Shelterwood was a wonderful delve into an aspect of history I didn't know a lot about. It is obvious that this book is well-researched and, as a historical fiction fan, that is always something I admire and appreciate. This story is told in dual timelines: 1909 (with Ollie, Nessie, and Hazel) and 1990 (with Val and Curtis). In 1909, we follow the story of orphan kids (including 11 year old Ollie and a Choctaw child named Nessie) who are trying to escape a dangerous man (Ollie's stepfather) that face many adversities in their journey. Wingate helps us not only see but feel their struggles, desperation, and resilience as they seek to find refuge and a better life. In the setting of early 1900s in Oklahoma, readers learn about the Choctaw Nation and the abuse of Native people from those who would steal their land and violate their people. In the other part of the story timeline, set in 1990, a park ranger in the Winding Stair Mountains (Valerie) is investigating some suspicious activity in Horsethief Trail National Park, including a missing teen, and has discovered some children's bones that were definitely not buried in the tradition of the Choctaw people. Wingate alternates between the gripping story of survival of the children and the investigation of the strange activities near Winding Stair Mountain.

As with many good historical fiction works, I am motivated to learn more about this aspect of history and to visit Oklahoma to see a state I hadn't previously thought much about. A book that moves you to feel anger and sadness and motivates you to want to take action is the sign of a great author. All Americans should read this to see more about those untold parts of our history that need to be brought to the light.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this amazing book!

Shelterwood is Lisa Wingate’s latest book, again about children in trouble. Told in dual timelines, both stories take place in eastern Oklahoma, in the Winding Stair Mountains.
In 1909, an eleven year old girl and her family’s six year old Choctaw ward run away from her stepfather, a man who had evil intentions. Trying to get to her parents' old cabin, they encounter other children living wild and form a community.
In 1990, a new female park ranger arrives looking to start her life over. Her husband is dead and she’s looking for somewhere quiet for her and her young son. But she’s immediately immersed in the search for a missing teenager and a coverup of the long hidden burial site of three children in a cave.
It took me a while to become invested in the book. The older story was initially more of a cliche and took awhile to get to the meat of the story, which was the stealing of land from Indian orphans. Part of the problem is that the story is told from the perspective of a young white girl so there’s no easy way to introduce the “issue”. The book is half over before Wingate uses a political rally to even begin to discuss the problem of the Indian children.
I always wonder when an historical fiction handles a political topic whether the author is also casting a light on the present day. “It is an abomination, Hazel, that our society can muster the wit and will to create such magnificence, yet not resolve to do right by a child, don’t you think?”
The more contemporary storyline is more of a standard “police procedural”, with a kind of Nevada Barr feel. This story moved at a faster pace. I did become more invested in both stories for the second half. And Wingate does a good job of bringing the stories together.
My personal preference is to have historical fiction that teaches me something. That means I wanted more facts than this story provides, but Wingate does provide those details in her Author’s Note.
My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an advance copy of this book.

Shelterwood was another great, historically significant story that the author brought to life. It took me a bit longer to get into than I thought it would but once I got into it, I was hooked. These young kids, called elf children, that lived alone in the woods of Oklahoma broke my heart. They endured hardship beyond measure and became little families of their own. This book is told in two timelines which worked so well!
Another notch in Wingate's belt of excellent historical fiction!

Thank you NetGalley & Random House for early access to this book. It publishes on 6/4.

If you’ve read Wingate’s ‘Before We Were Yours,’ this book is setup in a very similar way: past/present POVs revolving around a glossed over part of history with an eventual tie-in. However, this book didn’t quite work for me the way BWWY did.
 
We have chapters in early 1900s Oklahoma, following children struggling to live off the land on their own to escape the ruthless adults taking advantage of them. Then, we have chapters in 1990 Oklahoma that follow a park ranger new to the area investigating a missing kid which turns out to be a much bigger scandal.
 
Although I believe that the historical aspects of this story were both enlightening and important, the execution fell flat for me. I don’t think there was enough plot to push the story forward, and so, it ended up being really slow-going.
 
My favorite part was probably the author’s note and learning how much of the story was true. Wingate is phenomenal at researching and shining a light on historical issues, but this one may have been better off as a non-fiction book. At times, it often felt like one.

In typical Lisa Wingate fashion, Shelterwood brings a light onto a lesser-known issue in the relatively recent history of the United States and the treatment of minority children in Oklahoma in the early 20th Century, under the guise of "protections" arranged by the government. The book focuses on two timelines in history. Olive Augusta Radley, aka Ollie, and her foster sister Nessa escape from her stepfather after Nessa's older sister Hazel disappears, in 1909 OK. The other timeline focuses on OK in 1990, as Valerie Boren-Odell joins the police service of the newly created Horsethief Trail National Park. She quickly finds herself in the thick of a mystery that exposes the potential corruption and mistreatment of the Native residents of the area by those in power.
For anyone familiar with Lisa's previous works, her topics are clearly well researched, and her writing style is flowing, while capturing the emotional and historical details of her chosen timeframe. Shelterwood is no different in that sense, and I always enjoy finding out about history that would be otherwise overlooked through reading novels. This book involves a bit of a mystery that is resolved by the end, with my only complaint about that being that some of the loose ends didn't feel completely resolved to my satisfaction. All in all, though, this is a worthy piece of historical fiction that I can see lovers of HF enjoying thoroughly.
Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

4 Another fabulous book! While I do not enjoy her christian fiction series, I loved Lisa Wingate's novels, "Before We Were Yours", and "The Book of Lost Friends," I could not wait to read her newest novel, "Shelterwood". As always, the author has thoroughly researched her topic and writes knowledgeably about the subject, as well as creates sympathetic and believable characters. This book is has two story lines- Native American children who were robbed of their ancestral homeland around the time that Oklahoma became a state, which never ended well for Native peoples. And 90 years later, a female park ranger who finds more than she expects while investigating a recent case. As with most "then and now" narratives, I find I am more interested in one story more than the other. In this case, it was the story line about the children that interested me the most. I enjoyed this book. There seems to be a spate of books exposing the wrongs done to Native Americans by our government lately. This is a subject as a nation we are just beginning to explore. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC opportunity.

This book is inspired and thought provoking and it absolutely does not disappoint. I was extremely hesitant to read Shelterwood because I am sensitive to certain topics and the synopsis of this one seemed to be dancing all around my tender places- HOWEVER, I am so glad I read this book.

There are some tough themes this book explores, but Lisa Wingate navigates the terrain like an expert. I’m so grateful for how she treated the triggering content- she addressed it so that the reader has a general awareness, but she didn’t hang out there descriptively for any longer than was necessary - making this book a beautiful and poignant story that I don’t regret reading. Shelterwood tells the gripping account of two women set apart by almost a hundred years in the same little town in Oklahoma. Both stories are compelling and hard to put down and it had me guessing till the last. I don’t want to give anything away, but this is a worthy read and will absolutely be a best seller. I learned so much reading this book and it makes me want to go learn more about the history of Oklahoma.

Read with a friend as you will absolutely want to have someone to chat over it with.

I’d like to thank Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book started out really interesting, but eventually took a turn that was "meh" for me. Even so, the history of Indian tribes and land in Oklahoma was fascinating to read about.

This is a terrific book! The terrible plight of the "orphans" mixes so well with the future young woman ranger and her child. It was hard to tear myself away from each chapter. And, then the surprise conclusion...

Thank you to @netgalley and @RandomHouseBallatine for this ARC. 1909 Oklahoma: Ollie is living in the attic with 2 wards with her step-dad and her drug addicted mother. Hazel disappears one night and the step-dad soon comes for Nessa. Olive "Ollie" knows they must leave. The two wards were Choctaw that her true father was trying to save before he, himself disappeared so Ollie knows if Nessa is to stay alive, they must run. One night they come across the "elf children". Native, orphaned children whose home and land were taken from them by rich landowners and oilmen. After the Dawes act in 1889 when some land was allocated to the Native Americans, the white man saw their opportunity. The parents started disappearing and the white men would become wards of these children often times making them disappeared or wed to a family member at very young ages. One oilman had 100 wards in his "care". 1990 Oklahoma: Ranger Valerie is hired to protect the natural forest around Talihina when three small bodies were found in a cave. This sends her down a rabbit hole of history. The Flowers of the Killer Moon opened my eyes to the violence of Native women but I had no idea about the orphaned children left behind. What a story. #Shelterwood #LisaWingate #RandomHouseBallatine #June2024

Due to health issues I skimmed through this book. What I read was intriguing. I love Lisa Wingate as a Author and was very disappointed I had to read it in this way. I plan to re read it when it comes out. For what I did read, I liked it alot. Looking forward to taking my time to enjoy it.

The writing and research for this book was very strong. I was fully engaged with the 1990 story and wanted to stick with that story but the dual POV didn’t quite work for me. The back and forth was a bit confusing to get back into each story. I really liked the mystery story and wanted to know what was happening and thought it was a great reveal in the end. Overall it was an interesting read and well written book.

I have read many of Lisa’s books and enjoyed every one, all of them were five stars, and was so excited to have the opportunity to read this ARC. This one a bit different. It has a dual timeline, 1909 and 1990. We travel with Olive aka Hazel in 1909 and Valerie in 1990. Was quite coincidental that I had just read another book on the Indian nations where the Guardians were the worst possible solution for overseeing the Indian land, resources, their money, health care decisions of their people, all was a bad decision and completely ignored nor supervised by reliable sources or laws to protect the innocent.

This did not feel like one of her books, it was way to wordy, hundreds of pages could have been cut from the story. I found Olive to be the hero, her situation was dire, and she did the best she could, with her daddy helping her with kind words along the way.

Valerie was also a good character, but she was stepping out of her duties as a Forest Ranger in an investigation she had no authorization to do.

Going to have to give four stars. The Guardian oversight of these people is a blemish on our country.

I thank Random House Publishing Group along with NetGalley for providing this Galley edition for no requirement other than my offer to provide an unbiased review. This one comes in with four stars.

What a powerful, eye opening read. I knew about "The Trail of Tears", but not of the land, Oklahoma!

This is a dual time read, and I loved how the author seamlessly wove this story together.

Be sure to read the author's notes at the end!

This read opens your eyes to the greed that goes through the ages, and those that have never have enough, and don't care about whom they hurt getting it. Unfortunately, in the early 1900's it was children, and we though the eyes of the author meet this children and get to know some of them.

There are surprises, and then wow surprises, and most you won't see coming!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Ballentine Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

this story is told in dual timelines about eighty years apart. It comes together in the end. very good book.

Sometimes you just want a book that will transport you to another time and occasionally make you cry. Which brings me to this book and review I’m currently writing with balled up tissues in hand.

Lisa Wingate is a master at weaving together stories based on true events many may not know about. Including myself.

“Before We Were Yours” was the first book I read by her and just like that one, children and the past horrors they faced remain at the forefront. Hence my tissues.

I really love and appreciate the concern, love and support Lisa brings to her books and this one is no exception.

Taking place in Oklahoma and set between two timelines. Step into a time and a story Lisa clearly did her research on. I’m already looking forward to the next historical gem she decides to unearth.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I really tried to focus but it just never held my attention. I think I was more invested in the 1900 story line than the modern day one. I wasn’t interested in any characters. I made it about 41% in and decided this book, no matter the ending, is just not for me. I appreciate the opportunity to read an ARC of it as I really enjoyed Before We Were Yours.

Two stories, two narrators, and two timelines, with origins in United States government policies surrounding the treatment of indigenous people and their lands. While I'm generally a fan of this bestselling author, I was disappointed by this book. Awarded three stars on Goodreads, making me a real outlier since the book currently has an average rating of more than 4 stars.

Up front let me acknowledge that I am not a big fan of novels that move back and forth in time, where a connection is not revealed until the very end of the book. With few exceptions, I too often feel the author is simply employing an over-used literary device that keeps both stories intentionally obscure and harder to follow, because just as I get involved in one storyline, it’s dropped to pick up the second. And then back again.

SHELTERWOOD’s two storylines take place in Oklahoma about 80 years apart:
1909 - the story of two young runaways who meet up with other children living on their own — in a time before there were social service agencies or child labor laws to keep unscrupulous adults from taking advantage of children. This story is narrated by 12-year-old Olive Augusta Radley, the older of the two runaways. 
1990 - Newly widowed Valerie Boren O'dell (narrator) and her very inquisitive seven-year-old son Charlie have just relocated to Oklahoma to make a fresh start. Valerie is one of the first women rangers assigned to a national park and eager to prove herself to her sexist male colleagues. Almost immediately she gets involved in missing persons.

In telling both stories, author Lisa Wingate weaves in a variety of historical and contemporary elements. Skeletal remains, accidental death, and murder. Lucrative oil leases. Wealthy locals wielding power through their connections. Fledgling groups trying to organize women to effect political action. Kate Barnard, the first woman elected to statewide office in Oklahoma (who served before women even had the right to vote), and took an interest in helping the many abandoned children living on their own. And, of course, endlessly fascinating, the inner workings of dysfunctional families.

So, with all this drama, why did I award only three stars? Overall, I simply did not enjoy reading this novel. The pace seemed slow, not picking up until nearly three-quarters in. It felt long (368 pages) and picking it up felt too much like a task. And I admit I did not find this subject matter all that compelling. I think I would have liked it more if it was more focused on indigenous people rather than White ones. There were a lot of characters to track, made more difficult by continuing moving back and forth between stories. And I found that back and forth kept me at a distance, limiting my ability to become emotionally involved.

In my mind, a three star rating is a gift, awarded chiefly because I truly believe readers less annoyed by dual timeline stories and more interested in this subject matter and time period will enjoy the book much more than I did.

I loved Before We Were Yours, so I was thrilled when I received this.
Lisa Wingate is such a talented author and she brings out so much emotion, this story was heartbreaking.
I also love dual timelines, and this one bounces between 1909 and 1999.
History is so important and I feel sometimes we dont always really understand the lasting effect.

Once again, Lisa Wingate tells us of history that I was not aware of. Powerful story told in 2 timelines. A bit slow to get into the story in the beginning possibility due to the two different storylines.. I also found it hard to read about difficulties with children in history. I have no doubt this book will be a success!