3.75/5
Alternating timelines both set in Oklahoma, 1909 follows Ollie and her “adopted” Choctaw sister Nessa who flee from their abusive stepfather and journey in the woods towards their prior home of Winding Stair Mountains, crossing barren terrain with their packhorse and some meager supplies. Along the way, they meet orphaned indigenous children and band together to survive, creating their own safe haven “Shelterwood.” 1990 follows widowed Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie Boren O’Dell and her young son in her new assignment at Horsethief Trail National Park. On her first day, she discovers old remains of 3 young girls thought to be descendants from the nearby Choctaw tribe. While she is interested in learning their origin story, her superiors remove the bones and close the case. She is approached by spunky Choctaw girl Sydney about locating her missing brother Braden and sick grandmother Budgie Blackwell, who is a former State Representative. She finds an unlikely alliance with a tribal police officer in her quest to uncover the truth.

I absolutely loved Wingate’s book Before We Were Yours—which intertwined phenomenal storytelling with well researched historical fiction. While I really enjoyed this book, and was invested in the story to learn the connection between the two timelines, it didn’t grab me the same way her prior book did. I thought the alternating timelines was well executed but feel it could have been somewhat challenging if read as an audiobook and not in print. I learned a lot about the exploitation of land from indigenous Choctaw tribal people, with the creation of “guardianship” for those underage with tribal land allotments

Thank you NetGalley, author Lisa Wingate, and publisher Ballantine Books for this ARC.
Pub Date: June 4, 2024

Lisa Wingate has become a favorite author of mine over the years. I always get excited when I find out that she has written a new book. That was how I felt when I saw that she had written Shelterwood. I always enjoy that she depicts strong and resilient women in her books. Shelterwood was no exception. It portrayed two very strong and determined female protagonists, one that grew up in Oklahoma in the early 1900’s and one who recently moved to Oklahoma for a new job in the 1990’s. Neither of these protagonists could be easily dissuaded from doing what they believed was necessary and right. Lisa Wingate delved into what was known as The Guardian System in her book, Shelterwood. She allowed her readers to learn about those who took advantage of orphaned Indigenous children for the sole purpose of profiting off of their ignorance and innocence. I had little to no knowledge of Oklahoma’s turbulent history of wealthy white men who preyed on these trusting and vulnerable children. I switched between reading Shelterwood on my kindle and listening to the audiobook. The cast of narrators for the audiobook did an excellent job portraying the many characters. Shelterwood was written in a dual timeline and told from the perspective of the two protagonists.

In 1909, eleven year old Olive (Ollie) Augusta Radley Peele was living with her mama and stepfather. Her biological father had left them but Ollie had fond memories of him. Before he disappeared from her and her mama’s lives, he had brought home two Choctaw orphans who became wards of Ollie’s family. Hazel was eleven years old and Nessa was six years old. After Ollie’s father left her and her mama, Ollie’s mother became more dependent on drugs. Ollie soon learned that her stepfather was a dangerous and evil man. Ollie suspected that her stepfather was somehow responsible for Hazel’s disappearance. When Ollie witnessed her stepfather luring over Nessa’s bed one night,Ollie knew that she and Nessa had to escape before it was too late for them. Ollie was wise and observant beyond her years. Her’s and Nessa’s journey, although not without danger, obstacles and challenges, led them to the Winding Stair Mountains.

Life doesn’t always go as planned and that was true for widowed and single mother Valerie Boren O’dell. In 1990, Valerie Boren O’dell found herself with a new role. Valerie recently accepted the position as a Law Enforcement Ranger at Horsethief Trail National Park. She and her young son, Charlie, were going to call Talihina, Oklahoma home for the inevitable future. On Valerie’s first day on the job, she was befriended by a young girl who asked Valerie to keep an eye out for her brother. Her brother was supposed to come and get her and together they were supposed to go to their grandmother’s home. According to this young girl, her brother never showed up and she was worried about him. His distinguishing feature was that he had red hair. Valerie later learned that this young girl had a reputation for stretching the truth. Her “tall tales” had made people doubt her concerns and pleas for help. On that very first day of Valerie’s new role as Ranger, she was confronted with not only the possibility of the girl’s missing brother but with a drowning and the discovery of skeletal remains of young children in a secluded cave. Valerie also had to figure out who she could trust in her new job. It was an uphill battle for Valerie to try and earn the respect from the people she was now working with. Those were not going to be easy tasks but Valerie was not going to give in. How would Valerie be able to put the pieces of the puzzle clues together in order to solve all these occurrences?

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate was a very captivating book. I enjoyed the dual timeline and admired both protagonists. They both had so much to prove and were unrelenting in their efforts. Until reading Shelterwood, I had no prior knowledge about how innocent young Indigenous children were taken advantage of by scheming and evil white men back in the early 1900’s in Oklahoma. I really enjoyed how the ending of Shelterwood wove the two timelines and important characters together to create a very strong and satisfying conclusion. Although, Shelterwood was not my favorite book by Lisa Wingate, I did enjoy it, appreciate the new information that I learned and feel good about recommending it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction that featured two very strong female protagonists.

Thank you to Ballantine Books Random House Audio for allowing me to read and listen to Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I really wanted to love this book. I enjoyed the past time but did not care to much about the present. I think if it was strictly in the past with just the girls as the main focus, I would have enjoyed it more. It was kind of a snooze fest and I did not enjoy it as much as her other books.

I wanted to like this book. The topic was fascinating and the dual timeline intrigued me. However, it was a very slow start for me and quite a chore to finish. Once I got to the halfway point, I was invested enough to continue, but it was still slow going. I liked the ending and the full circle nature of the story, but there were too many characters for me to keep up with and truly invest in.

Lisa Wingate’s latest novel, Shelterwood, weaves an interesting dual narrative set in the Winding Stair Mountains of Oklahoma, exploring the dark legacy of missing children across a century.

In 1990, the remains of three young girls are uncovered in the newly created Horsethief Trail National Park, thrusting park ranger Valerie Boren-Odell, a grieving widow, into a mystery. Despite her boss’s reluctance to investigate, Valerie is determined to uncover the truth, aided by Choctaw tribal police officer Curtis Enhoe. Their investigation soon deepens with the discovery of a teenage boy’s disappearance and an unidentified man’s corpse, linking past and present tragedies.

Parallel to this, the story flashes back to 1909, when eleven-year-old Olive “Ollie” Radley and her Choctaw foster sister flee into the forest to escape abuse. As they seek safety, they encounter other children hiding from similar fates, exposing the broader exploitation of Choctaw children during a tumultuous period in Oklahoma’s history.

Wingate’s skillful storytelling shines through her vivid descriptions and strong sense of place (she grew up in Oklahoma), capturing the vulnerability and resilience of her young characters. The novel provides an insightful look into a dark chapter of history, though some readers may find the Ollie’s narrative overly verbose compared to the more engaging contemporary timeline. In my view, Shelterwood isn’t Wingate’s strongest work, but its emotional depth and historical intrigue make it a worthy read. For those interested in the untold stories of America’s past, this novel is a thought-provoking journey. 4 stars.

** Thanks to the publisher for a comp of this novel. The opinions are my own.

I struggled my way through the pace of this one, but I enjoyed the story. I love a story that has a lesson to share, and Lisa Wingate’s book always have something to teach me.

Shelterwood had me intrigued from the beginning with the split timeline narrative and the mystery surrounding both lead characters. The pacing kept me turning pages because it felt like each chapter ended on a cliffhanger. Shelterwood is a story of resilience and the bonds between those whom we consider as family.

In 1909, Olive and her sister Nessa are on the run in Oklahoma from their abusive stepfather Tesco Peele and trying to make their way to the cabin where Olive lived with her father and mother. They encounter other orphan children along the way and soon their group of two has grown in number. Their journey is full of danger, turmoil and heartache.

In 1990, Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie Boren O'Dell is looking for a fresh start for herself and her son Charlie at Horsethief Trail National Park in Oklahoma, but that start is darkened by the discovery in a cave of children's remains. The mystery only deepens as she looks for a missing teenager and the clues just don't add up.

I loved the historical aspect of this book and learning more about the plight of these children. The wrongs that were committed against those children are staggering and absolutely heartbreaking. I'm glad that the author came across this piece of history and shed light on some of the unsung heroes of that time.

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one didn't suck me in the way Before We Were Yours did, but I think that is on me and not on Wingate, so I rounded up instead of down. She is a great author that I really enjoy, I just had a hard time getting into the flow of this one, I could only get through a few pages at a time before I fell asleep. I appreciated the ARC from Net Galley. I learned things I never had any idea about, and they were of course appalling, how American Indian children were taken advantage of by whites chasing money, and how poorly runaways were treated for just trying to survive and wanting to live lives free from abuse. There is nothing fun about the book, but it is educational, and the end was not as dark as I was expecting - hats off to Wingate on that!

Hard to put down once I started! This historical fiction went between two time frames and brought history to life. I always learn something new from Lisa Wingate and this did not disappoint!

Historical fiction novel set in Oklahoma that spans the 1900s that delves into the lives of Choctaw children who were fostered and taken advantage of in many ways. This story is interwoven with a newly hired law enforcement ranger who, while working on a case of a missing teenager, comes across what appears to be the burial site of 3 small children. Well told between the two timelines. Emotional and heart wrenching at times, but exactly what I would expect from Lisa Wingate.

I was definitely slightly disappointed in this book. I felt it was dragging on a bit and did not keep my attention. Not my favorite historical fiction.

This is my 2nd read by Lisa Wingate and it did not disappoint. She does an excellent job of researching an actual event and present a factional story about fictional characters among a factual background, It calls attention to a time in history that is oft forgotten and dismissed, while making it more personal and real by presenting a story about people that we can follow and become attached to. The story is fast paced and keeps you turning the pages while still staying true to the facts and what actually happened and not dropping in the quality of the writing. You know a historical fiction book does it's job if reading a book causes you to read up on the time frame and topic and read everything you can get your hands on about these things! The writing, while above average was not top of the line and for that I refrained from knocking it up a level, but this was a strong 4 star read and I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone!

I was excited to read this one after loving “before we were yours” by Lisa Wingate, a few years prior.
However, this one felt like it fell a bit short for me. I was more invested in the one storyline than the other. ( the one that took place in 1990) but didn’t enjoy the chapters set in 1909. I felt myself skipping over parts of the story and not being as interested in the girls storyline.
I did enjoy the park rangers storyline and think I would have enjoyed a whole book with that storyline more, than the back and forth.
This was an okay read for me but not something I would recommend as a favorite historical fiction pick.

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate ⭐⭐⭐

wish I could have Given a higher rating but I couldn't. The reason being is that its a dual timeline and it felt like I was reading two different books all together.

Like her other books this was a rollercoaster ride with the orphan children who run away after being placed with Tesco who wasn't nice to them. It broke my heart just thinking about this little girls, what they saw and did just to survive. I just they did what they had to. I don't think I could have, could you?

Thank you Net gallery for the advance copy.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.*

This book took me FOREVER to read. Partly because I was traveling and much more likely to listen to a book than to pick up my kindle and partly because parts of the story were a little bit of a struggle for me because they relate to child sexual and physical abuse.

Shelterwood is a story told in two timelines about 3 little girls whose Oklahoma land was stolen from them when their parents died by ruthless oil and land barons who became wards to native and local children when they were orphaned in order to gain control of their property rights. Of course the children were often abandoned. Simultaneously, in a timeline 80 years in the future, we meet a law enforcement ranger who works on the same Oklahoma territory where the girls grew up. She is attempting to solve the mystery of the bodies of 3 children found in a cave.

I enjoyed the history of this book as well as the writing. The abuse of the kids was tough for me to swallow. But it all comes out okay in the end.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate is a beautifully written story. Bouncing between 1909 and 1990, she tells the story of two little girls and a female forest ranger. Lisa tells the story of what happened to Choctaw children in Oklahoma and the greed that surrounded that time. Ollie is a brave 11-year-old who takes it upon herself to save her Choctaw sister Nessie from the evil man her Mom married. The things these little kids went through just to survive is horrifying. I liked how the Forest Ranger Valerie didn't give up on finding out what was going on in the woods and didn't back down. Lisa did a great job wrapping up and intertwining the two stories at the end. The plight of the little kids broke my heart. To think small kids were thrown away so a grown man could steal their land is horrific. Lisa Wingate shows in Shelterwood that she is a great storyteller.

Lisa Wingate’s novels are either a hit or miss for me. Shelterwood, for the most part, was a miss. Set in the Winding Stair Mountains of Oklahoma, the story blends historical and modern narratives: 1909 and 1990. The historical plot follows eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley and a young Choctaw girl named Nessa as they flee from exploitation, showcasing their resilience and determination amidst threats from land barons and outlaws.

In the 1990 timeline, law enforcement ranger Valerie Boren-Odell contends with the demands of her career and single parenthood while uncovering hidden secrets in Horsethief Trail National Park. The discovery of a burial site and the mysterious disappearance of a teenage hiker added layers to this otherwise monotonous narrative.

What began well, fell into a slow and droning middle, only to end with the best part of the book. I suggest you read the first twenty percent, know that the middle seventy percent is about the horrible things greedy people did to native children and the resilience they had to muster, then read the last ten percent to learn how their lives played out.

I grew up camping just south of where this book is set in Oklahoma and many of my memories with my family have this landscape as the backdrop. So reading more about the history of the area in the context of this novel was extra fascinating to me.

Lisa Wingate is a master at creating unique voices in her novels. And paired with the excellent multi-voice narration, this book has personality in spades. I was so drawn to these characters that when the perspectives switched, I immediately missed the other one.

I will say that although this good is heavily researched, it does not delve super deep into the issue of children's land rights, but rather gives a snapshot of one story that represents the experiences of some. This is a character driven novel with a plot that at times meanders along. In fact, the historical timeline reminds me of some children's classics that are more languid in their storytelling.

I saw some reviews saying that the pacing of this book didn't work for them. And I get that as a person who generally likes a plot that moves. But the personality in this book endeared these characters to me and kept me invested when the story took it's time. So the whole book worked for me!

Thanks to Ballantine Books for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

This book, first and foremost, was well researched, and shed a light on a time in history that not many people (myself included) are aware of or probably have heard of. The treatment of the Native American Children in this book is appalling, and it made me cringe to think of young children feeling like being alone in a forest is a better life than being with their parents. These children were used for their assets, but not really cared for, and they had no idea what was happening to them, or why they were so valuable.

Lisa Wingate really did well with her research, and truly thought up a creative story that will stand the test of time. I also loved the more "current" chapters, and the mystery that was threaded between the two time lines. The only part that got a little annoying to me was that every chapter was a cliff hanger, and since the timelines alternated, you also had to read another chapter before you found out what was going on. Although that is great sometimes, I felt like it was literally every chapter, and since I don't have time to continuously read for a longer period of time, I felt like a lot of those cliffhangers were lost to me (since I had to stop and start the book more than the average reader, due to life commitments, etc.)

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is told in 2 timelines and highlights the plight of Native Americans after they were uprooted from their lands and pushed aside. Set in Oklahoma in 1909 (Olive) and 1990 (Valerie), bones are found in a protected area. Val is a forest ranger and wants to investigate, but is thwarted at every turn. The tale of elves in trees keeps resurfacing. As Olive tells the story of trying to protect her Choctaw adopted sister in 1909, Val's investigation intersects with Olive's story.
Very interesting, and a part of history I didn't know.