This is a very interesting story. I am not familiar with the Indian plight over the years, more of my knowledge was from earlier in their history. And interesting to note that my relatives came not far from that area in the early 1900's.

The strength of these children is astounding. I keep looking at myself and my children and realize how weak we are, how our strength is a different kind. Ollie is a tough cookie, one who wants to help those around her. The things she goes through, the grit she has, is just amazing. I really enjoyed the historic part of this book.

The modernish day storyline did not hold me as strongly. It was interesting, and the two did tie together, but it was Ollie that I enjoyed the most.

Shelterwood brings ilght to a time period in the US that I have not read really anything about and a topic I truly had no knowledge of. I think it was because of this that I felt a bit confused/lost for about 40% of the book. I couldn't really figure out where Wingate was going with this whole idea of "elves" and how the children's story was going to come together with the 1990 timeline. I found Valerie's chapters to be more compelling, as she was such a unique character (female park ranger), but the historical chapters did bring a lot of depth to the story.

Lisa Wingate has done it again, What a great book. The reader is introduced to two main characters in alternating timelines. In 1990, Valerie, a young single parent has taken a job as a Park Ranger in Oklahoma. She is having to deal with the typical old boys club and has to prove herself on the job. Inadvertently she finds out about a cave where three sets of children's bones have been discovered. Instantly she is drawn. Into the mystery. In 1909, Olive is a young girl living with an abusive stepfather and a drunken mother. She along with another little Choctaw girl know they have to escape before something bad happens to both of them. They run away and find adventure and other orphans join them. Throughout the years these two timelines converge in an unbelievable conclusion. The author brings to light how Orphan Indian children were swindled, even murdered and cheated out of there land by “guardians” that pretended to have their best interest at heart, This is a tale that tugs at your heartstrings and really makes you realize how the innocent were taken advantage of.

I've been a fan of Lisa Wingate since I stumbled across "Before We Were Yours." It was actually my top pick for 2017 and on my top 10 all time reads. Since then, I also loved "The Book of Lost Friends" so I knew I would have to read "Shelterwood" as soon as I saw it.

The dual timeline novel features 1909 Olive, a young girl abused by her stepfather and concerned for her Choctaw foster sisters, who takes the youngest and runs away into the Winding Stair Mountains to protect them. "Present" day is 1999, where widowed Park Ranger Valerie has moved to Oklahoma with her young son to take a position at Winding Stair. When the bodies of three young children are found in the mountains and a couple of local teens disappear, Valerie is transported into the middle of decades old dilemmas involving the Native American lands, the tribes who lived on them first, the natural resources at the park, and those hungry for more power and money.

This book was definitely another winner from Lisa Wingate! The story is compelling along with illuminating a period of history I didn't know much about at all. The 1909 years highlight the issues in Oklahoma for the Native Americans after the land seizures, along with the problems for orphans of all races. The contemporary years provide insight into the land problems still today, along with the potential environmental impacts. Both sides really focus on the human aspect for the people in these areas and the tragedies they went through in the past that still are not properly resolved.

Before We Were Yours is one of my all time favorite books, so I was thrilled to get this advance copy of Lisa Wingate's newest novel. I throughly enjoyed this one too! Wingate is a very gentle story teller while discussing some moving and upsetting storylines through history. I think she is a smart and respectful writer with respect to her content. I couldn't recommend this book enough. Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Random House Publishing for a copy of this book for an honest review.

If Lisa Wingate writes it, I am going to read it. I loved this booked - very similar candace to "Before we were yours".

The characters are well developed and there stories intertwined very artfully while also leaving some to the imagination in terms of the driving forces behind these characters. The dual timeline takes place in 1909 and 1990, following Ollie escaping from her home situation with a Choctaw girl Nessie and Valerie a park ranger trying to raise her son on the same land 80 years later.

I love that Lisa uses historical fact and interweaves them into fiction based on true events. She pulls a storylines that I would not have had knowledge of and paints it in such a colorful way. I love it

Thank you to Lisa Wingate, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for this fantastic book.

The story is set in Oklahoma and switches between 1909 and 1999. The time periods overlap seamlessly.

The setting is perfect for the story and addresses the sensitive issue regarding the treatment of native American children in the 1900's.

The book was beautifully written and I learned so much.

I highly recommend.

Five stars .

This is a lovely book about resilience and doing what's right and especially caring for others. Part historical fiction, part gentle-ish thriller, the story spans a century with intertwined tales of the abuse of Indigenous people--especially children, and girl children at that--in Oklahoma by whites trying to steal their land for oil and other mineral riches and modern-day poachers on the same land. The protagonists are well-drawn and they develop and grow and learn from their mistakes and feel mostly real. Wingate is an artist when it comes to the setting, putting the reader right in the middle of the landscape and showing them why it's so important to the stories. I really enjoyed reading this and would recommend it to a large swath of genre readers, from folks reading books about nature and environmentalism to mystery lovers to historical fiction fans to readers who want stories about strong (sorry, I know it's cliche), competent women. And I'd love for this to become a series.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
This book, set in Oklahoma, is about orphaned indigenous children and the people who stole their land. I like how the author switches from the past to the present as the story is told. We read a chapter from the POV of the children in the early 1900s and the next from a park ranger in 1990. We also learn about Kate Bernard who fought the protection of these children. This book is an important read because it is about a time we often don't think about. I definitely enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed reading Lisa Wingate's latest novel, Shelterwood. Told in alternating timelines, the story follows wise beyond her 11 years Ollie and 6 year old Nessa on their journey to escape a no good stepfather in the 1909 timeline. The struggles of 1990's law enforcement ranger, Valerie, provide the modern day timeline. Lisa Wingate weaves together two fascinating stories that highlight the struggles of women, children, and the Choctaw people in both the early 1900's and in modern times. The characters are well-developed and the history well-researched. There are a lot of tough topics but Lisa Wingate handles them with sensitivity. This would make a great pick for a book club discussion.

I have read other books by Ms Wingate and really enjoyed them. I know this one will be well received by many. But this one was just to heavy of a subject for me. The two story lines worked well togehter but I found myself not wanting to read Ollie and Nessa.s story and wishing that Valerie’s story was a stand alone.

Lisa Wingate has scored another winning novel with her meticulously researched book titled Shelterwood. This captivating novel takes place at Winding Stair Mountain, Oklahoma, an area deep in the Choctaw Nation. Follow Valerie in 1990, a newly appointed park ranger, as she makes a startling discovery in the caves which lead her to uncover the secrets of this mountainous backcountry. Valerie's story also intertwines with Olive Peele from 1909 and her survival with a group of orphans who are trying to survive this wilderness area. Wingate is a master at character development and each person is introduced in vivid detail with the story alternating between Olive and Valerie. If you are a fan of Wingate's "The Book of Lost Friends", and "Before We Were Yours", this newest novel's story will find you searching for more of Lisa Wingate's writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced reading copy of this book.

Shelterwood is another gripping historical novel from the author Lisa Wingate. Set in chapters 81 years apart, both time frames feature little girls, frightened yet resilient, who fight their own way to survival.

Ollie is a pre-adolescent whose stepfather abuses her adopted sisters and attempts to do the same to her. Peele has caused Ollie's mother to become addicted to drugs and alcohol. and so unable to care for the children. Ollie takes Nessa, the five year old and runs away, much as the eldest, Hazel, did previously.

81 years later, in Oklahoma, a young widow comes to work as a park Ranger for the opening of a new National park. Valerie is the mother of a young son, making her life more difficult than it already is because she is a woman.

In this timeline, there is also a young girl, Sydnes, whose grandmother and brother have seemingly disappeared and who is being . taken advantage of by a foster mother and a rich and powerful businessman.

This novel is rich with the history of early Oklahoma statehood and the horrendous murder and displacement of Choctaw Indian children by people who rob them of their land and rights. Often these children survive by living wild in the forest. These scenes will haunt you as you see what these "elf Children" had to suffer in order to survive.

For me, this novel would have worked better if Wingate hadn't used the movie serial method of leaving each timeline in suspense before returning with the next one. The abrupt conclusion was also unsatisfying. Yet Lisa Wingate does have the gift of grabbing and holding the reader captive while opening eyes to a fascinating history of our past.

Thank you Ballantine for an ARC copy to read. And thanks to Net Galley as well.Shelterwood is another gripping historical novel from the author Lisa Wingate. Set in chapters 81 years apart, both time frames feature little girls, frightened yet resilient, who fight their own way to survival.

Ollie is a pre-adolescent whose stepfather abuses her adopted sisters and attempts to do the same to her. Peele has caused Ollie's mother to become addicted to drugs and alcohol. and so unable to care for the children. Ollie takes Nessa, the five year old and runs away, much as the eldest, Hazel, did previously.

81 years later, in Oklahoma, a young widow comes to work as a park Ranger for the opening of a new National park. Valerie is the mother of a young son, making her life more difficult than it already is because she is a woman.

In this timeline, there is also a young girl, Sydnes, whose grandmother and brother have seemingly disappeared and who is being . taken advantage of by a foster mother and a rich and powerful businessman.

This novel is rich with the history of early Oklahoma statehood and the horrendous murder and displacement of Choctaw Indian children by people who rob them of their land and rights. Often these children survive by living wild in the forest. These scenes will haunt you as you see what these "elf Children" had to suffer in order to survive.

For me, this novel would have worked better if Wingate hadn't used the movie serial method of leaving each timeline in suspense before returning with the next one. The abrupt conclusion was also unsatisfying. Yet Lisa Wingate does have the gift of grabbing and holding the reader captive while opening eyes to a fascinating history of our past.

Thank you Ballantine for an ARC copy to read. And thanks to Net Galley as well.

Lisa Wingate has become a must read author for me. Her books are engrossing, exciting, heart wrenching, and so thoroughly researched. Shelterwood lives up to all of those things. This is historical fiction at it's best.

Shelterwood is full of extraordinary female characters who stand up for themselves, for others, and for what is right. Ollie is a scrappy, intelligent, and resourceful young girl living in the early 1900s. Valarie is an independent, strong, single mother working as a park ranger in 1990. Both timelines are set in or near the mountains of Oklahoma. (I honestly didn't know Oklahoma had mountains). Both characters have experienced loss that has shaped them and how they see the world. Set against the backdrop of a world that exploits Native Americans and especially Native orphan children, the heartbreak is real and devastating.

Shelterwood was inspired by true events in Oklahoma in the early 1900s. The book was written with connecting timelines. One being from perspective of children living in the 1900s who ran from their homes to avoid the exploitation of greedy land barons and the other from a Law Enforcement Ranger trying to solve the case of a missing boy. As she gets deeper into this case, she begins uncover some of the stories from the past. I really enjoyed the story line of this book! I had a hard time with some of the pacing as I'd get into the story of one of the timelines and the book would switch to the other, but that ultimately made it difficult to put down.

Wingate review

1909, Oklahoma. 11-year-old Ollie knows her new stepfather is up to no good concerning the two Choctaw sisters that have taken refuge in her home. When the oldest goes missing, she flees with 6-year-old Nessa, and fights to make it to where they can be free.

1990, Oklahoma. Park Ranger Valerie knows something isn’t right. There are confusing tales told, a missing teenager, and a burial ground with three adolescent skeletons. But she’s the rookie in these parts, and an unwelcome one at that.

Wingate weaves together the stories of Ollie and Valerie in a masterful, lyrical way, bringing light to yet another part of American history that I personally was unfamiliar with. The back and forth between eras worked because I found both storylines interesting, but it was also helpful to have a reprieve from Ollie’s story, which was often very heavy.

4/5 ⭐️
Thank you Lisa Wingate and Ballantine Books for my ARC if this wonderful book. This is a story told in 2 timelines, one in 1909 and one in 1990 about abandoned children from the first one and a park ranger on the second one. Lisa explores stories that she researches so deeply to make sure we get to know them from the perspective of the vulnerable young orphans, and she does an amazing job, make sure you check this book as soon as it comes out on June 2024.

Two stories both set in the southeastern corner of Oklahoma, but in two different time periods -- the early 1900s and 1990. These stories tell about two women -- one a Park Ranger in the newly created national park, and the other a young girl caught up intrigue involving Native American children and the men who take advantage of them. When the bones of 3 children are discovered in a cave in the park and a young man's car is found abandoned, these stories converge.

have read several books by Lisa Wingate and enjoyed them. Her historical fiction expose social ills, are well researched and her characters are sympathetic and believable. This one has those elements, but something is missing. I didn't really feel much connection to either of the main characters, and the story sometimes felt too "preachy". There are several serious issues here -- the abuse of children (especially Native American children), profiteering businessmen who take advantage of needy people, sexism (in both eras), the appropriate use of federal lands and resources, and more. These are all important issues, but sometimes the "story" was overwhelmed by the explanation. This book will likely sell well and, yes, it should be read, but I did not think it was as good as Wingate's others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Lisa Wingate is becoming one of my favorite historical fiction authors. I love that she finds little known events and combines her research with her fictional characters to weave a fascinating story.
Sometimes multiple timelines doesn't work for me, but these two timelines are well written. The main two narrators are each written with such distinction that fits each person. The beginning and end were the most powerful aspects. While the middle kept my attention, it did move a little slow. But don't let that stop you from continuing this book through the end.

I love how well-researched Lisa Wingate's stand alone books are. I've read her other two stand alones and absolutely loved them so I was thrilled when I was granted an ARC of Shelterwood. Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Wingate and Random House/Ballatine Books.

I dove into this book only knowing that it would be a very well written and well researched historical fiction book. It absolutely was. Following the Oklahoma (and other states too I'm sure) seizure of Indian tribal lands and the fall out from this horrible time in our history, this book follows the "elves" left from this stealing of their land. The elves are children, young children, that have nowhere to go and no one to care for them when land barons and others "steal" their land. Too young, too poor, too uneducated to fight for their rights, a woman, Kate Barnard, fights for their rights.

This story follows a couple of the girls left behind to live in the forest, to scrounge for food, to try to survive. This one took me a bit longer to get into versus her earlier novels, but nonetheless, was so good in its heartbreaking simplicity of greedy men who stole what wasn't theirs and left children behind to fend for themselves.