Review Shelterwood
Lisa Wingate is a master storyteller. Her latest story is much like “Before We were Yours,” in that it uncovers a forgotten tragic story of the abuse of innocent children and those courageous few who worked to right the wrongs that villainous people tried to inflict on children.
It is a duel story-line that covers 1909 and 1990. And like Lisa’s previous story that uncovered the historical, yet almost forgotten tragedy of Georgia Tann selling innocent children, this story uncovers the complex Oklahoma history of graft and greed. It reveals a sad tale of the struggle to possess oil and lumber-rich land at a price that inflicted evil on Choctaw Indians and what became known as the “elf” children. There were little children who escaped and survived by living in the forest for a time. It also uncovers the true story of a little-known heroine who rescued some of those children.
Be sure to read the Author’s notes at the end of the story that uncovers the basis for telling this emotional tale.
The 1990 aspect of the story deals with a single Mom LEO working for a state Park who struggles to give voice to the story behind the bones of 3 children found in a cave. There is mystery and drama connected with the more recent time period that eventually reveals abuse inflicted on children ignored by the law.
For me this was a sadder story than Before We Were Yours. It is hard to read about the historical abuse of children. But it is a story that needed to be told, and I appreciated the uncovering of the woman who fought to be the advocate and protector for those children.
Thanks to #NetGalley for an advance ARC copy of #Shelterwood. And thanks to #Lisa Wingate for uncovering history and bringing it to light. Thanks to #Ballantine Books for allowing me to read this story before it will be available in June, 2024.

Be prepared to be captivated, enlightened, and moved by @author_lisa_wingate poignant story of 𝕊𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕨𝕠𝕠𝕕. Wingate sheds light on a forgotten chapter of American history revealing the dark underbelly of Oklahoma where Native American lands were stolen, lives lost, and injustices served on the Choctaw Nation and underprivileged. Greed and corruption are unveiled in this gripping novel.

𝑫𝑬𝑺𝑪𝑹𝑰𝑷𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵
The story unfolds with dual timelines until the stories converge. Eleven-year-old Ollie of 1909 flees her stepfather with Nessa, his 6-year-old Choctaw ward, who has untoward ideas for Nessa and her missing sister. They embark on a dangerous journey through the mountains along with an unexpected alliance of fellow orphaned (“elf”) children.

Fast forward to 1990, where law enforcement ranger Valerie faces local unrest, a missing teenage hiker, and the chilling discovery of long-buried bones in the park’s depths. With the support of the Choctaw Tribal Police, Val’s pursuit of truth unearths a labyrinth of hidden truths and the haunting legacy of the land’s dark past.

𝑺𝑼𝑴𝑴𝑨𝑹𝒀
Wingate skillfully weaves a tapestry of mystery and intrigue that bind past and present in this compelling and meticulously researched novel and brings justice to the forgotten Kate Barnard; a strong advocate for the children.

𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑻
💋 Sex & Nudity - Hint of sexual abuse but nothing described.
🤬 Profanity - None
🥊 Violence & Gore - Physical abuse of children; discussion of children being killed. Some fighting and shooting. Nothing graphically detailed.

𝑹𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑮 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another great book from Lisa Wingate. Told in two different time frames, but once again, she brings it all together in the end. So sad what our child went thru before laws were enacted to protect them.

My first Lisa Wingate book and I’m very glad to have been allowed to read an ARC of it. Fantastic storyteller.. I typically don’t love dual timeline books, but this one was so well written that I was never bored with either timelines’ stories. This extremely well researched novel tells the story of Oklahoma’s elf children, land grabs by powerful white men, the painful lives of children who were destined to inherit valuable land, including Natives, and of Kate Barnard, a spunky woman who did so much to try to rectify the situation. “A society is only as good as its women.”

As a huge fan of "Before We Were Yours" I was very excited to receive the ARC from NetGalley of Shelterwood for an honest review. This book had me hooked from the beginning. The dual timelines between Ollie in 1909 and Valerie in 1990 provided a smooth parallel to a mystery to be solved, all while uncovering a deep dark secret held by a town's ancestors for decades. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns and suspenseful journey taken by Ollie and her crew. The ending wrapped up beautifully, which I've come to appreciate in a story that is soaked in so much truth. Well done!

A very well written and researched book! The history is really interesting. I highly recommend this book, even though it is a split time novel, which I think there are far too many of these days. :) The story and characters are captivating. Parts of it are sad, but the main characters are strong, and it ends with victory, which is awesome!!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance e-copy of this book! All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Lisa Wingate writes great books and this one does not disappoint. Though I had trouble following along at times due to it being set in two different time lines, early 1900's and late 1990's, but I enjoyed the historical fiction part of it and the story. This is a great story to learn about the Native Americans and land rites.

Love Lisa Wingate’s writing, and this was a really well written book. I think the dual timelines were well done but it was kind of a slow read for the first few chapters. I found that once you get invested in the story and characters, it really picks up momentum. I would totally recommend this book to a friend.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a copy of Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate.
I loved Ms Wingate's previous novel. Before We Were Yours, and was just as satisfied with Shelterwood.
The stories take place in Oklahoma, with dual timelines in 1909 and 1990.
In 1909, Oliva and her Choctaw foster sister run away from the abuse and negligence of home. They join up with other children struggling to survive, and stay away from those who would exploit them. In 1990, National Park Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie can't ignore evidence of past and current nefarious activity in Horsethief Trail National Park. The way the two timelines intersected was well written - Highly recommend!

When I stumbled upon Shelterwood on NetGalley, I was so excited to see Lisa Wingate wrote it and immediately requested to read it. Her book Before We Were Yours was a 5⭐️ read for me, and it got me into loving historical fiction.

Normally, I can read a book in a few days (sometimes even in a day), but it took me over three weeks to finish Shelterwood. I never really wanted to pick it up, or to continue reading when I did pick it up. The pace was really slow up until the end, when so much happens at once.

This story is told in dual timelines, and has a mystery in each one. At times, I was interested in both timelines, at other times, I was only interested in one; sometimes I was interested in neither. I felt like the story went back and forth between intriguing/ interesting and tedious filler that really made the story drag.

All that said, I did appreciate learning about an important topic I didn’t know much about. I liked how Wingate included a real person and intertwined her story with the characters‘ story. And I liked how the two storylines connected in the end.

3.5 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy. All opinions are my own.

As Lisa Wingate was quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, Shelterwood sealed the deal and put her in the top.  I love Wingate’s storytelling capability and writing style, and Shelterwood is no exception.  She brought to life a piece of history I was not familiar with and did so in a fascinating way.  This historical fiction novel is interesting, captivating, well-researched and nearly impossible to put down!

Shelterwood is set in Oklahoma across two storylines 90 years apart – 1909 and 1999.  In 1909, we learn of 11-year-old Olive “Ollie” August Radley, and her life with her mother and new stepfather.  There are two Choctaw children living in her home, and she is forced to flee with the youngest, 6-year-old Nessa, after the oldest, Hazel, disappears.  In 1999, we learn of newly hired, widowed Park Ranger Valerie Boren O’Dell and mother to a young boy named Charlie.  The newest ranger and a woman on the predominantly male force, Valerie is met with resistance and skepticism, but she meets these head on with courage and determination.  As I began this book, I wondered what these two very different and decades apart lives had in common.  But Lisa Wingate did what Lisa Wingate does best and wove these two different yet related stories together seamlessly, interestingly, and beautifully.  Her ability to tell two stories in this fashion is one my favorite things about her as an author.   It is an absolute gift to be enraptured in her books.

Wingate explores a difficult topic but one that is not well-known, at least where I am from – the corruption of well-to-do people and politicians in Oklahoma deceiving and stealing land rights from the native Five Tribes (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek. Choctaw, and Seminole).  It is a difficult topic especially because advantages were often taken of orphans.  Injustice is heartbreaking but it is especially so when children are involved.  But Wingate tells their stories through the lives of Ollie, Nessa, and other children like them that they meet on their journey. 

Through the pages of this book, the reader will learn about and fall in love with the “elf children”.  I felt great compassion toward these dear little ones, and great anger toward the adults who wronged them.  The reader will also learn of Kate Barnard, a little-known name in Oklahoma history.  Kate was small in stature but won political office and had a larger-than-life impact on the lives of the orphaned native children.  A headstrong woman well ahead of her time, Barnard was a force to be reckoned with and one I am very interested in learning more about.

The book culminates in a satisfying ending.  It was a well-researched page turning historical fiction novel which I will highly recommend to anyone who asks.  I have thoroughly enjoyed every Lisa Wingate book I have read, and I am so very pleased to say that Shelterwood is no exception.

Thank you NetGalley, Ballentine Books and Lisa Wingate for the privilege to read an advanced copy of this wonderful novel!

#Shelterwood #NetGalley

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Shelterwood started off on a slow note for me. Eventually, the mystery started to develop a bit more, and the pages started to fly by. In this, you will meet Ollie and Valerie. Ollie is eleven years old and lives in 1909, whereas Valerie lives in 1990 with her son Charlie.

Ollie doesn't like the world she's living in and would do anything in her power to protect her sisters and herself. It doesn't help when one of them goes missing and her stepfather is untrustworthy. One day, she hits her limit and runs away with her younger sister, Nessie. The troubles they faced along the way were somewhat bittersweet. Sure, they had times where things were finally going their way, and I could see them potentially getting their happy ending. Then the rug would be swept right from under them and myself, and they were back to square one, trying to figure out life and keeping everyone safe.

Then there's Valerie, and she's just trying to figure things out in her new job. Throw in some mystery bones found in a cave, and she just wants to understand this land, the park, and the people a bit more. It doesn't help that she pissed someone off who is well-known in the community and has it out for her now. And yet, the mystery just keeps building up, and things aren't adding up.

In the end, the mystery was so freaking good, and the last few chapters really tied things up. The only thing I'm wondering about is, did she finally get Charlie that puppy? Please say she did.

I've read a few of Lisa Wingate's books and some of them are amazing--Before We Were Yours comes to mind. I had high expectations for this book: two kids in rural Oklahoma at the turn of the century run away from a stepfather while a 1990 storyline is about a woman Law Enforcement Ranger in a new national park who discovers bodies in a cave. The two storylines eventually meld, but neither one is very interesting on its own. I was incredibly disappointed and almost completely disinterested in both storylines, which was such a bummer because both individually had such promise. The characters lacked depth. Details were given that just didn't seem to have much point.


Thanks to NetGalley for my honest opinion of this book.

The story was very anticipated, as I love her previous book, before we were yours, however the story fell flat for me. Ollie’s story felt a little far-fetched, but put in for the drama and heartbreaking effect. Valerie’s story about being a new park ranger were more captivating, but still was not great. It didn’t keep my interest enough and the timing felt very slow and drawn out. Thanks to net galley for this e-arc and the chance to read!

A time split read based on historical accounts of Oklahoma and the Indian tribes located there around early 1900s. The author does a wonderful job telling the story from a child's point of view when the main character, Ollie, attempts to run away from her step-father after her adopted Choctaw sister goes missing and the attempted molestation of her younger adopted sister. It is an adventure with many twists and turns.
In present day Oklahoma, Valerie Boren-Odell is beginning a new job as a park at a new state park. She brings her young son with her and her own demons from the past. But when a teenager goes missing along with his grandmother, a drowning victim is found, and another ranger are injured, Valerie sinks her teeth in to discover what the connection is between all these happenings.
Bravo to a great storyline. Underneath is a non-fictional story I did not know about but am glad the author dug into archives to find it.

The book is a nonlinear book with one plot line focusing on orphaned Choctaw Indian children in the early 1900s. The second plot line deals with a National Park ranger in the 1990s. Of course at the end, the 2 stories tie together but getting there was a bit of a chore. Some of the children's story was unbelievable and it took some time for the Rangers story to come in focus. The most interesting part of the book was Ms. Wingate's notes at the end of the book.

I was lucky to read an early copy of Shelterwood from net gallery. I really enjoyed it. I have enjoyed all of Lisa Wingate’s books. This one will not disappoint. Written about a time in history we may have forgotten. Be sure to read when it comes out.

Book Title: Shelterwood
Author: Lisa Wingate
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books
Genre: Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: June 4, 2024
My Rating: 3.6
Pages: 368

Story has two timelines 1909 and 1990. They weave together in the end.

Timeline 1990 – Valerie Boren-O’Dell
Talihina, Oklahoma - Valerie Boren-O’Dell is a Law Enforcement Ranger who has just moved to Horsethief Trail with her seven year old son Charlie and immediately faced with an issue regarding the park trail’s opening. There also is a missing teenager and next thing discovery of children’s bones found in old burial grounds.

Curtis is the head of the Choctaw Tribal Police and end up with Valerie on what is and what has happened there.
When he sees the burial place of where they found the children’s bones; he states the Choctaws wouldn’t bury they own this way. They have respect for the dead and typically buried near their home and placed food, clothing blankets, a toy if the child is young.
He goes on to say this is ‘white people stuff’ dumping the dead in a cave and piling rocks on top.

TIMELINE: 1909 –Olive Augusta Peele
Oklahoma – Olive is only eleven years old but wise enough to suspect that her stepfather Tesco Peele is not a good person and cannot be trusted – she certainly missed her real dad. When Tesco brings home Nessie and Hazel Rusk two Choctaw Indian little girls he tells Ollie (although he calls her Ollie Auggie which was her father’s pet name for her) he brought her somebody to play with and they are going to live with them, The girls have been taken from their home when Tesco got custody of the them as well as their tribal land.
Later when Hazel goes missing, Olive knows something bad has happened to her and that she and Nessie need to leave.

This timeline goes into how the land was stolen for the oil and timber.
This reminded me of " Killers of the Flower Moon" by author, David Grann. That story is about the Osage Indian Nation in
Oklahoma discovering oil beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to
study in Europe. However, one by one, they began to be killed off.


About the Author: Lisa Wingate is a former journalist, an inspirational speaker, and a wonderful writer. Lisa Wingate is a great story teller and her words are poetic. She never disappoints!

This is my eleventh novel; all were wonderful. Although " Before We Were Yours" is probably her most well-known novel. My first was " A Month of Summer" released in 2008. It is the first in the Blue Sky inspirational series and I loved it and became a fan!

There is no doubt this is an emotional read. Have to admit it was slow and although it was good it is not my favorite Wingate story.
I did loved reading the ‘Author’s Note’ as well as her ‘Acknowledgements’. Both are ‘Must Reads’! Also found the 5 pages of Resources interesting.

Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 4, 2024.

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate
Thank you to Random House-Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

This page-turner of an historical novel takes place in the backwoods of southeastern Oklahoma, in two separate time periods, 1909 and 1990. Both revolve around the care of the land and the lack of care of children.

In 1909, 11-year-old Olive Augusta runs away from an abusive stepfather, taking her adopted Choctaw sister, Nessa, with her. Their situation reflects the ways in which oil- and land-rich children, especially Native Americans, were used and abused for control of their wealth. They become part of a small band of children fleeing similar circumstances, and their plight also introduces the heroines of early Oklahoma: the real women who fought to protect children’s welfare and rights.

Jumping ahead to 1990, Valerie Boren-Odell is a widowed mother with one young son. Val has taken the position of Law Enforcement Officer at newly opened (fictional) Horsethief Trail National Park, covering the same area where Olive and her friends once hid. In this timeframe, the focus is also on missing children, as well as the elderly.

Val must deal with on-going issues around women’s capability, especially in the male-dominated National Park Service. As she learns about the history of her new home, she sees as models the women of early statehood who fought for the rights of the powerless.

Both timelines are suspenseful, some chapters ending in “cliffhangers.” Unfortunately, all chapters begin with quotes from historical documents, and rather than add to the gripping story, these form rather pedestrian distractions from a plot already complicated by the two narratives.

Despite this, Shelterwood is an absorbing and even exciting book, rich in characters, action, and history.

A wonderful book about how the white people mistreated the children of OK! So many children were mistreated early on in this country. Well rehearsed book that is about dark time in southwest kinda like 'KILLERS OFMOONFLOWER"