Lisa Wingate clearly has a heart for bringing to light the horrible ways children have been treated throughout history. Having previously read Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann, I immediately picked up on the connection between the land rich with oil and the Native Americans who were swindled out of their land.

The story is told in two timelines. In 1909, Olive and her desire to keep her Native American friends safe (as well as herself) is the focus. Also during this timeframe, women such as Kate Barnard come to the forefront to promote change for these children.

In 1990, Val, a national park law enforcement ranger, stumbles upon the skeletons of three children in a cave. Her question surrounding the skeletons arouse her suspicions of foul play. After meeting a young local girl who is trying to find her missing brother, Val becomes even more suspicious and decides to learn more about the story of the area.

With the help of a Native American Tribal law enforcement officer, Val uncovers a series of crimes that have been committed due to the greed of some powerful men.

This is a slow burn, but well worth reading. I love that Lisa Wingate brings buried history and powerful women of the past to light.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give an honest review and recommend to readers who love historical fiction.

Upon reading the description of this book, I was struck by the realization that it is based on Oklahoma history that was not taught in public schools back in my day. I was also struck by the fact that Angie Debo is quoted and mentioned both in the dedication of the book and in some quotes sprinkled throughout the book. Ten years ago, while going through my grandpa's books and office files, I found a letter and a book authored by Angie Debo, hand-signed to my grandpa. Additionally, the house we lived in at the time was located just a few miles off highway 74, also called the "Angie Debo Highway", so I needed to read this book. The biggest perk of all was that "Shelterwood" is authored by one of my favorite authors, Lisa Wingate.

From the back cover:

"Told in dual timelines, this book tells the story of women pioneers who fought to protect children caught in the battle of land barons hungry for power and wealth. In 1909, eleven-year-old Olive, who can tell her stepdad has evil intentions toward the two Choctaw girls boarding in their home as wards. When the older one disappears, Olive ("Ollie") flees to the woods, taking six-year-old Nessa. They are heading to the Winding Stair Mountains, and it is on this journey they meet a motley crew of other children like them who also need protection."

"In 1990, Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie Boren-O'dell arrived at Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place to balance her career and single parenthood. She is immediately thrown into a local controversy involving a missing teenage hiker, the park's opening, and a burial site of three children within a cave. Val's quest to uncover the truth wins an ally among the neighboring Choctaw Tribal Police but also collides with old secrets and the tragic and deadly history of the land itself."

Shelterwood is atmospheric and character-driven, and each chapter alternates between timelines. I was so engrossed in the story and wanted to see how it all unfolded that I couldn't put it down!

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. It was an honor and privilege to give my honest review.

Release Date: June 4, 2024

SHELTERWOOD by Lisa Wingate is an emotional and compelling work of historical fiction inspired the little-known history of women pioneers that tried to help children that were being exploited by men determined to add to their land and oil wealth. This heart-wrenching story is set in eastern Oklahoma near the Winding Stair Mountains and told in dual timelines, 1909 and 1990. In 1909, eleven-year-old Olive (Ollie) Augusta Radley flees her abusive stepfather, taking with her six-year-old Nessa, one of two young Choctaw girls being boarded in her home, after the older Choctaw girl disappeared under suspicious conditions. Can they make it to Ollie’s old family cabin the Winding Stair Mountains before being harmed? In 1990, Valerie Boren O’dell has taken a job as a Law Enforcement Ranger at Horsethief Trail National Park. One of few women rangers, Val just wants to balance doing her job with caring for her young son, Charlie. Right away she gets involved in the search for a missing teenager and solving the mystery of the bones of three children found deep in a nearby cave. Val gains the trust of the Choctaw Tribal Police, but her discoveries soon unearth long-buried secrets that the locals do not want revealed. As always, Lisa Wingate has written a meticulously-researched story with two timelines that are expertly interwoven. She has brought to light the disturbing events of this time period with care and compassion. I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Shalterwood
By: Lisa Wingate
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine
Pub Date: 6/4/24
This was so good I couldn’t put it down! This novel spans two time periods. Olive’s in 1909 and Valorie’s in 1990. The story takes place in Oklahoma, Olive is just 11 years old and she’s already lost her father, her mother remarries and moves them into town. She loses a child and her mind at the same time. Hooked on powders and whiskey she’s left the parenting of her daughter and Nessa, a Choctaw orphan they had taken in to their stepfather. Only he’s a bad guy who works for an even worse man.Those men are running a scheme to take Native American lands from the children they belong to. Fast forward to 1990 Valorie is a NPS officer who knows there is something going on in the park in the same area where the girls hid. Can she buck the system and work out what’s going on? I enjoyed both storylines immensely but was definitely more
drawn to the story of the past. Those little girls endured so much. This is my favorite historical novel of this year so far!

This type of historical fiction is important because it brings little known history to light. I had a hard time getting into it at first and it took a while to pick up, but it did.I liked how the timelines were connected. It was done well.

An interesting story with two timelines-one of runaway children in 1909 Oklahoma and one of a female park ranger in the same area in 1990. The hardships are different but point to the hard won rights to be seen as value to society and work. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Shelterwood is a story of heartbreak and yet inspiring too. Two groups of people, those who abuse and take advance of children, in this case indigenous children and those who try to help change that situation such as Kate Barnard. Told in dual timelines, 1090 and 1990, the truth comes out even though there are still those trying to cover it up. Lisa Wingate has created characters of depth, Olivia the eleven-year-old on the run with a six-year-old Choctaw girl and the present-day Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie Boren O’Dell who has moved to work in the Horsethief Trail National Park.

The dual timelines mostly works but it took a while for me understand the diabolic actions against the Choctaw children and why it had persisted for so long in Oklahoma. Still a story worth reading, being one that will leave you thinking of those children for a long time along with those cave bones.

I thought this was an amazing book. I love how Wingate takes topics that were socially important in the past and educates us today.

This is a dual timeline story. The first tells the story of children (Native American mostly) in the early 1900's in Oklahoma who have been taken advantage of land, oil and timber greedy white men. The children ended up living and working in horrible conditions trying to survive on their own. It is also about women of the time that tried to change that.

The second timeline follows a female ranger in the 1990's who stumbles across a mystery involving abuse of children and the disappearance of family members in one family. She has to deal with the prejudice of the male rangers as she tries to follow her gut and her heart to solve the mystery.

Wingate's characters were so real and had such real problems that I couldn't help but be drawn deeply into the story. It was awesome!

Thanks to Random House and Ballantine Books as well as NetGalley for this incredible book. All thoughts are my own.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours, Lisa Wingate brings to life her latest powerful and evocative historical fiction, SHELTERWOOD.

The novel is set in the backdrop of early-twentieth-century Oklahoma and inspired by the untold story of women pioneers who fought to protect children caught in the storm of land barons, hungry for power, oil, and wealth.

Themes...
The rights of women and children, family, and justice.

Inspired by...
SHELTERWOOD is inspired by female pioneers like Kate Barnard who fought to protect children's rights and welfare in a time when child labor was unregulated and exploited.

Elf children....
Kate discovered "elf children" living in a hollow tree in Oklahoma in 1909. The children were not elves, but land-wealthy orphans of the Five Tribes. Their court-appointed guardian was living lavishly on the children's oil monies, while the kids fled to the woods to survive.

Topics...
Race, identity, culture, gender, economic status, and discrimination. The conflict over land ownership, power, and wealth is a central theme in the book (which is timely and topical today).

Social issues...
Mistreatment of Indians, child labor, corruption, and poverty.

About ...

SHELTERWOOD is told through two timelines and perspectives
— 1909: Olive Augusta Radley
—1990: Valerie Boren-Odell

PAST: 1909: Set in early-twentieth-century Oklahoma, we meet Olive Augusta Radley (11), aware her stepfather doesn't have good intentions toward the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home as wards.

When the older girl disappears, Ollie flees to the woods, taking six-year-old Nessa. Together, they begin a perilous journey to the rugged Winding Stair Mountains, the notorious territory of outlaws, treasure hunters, and desperate men. Along the way, Ollie and Nessa form an unlikely band with others like themselves, struggling to stay one step ahead of those who seek to exploit them.

PRESENT: Oklahoma, 1990. Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie Boren O'Dell arrives at Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place for her new home, a fresh start, as a single parent for her young son, Charlie.

She is only on the job for a few days when she is faced with controversy over the park trail’s opening, a missing teenager, and the discovery of a long-hidden burial site with the bones of three children. Val's quest to uncover the truth gains an ally among the neighboring Choctaw Tribal Police but soon collides with old secrets and the tragic and deadly history of the land itself.

Both Ollie and Valerie struggle for justice and change. The two powerful timelines converge for a remarkable and significant conclusion.

My Thoughts...

Meticulously researched, SHELTERWOOD is rich in time, place, and character. It is heartbreaking, spellbinding, atmospheric, emotional, and an unforgettable, gripping page-turner by a master storyteller.

Beautifully written, with two timelines and two heroines (Ollie and Val), both past and present, inspired by true events. You will root for Ranger Valerie as she uncovers the spine-chilling story of children displaced by land barons in this atmospheric setting.

I was unfamiliar with the historical events of Oklahoma and the Choctaw Nation prior to reading SHELTERWOOD, and I appreciate the author's research, attention to detail, and storytelling for bringing this to life.

She came across it in an old newspaper mentioning a woman who found "elf children living in a hollow tree" in Oklahoma. They had to beg for food and became malnourished and ragged, so people thought they were elves. Sadly, these children had no choice but to endure their young lives any way they could to survive to adulthood.

This propelled the author on a winding quest to discover the rest of the story, questioning: Who was this woman, Kate? Who were these children, and why were they living in a hollow tree? Why had she never heard of this?

Child labor...
Kate Barnard's deepest passion was evident in her pursuit of laws protecting children. She championed education and child labor laws in Oklahoma and pushed for nationwide regulation to prevent the use of children as low-budget labor in dangerous jobs.

SUPERB! Indeed, the author delivers a poignant voice to the past for the lost children of American history. It is a classic that belongs in everyone's home library and should be read by everyone including our youth.

Absorbing and provoking, SHELTERWOOD is an important tale and an essential piece of hidden history so eloquently brought to life! Highly recommend.

Recs...

For those who enjoyed her Before We Were Yours, fans of William Kent Krueger, Kimi Cunningham Grant, and Patti Callahan Henry, and those who enjoy American history, mysteries, literary fiction, historical fiction, and inspired stories untold and brought to life by one of the best storytellers out today, Lisa Wingate!

Be sure to check out her extensive and fascinating Book Club Kit for more resources and information. It is ideal for book clubs and further discussions.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the honor of a gifted digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: June 4, 2024
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Shelterwood is Historical Fiction told in dual timelines, 1909 and 1990. In 1990, Valerie Boren-Odell is a National Park Ranger newly transferred to Oklahoma, she learns on her first day that there were bones found up in the mountain. Since the land borders what had been Indian Territory, there is concern that it may have been Indian children who had died there.

In 1909 we meet Ollie, a eleven year old girl who lives with her mother, step-father, and two Indian sisters who were brought to live with them by her father before he died. Ollie's step-father is abusive and Ollie is worried about him taking advantage of her sexually. She knows that he was going after Hazel, the oldest Indian "sister".

There is a lot to process in this story, the Indians who were given rights to land in Oklahoma were being taken advantage of by wealthy men and grafters who wanted their land, especially when oil was discovered. Children were orphaned and living on the streets and in the mountains. Then, there is Kate Barnard, a real-life person and the first woman to earn statewide office in Oklahoma. Kate made it her life's work to help the young children who were homeless and being taken advantage of.

Sometimes I really love dual timeline stories, this time I found it rather jarring. I was very involved in each era but there wasn't anything really tying the stories together until the end. It was obvious that the bones in 1990 had to relate to what was happening in 1909 but I would have liked more combined that would have moved each story along together. That being said, I loved the stories and would highly recommend the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Shelterwood, written in two different timelines, 1909 and 1990, tells the story of Native American children of the Choctaw Nation, trying to escape from an abusive home in the first timeline, in Oklahoma. The second timeline tells about a park ranger - Valerie Boren-Odell, who is transplanted to the area of Horsethief National Park, who finds three skeletal remains in a cave and is determined to find out who they were. Lisa Wingate takes us through their lives and trials and through her descriptions, shows us the story of their lives during this era.This is an amazing story. I love reading fictional history as it takes me to that era where I learn so much about the history of the area and people. Thank you to Netgalley for this digital ARC.

Historical fiction readers will enjoy this dual timed book set in Oklahoma. Alternating between the 1900's and 1990 the author tells a fascinating story about the elf children. The mystery between the children of yesteryear and the disappearance of three people in 1990 is slowly untangled. Well researched historical events. Enjoyable although unbelievable at times.

Lisa Wingate does it again! She has written a story that sheds light on a piece of history that is overlooked. I actually would say this piece of history is typically displayed in the different light in history books. In school you read and celebrate men who settled areas of the United States but you do not really know how they acquired that land and made a town prosperous. Shelterwood is a dual timeline story - 1909 and 1990. The chapters flip back and forth between Ollie's story and Val's story. Wingate does a great job painting the picture of how dire the situation in 1909 was for children, Native Americans, and women. And if you were a combo of all three then it could be really terrible. I really enjoyed getting to know about Kate Barnard. Another American leader not mentioned in general US History but she was a true pioneer of women's rights and was also a driving force for the mistreatment of children. Overall, a very strong book that you walk away knowing an important piece of US history.

This dual time line book is heartbreaking and enlightening. In 1909 eleven year old Olive Radley is the narrator. She is feisty and very smart. Her father died and her mom remarried a very bad man who became her stepfather. There were two other girls who lived with them, Hazel and Nessa who is a six year old Choctaw girl. The stepfather took Hazel somewhere and the girls never saw her again, so Olive vowed she would protect Nessa with her life. In 1990 Valerie Bore-O'Dell, is a widowed park ranger. She has her first job in Oklahoma where both time lines take place. During one of her first days on the job there are some bones found hidden in her park and she is on the search to put names to the bones. Back in 1909 Choctaw orphans were put in homes of wealthy people who would then steal their land rights. They would then dispose of the children or put them to work in horrible places. Olive, being the street smart and strong girl that she was took Nessa and ran away from her stepfather. She was a good story teller and could make things up very quickly. She would get food and rig up shelter for herself and Nessa and some other orphans they picked up along their travels. She comes across Kate Barnard who was a member of congress and who was on a mission to help the orphaned, abused children. She was the first female to do this but because of her strong will the men folk got her out of her position of power and was left helpless.
In 1990, Valerie has bones and missing people on her agenda. She meets Sydney who actually reminded me of Olive because of her quickness with the stories. Sydney is the sister of a young man who hasn't been seen in weeks. Only his car was in the park.
This book takes you on two different stories that fit together so perfectly. It is historical fiction at it's best and I highly recommend this book.
Thanks to #netgalley, #ballantinebooks and @author_lisa_wingate for an ARC of this great read.

“Hate is a thief that will steal everything and return nothing if you let it.”

4.5 stars! In this emotional novel, Lisa Wingate traces the story of children abandoned by the law and the battle to see justice done. Told in dual timelines in Oklahoma, 1909 and 1990, the two stories are weaved together expertly and unfold like a present.

But, I will always compare every book by this author to Before We Were Yours, which is one of the best books I’ve ever read. So for that, I am sorry. And although Shelterwood was well written and an utterly memorable story, it was not quite up to the level of the aforementioned title.

The audiobook is read by 3 narrators and they are AWESOME! The narration is so good that you are immediately IN this story with these young girls (1909) and women (1990). I could listen to it again.

“The people you’re close to aren’t guaranteed. They can be gone in an instant.” Never forget this!

Thank you Netgalley, Random House/Ballantine Books, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate is the story of Oklahoma and its natives after oil was discovered in the early 1900s. It was after the Choctaw had been given individual parcels of land instead of a reservation. It was then that land was stolen from these people by marriage, by adoption, by fraud, by death. It takes place in two timeframes: 1990 at a national park now there and 1909 when two little girls ran from a sexual abuser and murderer. Their story, meeting up with other runaways and developing a life and a small society takes up half of the book. It was a time of child labor, rampant racism, and greed. In 1990 Valerie has arrived in Talahina to take up her position as a park police officer Horsethief Trail National Park. She was a woman and it was still an old boys situation. She had come from the Arch in St. Louis and needed a new life for herself and her son. She became obsessed with the search for a young man presumed lost in the wilderness. The only information she had was from his sister, a known liar. Each time she told the story it changed, but Valerie believed the essence of it.

The two timelines met in the middle as greed, of a different sort, reared its ugly head in 1990. As Valerie and her Choctaw police comrade, followed endless leads, others in her office were either too inexperienced or too busy covering their own behinds to worry abut the truth. The situations in modern foster homes once again rears its ugly head, as well. It was a frightening book in so many ways. The plight of these children, who were survivors, brought tears to my eyes as the “good people” of the area sought to solve the problem of homeless children. The mystery was a good one and the outcome even better. This book brought to the attention of the reader both past and present wrongs and, although many see the government as the solution to all ills, the shortcomings of the government in the most vital of times. It was an eye-opening read. Thanks, Lisa Wingate!

I was invited to read Shelterwood by Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine #LisaWingate #Shelterwood

I have loved Lisa Wingate books in the past. This book fell a little flat for me. It just seem to really drag on and I had a hard time getting into a through it

Any story that can keep my interest when it is a historical theme, and have me wondering if there are interesting aspects of the state I live in, is one you should read. This was a story about two women, years apart, that intersect in the most intriguing way.

Olive recounts a harrowing tale about survival, heartbreaking truths, perseverance and hope. She is a young girl, who saves her younger “sister” and does what she has to keep herself and her “sister” alive. Val is starting over after her husband dies. She moved her and her son away from her family and took on a new job as a park ranger. She no sooner starts her job when bones of three bodies are discovered.

The way these two stories connect was interesting and, in some ways, surprising. With the help of a local park ranger and a young girl (is she telling the truth?) Val embarks on a journey to find out who the bodies are where a young man is.

I really enjoyed this book. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.

This historical fiction story takes places in 2 time periods - 1909 and 1990. In 1990 we meet single mom and widow, Valerie, who has just moved here to take a job as a park ranger. As she is trying to prove herself to the men on the force, she meets Sydney who is looking for her brother and her grandmother. They find bones in a cave along with dead bodies and suspicious activity in the park. The other timeline is about Ollie in 1909 Oklahoma. Eleven year old Ollie ran away from an abusive stepdad with 6 year old Nessie. As they make their way in the woods, they meet up with "Elf Children" who are really Choctaw Native Americans whose families have had their land stolen from them. These children work together with other children to work for food and build their own town called Shelterwood. This was an interesting story and I was surprised by how the 2 storylines tied together in the end. Thank you for the advanced copy of this to read!

"Shelterwood" by Lisa Wingate is a captivating 4-star read! The story is told from two perspectives and timelines, both set in Oklahoma. The first timeline is set in 1909 and introduces us to Ollie and Nessa, who run away from their nefarious stepfather, hoping to return to a cabin that Ollie remembers from before her father’s death. Along the way, they meet other kids who are also trying to find a new home. The second timeline is set in 1990, where we meet Park Ranger Valerie Boren-O’Dell, who has started a new assignment after losing her husband and is left alone to raise her son. Val is trying to uncover several mysteries that occurred in Horsethief Trail National Park.

I thought this was a well-written account of what these children endured during this time period. It’s heartbreaking to think that barely 100 years ago, we treated people, especially children, this way. Both timelines were interesting, though I was more drawn to the 1909 storyline. However, the two timelines work well together. A large part of the 1990 timeline focuses on Val and how she copes with being a single mother while trying to succeed in her career. If you are a fan of historical fiction, you will enjoy "Shelterwood"!

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Lisa Wingate, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.