was just as captivating as the others. Wonderfully organized chapters tell the stories of real life children whose lives mirror those fictional characters in Before We Were Yours.

When I read "Before We Were Yours" by Lisa Wingate, I was completely enthralled by the story of young children stolen from their homes and sold to new homes. When I found out it was based on true events, I became appalled. How did this happen? How could it have been allowed, and for years? It made my heart hurt. I read other articles on Georgia Tann and her legacy of pain and was simply devastated for the families. When this book popped up on NetGalley, I knew I needed to read it. The stories that people have to tell, the things they went through, the way their lives were transformed: these stories need to be heard and people need to know. This never needs to happen again! Only in knowing can we prevent a similar tragedy. Also, hearing some of the stories related in this book, opened my eyes to truths that the first story didn't cover entirely: siblings who grew up without brothers because they were stolen from the hospital, parents who fought expensive legal battles for their children's return, daughters hurt by their mother because she spent her life so angry at what happened to her. I found my heart breaking all over again, but I also found something else: hope. These stories all exemplify hope: hope in the future, hope in the present, and hope for families to be reunited! If you haven't read Before We Were Yours, then go get it and read it, then read this one. If you have, then you should also read this one. You will be glad you did!
I received a free copy of this story from NetGalley for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

If you have read Lisa Wingate’s novel “Before We Were Yours”, which was an amazing five-star read for me, I’d recommend this book. The novel “Before We Were Yours” is a work of historical fiction based on the true-life story of child trafficker, Georgia Tann, who ran a black market adoption scheme at the scandalous Tennessee Children’s Home Society from the 1920’s to 1950’s. “Before and After” is a collection of real-life stories of just a few of the 5000+ people affected by these adoptions.

After the release of her novel “Before We Were Yours”, Lisa Wingate began to hear from people affected by Georgia Tann’s Tennessee Children’s Home Society scandal. Together with fellow author Judy Christie, they tell the stories of many of these adults’ childhood memories, along with recent stories of them finding members of their birth families. It’s amazing to hear so many real-life stories, and incredible how many of these adoptees were able to connect with members of their birth family, especially through the use of online resources such as Ancestry.com. I read this book in bits and pieces, as the format is a collection of different stories, and you do not need to read it straight through for continuity. This book did take me quite a while to get through, and it’s a bit slow in parts, but it was good overall. It’s very interesting to see both the positive and negative side of these experiences, since despite the scandalous adoptions most of the people had loving adoptive families, thus resulting in mixed feelings and emotions.

Overall, “Before and After” is a remarkable, inside look at the journeys of these survivors and their connections and relationships in their past and present lives. Through this book, I was able to learn even more about a piece of history I have never known about before reading “Before We Were Yours”.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

If you read and were stunned by Lisa Wingate’s Before We Were Yours then you need to read this book. Before and After gives real life accounts of adoptees and their families affected by Georgia Tann and TCHS. Their stories were heartbreaking. To know that these things actually happened still infuriates me and I just want to read all I can about these events. Highly recommend!

4.5 stars

I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book from Ballantine Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Judy Christie/Lisa Wingate, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

First off, this book is the non-fiction followup to the previous fictional work "Before We Were Yours" by Lisa Wingate. This book that I am reviewing, "Before We Were Yours", is about Georgia Tann, the evil director of a Memphis adoption agency that personally profited from selling babies to well-to-do families. The children up for adoption were kidnapped, stolen, and taken from their parents by horrific means in order to sell them for profit.

I strongly suggest reading "Before We Were Yours" before reading "Before and After" to have a basic understanding of what happened in a fictionalized setting before reading the true stories of the adopted children, adopted/birth parents, and adopted/birth families.

I went through so many emotions reading this book - anger, disbelief, happiness, relief, joy, and all of the other emotion spectrum. This book takes you on a roller-coaster ride that totally pays off. This book is a quick and easy read - I read in a little over a day.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book!

This is a follow-up to Lisa Wingate's incredible work of historical fiction "Before We Were Yours." Before and After relates how some of the survivors of Georgia Tann's adoption schemes reached out to the author following the publication of that book, and how they ultimately coordinated a reunion of those survivors. Judy Christie was also included to help record each of the survivors stories of their life, and how their adoption affected them. These stories, some happy, some sad, also show how the children of those adoptees were also affected. If you loved "Before We Were Yours," you will probably also want to read this. Many thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine books for an e-arc of this moving work of history. Solid 4 stars.

Never before has a book given me such a visceral reaction in just a few pages (the goosebumps went on and on).. "Before and After" by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate has done just that. I guarantee that this book will be one of my top five for 2019. The stories that are shared in this book will touch you all the way to your soul..

“Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived The Tennessee Children’s Home Society” by Lisa Wingate and Judy Christie

A remarkable and moving follow up to Lisa Wingate’s novel “Before We Were Yours,” which tells the story of Georgia Tann and her child selling operation she ran under the auspices of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. This is the true story of several of the individuals who were “adopted” from TCHS, the practices of Georgia Tann and the result these adoptions had on so many. It is a memoir, of sorts, for many of the orphans and their families. They tell their stories as adoptees, of feeling they never fit in, of trying to learn their history, and of a long standing practice of child selling that went on for more than a decade.

A traumatic event in the south which affected so many in so many ways. An honest depiction of the life the adoptees lived, how they came to be one of Georgia Tann’s orphans, and the laws and practices she worked around for so many years. As told from their point of view, as well as the authors as they meet, talk to, and receive histories from just a small portion of the TCHS orphans.

A book you cannot put down. If you haven’t read “Before We Were Yours,” it is a phenomenal novel that introduces Georgia Tann and TCHS. Reading this book is such a great follow up, but it is not necessary to read before hand.) A collection that will break your heart, bring forth the true meaning of strength from adversity, a sense of growth from each orphan and with their families, working through anger and loss to come to a sense of peace (at least for many), and the true tragedy of the practice of child selling, separating families, and adoptions just for profit. This is a book no one should miss reading. A testament to a cold, traumatic and vile time in history that has often been pushed by the wayside.

Rating: 5.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

** I chose to read and review an advanced copy of this book. All comments, opinions, and reviews are mine alone.

Read if you: Have read Lisa Wingate’s Before We Were Yours and want to know more about the real-life stories behind the Tennessee Children’s Home Society.

Did you read the New York Times bestselling book,Before We Were Yours? If that story lingers with you, then you must read BEFORE AND AFTER. What a privilege and honor it is to read the complicated and sometimes tragic stories of families who were tricked,coerced, lied to, and stolen by Georgia Tann. While some children were given to loving families, others were not so fortunate. Over the course of a weekend, they share their stories and form connections in an unusual and unforgettable reunion with other TCHS adoptees. While all the stories were compelling, three were particularly heart wrenching and memorable: Sue Nell/Janie, Robert, and the final event of the weekend, the gathering at the memorial to the children who died at the TCHS.

While it is not entirely necessary to read Before We Were Yours before reading this, those who are familiar with the novel will definitely be enriched more than those who have not read it.

Many thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This riveting story takes us back to a time in our history that is completely shocking. This story follows what happened after Wingate's novel Before We Were Yours hit the shelves and the reunion of some of the children and their families who were a part of the Tennessee Children's Home Society. These children tell stories of what they know about their life prior to being adopted, the forged and incorrect paperwork, and of course the reuniting their biological of relatives.

The best story I read in 2018 was Lisa Wingate's Before We Were Yours. I was blown away when I read about the Tennessee Children's Home Society and Georgia Tanns. From the 1920's until 1950 Georgia Tanns ran a so called adaption home. In 1950, once the truth came out, she was closed down. When I finished Lisa's book, I spent the next several days reading everything I could find on this subject. When I heard there would be another book, I could not wait to get my hands on it. This nonfiction follow up story by Judy Christie and Lisa is very well done and quit interesting. These incredible real life stories told by the survivors or their loved ones are incredible. Many people read Lisa's book and the story she told resonated with them. With all the emails and people talking with her after a book signing, it was realized that the adoptees story needed to be told. It is hard to believe that this could have happened and continued for thirty years. Bringing forth these accounts and getting the truth out there, let's pray this will never happen again. I recommend this book as well as Before We Were Yours, if you haven't already read it. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House Publishing through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

If you read Before We Were Yours than you'll definitely want to read this book.
It is a very moving and eye opening book from the people who were actually adopted from Georgia Tann.

Before And After is a great follow up of Before We Were Yours. I loved reading about so many adoptees from The Tennessee Children's Home Society, their stories are so interesting, some happy, some not so happy. I think it's truly wonderful that after so many people read the first book, it struck a cord about their own adoptions or family members adoptions, and they later met lost family members they had no idea about. Lisa Wingate should have a great sense of pride about this, and Judy Christie done excellent work recording these adoptees stories. One adoptee, Connie, had a great idea about a reunion for surviving adoptees, and her efforts should be recognized as well. I knew nothing about The Tennessee Children's Home Society until I read Before We Were Yours, and Before And After really brings more truth out about Georgia Tann and her shameful schemes concerning these children and their families. I highly recommend both books, and I appreciate Netgalley allowing me to read this ARC.

This collaboration between Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate is the perfect follow up to Before We Were Yours. They brought to life the real people behind the adoption scandal referred to in the novel. While some adoptions resulted in heartbreak, there were also some that ended up in a better life for the children.
The main focus is on the emotional reunion stories of the adoptees and their families who finally have closure on their origins and finding “someone that looks like me”.

If you haven’t read Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, please do so immediately. It’s a very good book that explores the real person of Georgia Tann, who ran a black market business of taking children from their parents and adopting them out to wealthy people. Her story is pretty incredible and there are even a few podcasts out there that discuss this historical villain.

Now there’s a follow up to Before We Were Yours, Before and After.

Here’s what you need to know:

The incredible, poignant true stories of victims of a notorious adoption scandal—some of whom learned the truth from Lisa Wingate’s bestselling novel Before We Were Yours and were reunited with birth family members as a result of its wide reach

From the 1920s to 1950, Georgia Tann ran a black-market baby business at the Tennessee Children’s Home Society in Memphis. She offered up more than 5,000 orphans tailored to the wish lists of eager parents—hiding the fact that many weren’t orphans at all, but stolen sons and daughters of poor families, desperate single mothers, and women told in maternity wards that their babies had died.

The publication of Lisa Wingate’s novel Before We Were Yours brought new awareness of Tann’s lucrative career in child trafficking. Adoptees who knew little about their pasts gained insight into the startling facts behind their family histories. Encouraged by their contact with Wingate and award-winning journalist Judy Christie, who documented the stories of fifteen adoptees in this book, many determined Tann survivors set out to trace their roots and find their birth families.

Before and After includes moving and sometimes shocking accounts of the ways in which adoptees were separated from their first families. Often raised as only children, many have joyfully reunited with siblings in the final decades of their lives. In Before and After, Wingate and Christie tell of first meetings that are all the sweeter and more intense for time missed and of families from very different social backgrounds reaching out to embrace better-late-than-never brothers, sisters, and cousins. In a poignant culmination of art meeting life, long-silent victims of the tragically corrupt system return to Memphis with Wingate and Christie to reclaim their stories at a Tennessee Children’s Home Society reunion . . . with extraordinary results.

You are going to love Before and After especially if you are a fan of history. I HIGHLY recommend reading Before We Were Yours which is out now.

Due out October 22.