Before We Were Yours by @LisaWingate #Book #Review

Synopsis:
Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty.

Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption.

Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong.

Purchase: Amazon 

Memphis,1939.Twelve-year-oldRillFossandherfouryoungersiblingsliveamagicallifeaboardtheirfamily’sMississippiRivershantyboat.Butwhentheirfathermustrushtheirmothertothehospitalonestormynight,Rillisleftincharge—untilstrangersarriveinforce.WrenchedfromallthatisfamiliarandthrownintoaTennesseeChildren’sHomeSocietyorphanage,theFosschildrenareassuredthattheywillsoonbereturnedtotheirparents—buttheyquicklyrealizethedarktruth.Atthemercyofthefacility’scrueldirector,Rillfightstokeephersistersandbrothertogetherinaworldofdangeranduncertainty.

Aiken,SouthCarolina,presentday.Bornintowealthandprivilege,AveryStaffordseemstohaveitall:asuccessfulcareerasafederalprosecutor,ahandsomefiancé,andalavishweddingonthehorizon.ButwhenAveryreturnshometohelpherfatherweatherahealthcrisis,achanceencounterleavesherwithuncomfortablequestionsandcompelshertotakeajourneythroughherfamily’slong-hiddenhistory,onapaththatwillultimatelyleadeithertodevastationortoredemption.

BasedononeofAmerica’smostnotoriousreal-lifescandals—inwhichGeorgiaTann,directorofaMemphis-basedadoptionorganization,kidnappedandsoldpoorchildrentowealthyfamiliesalloverthecountry—LisaWingate’sriveting,wrenching,andultimatelyupliftingtaleremindsushow,eventhoughthepathswetakecanleadtomanyplaces,theheartneverforgetswherewebelong.

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My Review:
This was an extremely touching story that had me crying up a storm.  Avery Stafford was raised a child of privilege and one chance encounter  with an elderly woman, she uncovers another side to her family history she had no idea existed.

Although the characters in this novel are fictitious, the adoption organization did really exist and the horrors these poor children saw and experiencesd were extremely heartbreaking, but quite true.  It was an amazing book...be sure to have a box of tissues nearby.

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About the Author:

Lisa Wingate is a former journalist, an inspirational speaker, and the bestselling author of more than twenty novels. Her work has won or been nominated for many awards, including the Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize, the Oklahoma Book Award, the Utah Library Award, the Carol Award, the Christy Award, and the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her work was honored by the Americans for More Civility for promoting greater kindness and civility in American life. Lisa and her family live among the tall pines in the Ouichita Mountains.

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