SHELTERWOOD by Lisa Wingate was an immersive trip into 1909 Oklahoma, looking specifically at the children lost, left, and used in westward expansion.

The 1909 timeline has 11-year-old Ollie who escapes her dysfunctional home with one of the Choctaw girls her stepfather brought home. They collect a crew of young ones while Ollie dreams of creating a safe haven for them, all while avoiding detection.

In 1990, we have Val, a forest ranger whose job brings her into a missing hiker and a cave that seems to have been a burial site. To find the answers she needs, she works with the Choctaw Tribal leaders and discovers so much more than she expected.

I know now that Wingate is going to go to emotional lengths to connect the reader to the characters. I loved Ollie and her Choctaw sister, Nessa. When I thought it couldn't have possibly been based on truth, the author's note corrected me and added to my amazement of the children who survived such neglect and abuse. It continues to make me aghast at how unscrupulous people take such advantage of others, and when it is put into story form like this, it wrenches my heart.

There are a lot of issues tackled and a hero brought to light that history conveniently forgot.

I really enjoyed how historical issues were brought to light in this story. I had not heard about this level of exploitation and while I am not that surprised, it still gives me a sense of sadness to learn. Sometimes historical fiction can be hard for me, but I believe it is so important to know the truth of history.

Thank you @randomhouse Ballantine & @netgalley for this moving story out June 4th.

Lisa Wingate finds stories in history that grab you and don't let go! Shelterwood is a dual timeline that takes place in Oklahoma in the early 1900's and in 1999. Native Americans were given parcels of land and then often were cheated out of them - especially children. They had nowhere to go and were left on their own often begging or stealing food to get by. This is how we are introduced to Ollie. She has a stepfather that she doesn't trust especially after he takes in two Choctaw girls and one of them mysteriously disappears. She needs to get away from him any way she can. She finds other children in the same situation and they band together to survive. In 1999 we meet Valerie who is a park ranger and on her first day on the job someone discovers bones in a cave. This is just the start of a mystery that unfolds in this novel! Loved it!

I liked this book so much! It goes back and forth between Olive's story in 1909 and Valerie's in 1990. Almost every time the story switched back, it would leave either Olive or Valerie's story on a cliffhanger. Lisa Wingate has a way with words, and I could really imagine what the woods felt like for both Olive and Valerie. I didn't realize, until the afterword, that Kate Barnard was a real person! That's why I love historical fiction, you learn so much.

A well written story about a part of American history that is not taught or well known to most. This book will be enjoyable to anyone who like historical fiction.

Shelterwood (Hardcover)
by Lisa Wingate
The book speaks to the past events of the turn of the century. Showing the nature of exploitation and greed in the context of the western movement. The Indian lands were open to sale and consumption at the turn of the century. As one of the last areas of economic exploitation, the land grabs of whites against Native Americans is highlighted here. Children, and orphans were exploited for their land rights, striped of their inheritance, dignity, and self determination. These children were the outcasts of society because of the wealth their land rights represented. Its a mark against American Idealism, and Manifest destiny, but also against society. That even in the women's rights movements this exploitation was not brought to the attention of the public. These children were left in the most dire of situations. The book splits between this time and a modern exploitation of the land. The resources of timber and land protection are at logger heads, both conflicting sides cause conflict. The exploitation of resources still happens today. The book shows the conspiracy and the greed of man has not changed in the last century.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This had a dual timeline, and both pull you into the story. The past (1900s) surrounds the story of young girls trying to survive and escape from an abusive situation. The current timeline (1990) centers on a female park ranger and the discovery of bodies. Part mystery, part historical fiction...twists and turns and emotional storytelling that grabs hold of you and doesn't let go. The connection between the two narratives is complex, clever and will keep you thinking long after the last page is turned!

4 stars

✨NetGalley BookReviw✨
📚Shelterwood
✏️Lisa Wingate
📌Publication Date June 4
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my review.

Set in the mountains, you feel as if you’re walking among the tall evergreen trees filled with the scent of pine, hiking trails, and the many secrets that begin to unfold.

This is a split time novel that takes you back to early 1900’s and 1990. Back in 1909 you have Olive and Nessa who are desperately wanting to escape abuse at the hands of their stepfather. They are left wandering through the woods, trying to stay alive as they encounter others who may turn them back to the hands of their abuser. In 1990 You meet Valerie Odell who is a recent widow and mother of a 7 year old son. Valeria has began a new job at a National Park Law Enforcement and some newfound bones discovered in the national park have her with one goal in mind, to find how they got there and who they belong to.

As Valerie settles into her new role, a pick up truck belonging to an orphaned teenage boy is found unoccupied. The investigation begins and more town folk seem a little off put with Valerie’s snooping around. Why does this bother them and how will these people’s lives be intertwined?

I feel the novel is very well written and easy to follow.

4.5 stars rounded down.

As an Okie, I LOVED getting to read a book set in the state! It's not often you see books reference small Oklahoma towns throughout and the different difficulties that come with being in a small, rural, remote-ish space.

This novel has dual timelines. Oklahoma was one of the last states annexed into the Unites States of America in 1907. The story told by Ollie Radley is based 1909. She's a young girl escaping treacherous circumstances and an abusive step-father at home with Nessa, a young Choctaw girl her father brought in before he died. The other half of the novel is told by Valerie Boren-O'Dell in 1990. She's a ranger in a new park area in Oklahoma and gets pulled into investigating a few different cases that occur within.

If you've read Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann or know anything about the history of guardianship in the young state of Oklahoma, this novel will make its full impact. If you don't have that foreknowledge, it's not directly explained very well and that's really the only reason I'm taking any points off this rating. Many white folk in the state of Oklahoma would assume guardianship of Native Americans (young and old) in Oklahoma because of the natural resource wealth that would become available to them. The government could deem an adult Native American adults incapable of managing their own money and resources and hand them over to the white men living in their cities. Children were highly sought after, because their whte overseer would have full access and control over all income that was generated off the land that these individuals inherited from the state as recompense for being part of the 5 civilized tribes who were relocated to Indian Territory. The most valued resource was oil and that's what you hear of the most in Grann's book, but as is highlighted here, timber and other resources were also taken advantage of and bled dry by wealthy white men stealing from their Native wards.

It wasn't until the end that I realized how the two stories told in this novel intertwined and I actually loved it a lot. There was complexity, there were politics (but not being overtly hammered into the narrative), and great character and relationship development. Highly recommend this book for a unique historical fiction read!! :)

Enlightening and clearly well researched. The pacing was quite slow at times and this made the reading less enjoyable for me. I’ve enjoyed the author’s previous works so was a bit disappointed in this one.

I think this is my favorite book of the year so far. Clearly well researched, the two stories intertwine perfectly. I enjoyed Before We Were Yours, but this book just spoke to me. I loved each of the stories and would be hard pressed to decide if Ollie or Valerie’s story was my favorite. A wonderful read and now I am anxiously awaiting Ms Wingates next masterpiece!

Exceptional story! A seamless tale of injustice, corruption, resilience and hope. With sharply etched characters that readers will love and love to hate.

I love learning something new when I read historical fiction, and that is definitely the case with Wingate's Shelterwood. The horrendous injustice that followed the 1887 Dawes Severalty Act affected many women and children by grafters or 'guardians' who made their fortunes using illegal means to take the land away from orphaned Native American children and widows.

I absolutely loved the way Ms. Wingate tied the two stories of this dual timeline together, skillfully dropping the clues that would link the two stories together. Ms. Wingate's research is impeccable. This is a seamless blend of fact and fiction that will stand out for its originality, sure to delight fans of historical fiction.

****I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher through Netgalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I am truly torn between 3 and 4 stars on this book. I'm going to bump it up to 4 stars, because the parts I liked, I REALLY liked. Told in a dual timeline format between 1909 and 1990, this book delves deep into a part of history I was completely unaware of.

The dual timeline format works. It was clear and easy to jump back and forth between characters and subjects. My problem is that I was far more interested, and honestly, enchanted with the 1909 timeline, and had zero interest in the 1990 period. Ollie's story (1909) was mesmerizing. The use of period-specific linguistics and imagery truly transports you to another world, and deeply connects you with brilliantly formed characters. Unfortunately, after reading the first bit of Ollie's story, I couldn't get even minimally interested in Valerie's story or the more current time period. Yes, the two stories were connected and intricately intertwined (although you don't fully understand how until the end). But I was so taken with the characters and history that was part of Ollie's story, I would have much preferred and entire book dedicated to just that. Valerie was less than interesting and more of a simple way to get to the end of Ollie's story.

Another great read from Lisa Wingate. Following Ollie in 1909 and Valerie in 1990, the story of Shelterwood is told in alternating chapters. I loved both characters and was invested with both girls. The setting and the nature were always really well done. Historical fiction is so great because not only do you get a good story, but you also, usually, learn something new along the way. This was super interesting about how children had to live in the woods, or on the run, on their own as their families tried to steal what was rightfully theirs. Ollie and Valerie are a great addition to the historical fiction TBR this summer. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced e-copy.

I wanted to like this book and choose it based on the huge success of the Wingate's previous book, Before We Were Yours. Yet, I found the storyline very jumbled due to alternating time frames spaced 80+ years apart. There is quite a bit of world building on the orphans' hardships and escape from abusive and toxic adults but ultimately all that detail doesn't seem to be necessary. The step-father is a villain who like horror movie creeps pops up every so often to harass the children who manage ways to escape. The chapters set in the early 1990s center around a novice female park ranger who deals with prejudice towards her gender. There is an air of mystery covering those 80+ years that doesn't seem to fully develop and the ending resolution is somewhat contrived for readers to believe. I suspect many readers will grab this title based on the success of Before We Were Yours, but will come away disappointed.

3.5/4 stars. Wingate never fails to write about tough subjects that involve kids & Americas history with them. I was very excited to read Shelterwood, but this one felt a little slow for me. However, I appreciated the research and time that went into the book.

Shelterwood has a dual timeline which I love, but I felt it was a little confusing and jarring to switch back and forth. We follow 11 year old Olive in 1909 & park ranger Valerie in 1990. I wanted to find out how they were connected or how the story was going to end up!

Overall this is worth the read & I appreciate knowing more about Oklahomas history and the Choctaw Tribe.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Not only did Shelterwood give me an excellent story, but it swept me away. It brought me back to another time and place. A heart wrenching story about children growing up and trying to survive in the early 1900's. Choctaw children who had to live in the woods to survive. It also sheds light on what some extremes men went to in order to gain lands and wealth in the Oklahoma area. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favorite reads this year! Couldn't stop picking it up to find out what happened next. . .work be damned! to hell with the laundry!

Shelterwood weaves the life stories of Olive Radley, a fiesty 11-year old (1909) and a park ranger looking for new experiences Valerie Boren-Odell. Both stories swirl around the Horsethief Springs Trail National Park, where one traverses Cedar Lake environs, including the atmospheric Winding Stair Mountain. The story stuck to my heart a little more every time I read.

I'm a family history sort of girl, and soon it came to me why this was feeling uncomfortably close to my sensitivities. . .my gr-gr-grandfather, born in MO, ran in that race for homesteads on the land that would become Oklahoma, and was a person of some means and authority a very close 51 miles from the Winding Stair Mountain. This read had just become personal, and it still is.

The author's notes at the books end pointed me in the direction of Angie Debo books for further information, which I've now been gathering - was delighted to find I've read a few of them in my youth.

All the stars for Shelterwood , and Lisa Wingate!

*A sincere thank you to Lisa Wingate, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #Shelterwood #NetGalley

While this book was well written and obviously thoroughly researched, I can't really give it more than three stars because I found it a slog to get through. I would find my attention wandering off, and even had to reread half of the book to make everything stick. I'm not sure if it was due to the book reading as almost two entirely different stories or what. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Shelterwood was my introduction to Lisa Wingate and I loved her characters and setting. Alternating between 1909 and 1990, this is the story of Olivia and Nessa on the run from an abusive stepfather in the past and Valerie Boren-Odell, a National Parks Service ranger, investigating skeletal remains found in the park and a missing hiker. Nessa is a Choctaw Indian, brought home along with her sister Hazel by Ollie’s father. When he dies and her mother marries Tesco, their stepfather abuses Hazel, who soon disappears. Fearing that Nessa is in danger, Ollie runs away with her. There are rumors of elf children in the forests, but what Ollie and Nessa find are more Indian children who have run away. The government had granted land to every Indian and the children were vulnerable to loggers and oil men who would act as guardians just to take control of the land. The children were often abused or sometimes disappeared. As Ollie and Nessa travel, they form a family of their own with these children.

In 1990, Valerie, a widow and single mother, arrives at the Horse Thief Trail National Park to take up her position. There she meets Sydney, a young girl whose brother has gone missing in the park. Everyone warns her that Sydney spins stories and is not to be believed, but her brother’s abandoned car is found and Valerie begins to investigate. The bones of three children have also been found in a cave. They lead Valerie to look into the history of the area, learning about the elf children and their fate. Valerie develops a friendship with Officer Enhoe of the Choctaw Tribal Police. Together they unravel the mystery of Sydney’s missing brother and discover an ongoing threat to the forests surrounding the park. Wingate’s story was disturbing at times and suspenseful at others. Her characters, whether in the distant past or in the later 1900s, were well developed. She ends her story by tying both stories together and revealing the fate of Ollie and Nessa, a beautiful and very satisfying conclusion. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for providing this book.

Shelterwood is a fascinating novel by Lisa Wingate. Wingate tells two stories that ultimately become connected. In 1909 eleven year old Ollie flees to the Oklahoma woods with six year old Nessa to escape Ollie's step father and his bad intentions. They become runaways and their survival is perilous. Eventually they form an unlikely group with other young people living life on the lam and struggling to survive.
In Oklahoma in 1990 law enforcement ranger Valerie Boren-Odell arrives with her young son at their new home. Valerie is soon confronted with a long hidden burial site of three children that's found in a cave. She is also faced with the problem of a teenage hiker gone missing from a trail.
Wingate has written another fascinating and thought provoking novel that's filled with great characters and suspenseful stories.