THE BLOCKBUSTER HIT—Over two million copies sold! A New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller“Poignant, engrossing.”—People • “Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power.”—Paula McLain Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their … 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.
Publishers Weekly’s #3 Longest-Running Bestseller of 2017 • Winner of the Southern Book Prize • If All Arkansas Read the Same Book Selection
“Sure to be one of the most compelling books you pick up this year. . . . Wingate is a master-storyteller, and you’ll find yourself pulled along as she reveals the wake of terror and heartache that is Georgia Tann’s legacy.”—Parade
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Loved this book! Great character development with some nice surprises. It was all the more heart wrenching because it was based on actual events. This is a book that stays with you long after you read the last page.
This is a great book! I had no idea that kidnapping children and charging for adoption fees happened in America! It was a lucrative business that went on for years! I can’t imagine being a parent of one of these children.
I loved this book and almost cried. It goes back and forth between 1938 and present. the whole part about this woman taking kids from the poor and giving them to the rich is messed up. Sometimes telling the parents the kid died when they really didnt. It was a good read and easy to follow even tho a few characters had a couple names. everyone should read this. The saddest part was the ending or well kind of before it. The part where the 2 girls made it back to the boat and found out their mom had died and dad turned into a drunk.But that’s not the saddest part. It’s when the one girl decides that it’s better to return to the adoptive family that actually wanted them even tho they were stolen. Poor girls and it’s also based on a true story from TN.
A must read…
Thought provoking and heart breaking story based on the horrible practices of taking children from families and offering them for adoption during the 1940s and 1950s. Well written.
A really interesting read about a decades long scandal involving children stolen from their indigent, uneducated, powerless parents. The kids were treated horribly by the people running the home, who sold the children who were taken to wealthy people in Memphis and around the country. Birth records were falsified and there was collusion with the police and the politicians in Memphis. The strength of the story is how 3 sisters persevered through the hardships and found each other. The narrative is told by one of the sisters and a modern day woman who stumbled upon one of the sisters and learned of the secrets in her own family’s history. It was am excellent read from a fine author, Lisa Wingate.
25 stars! Don’t read this book unless you have nothing else to do, you won’t want to put it down. Very well written with characters that come alive on the pages. Mesmerizing.
history…history I never knew. its so sad that this is based on true events. ill never forget this book
This work of historical fiction was not the easiest of topics in that children were separated from their parents, but I felt I needed to know about this part of history and the story of Georgia Tann. The characters were wonderfully developed and the story gave me much to think about and discuss with others. It was well-researched and well-written.
This book was simply amazing. Coming from a life long reader, this is probably one of the best stories I have ever read! I recommend it to everyone. Based on a true story with Georgia Tann, the fictional story characters are just wonderful. Read this book!
While reading this book you will appreciate your life style all over again
When I started this I was disappointed about it using different chapters to tell the two women’s stories. But very soon I fell in love with both characters and how their lives were intertwining. The ending was perfect for their stories. The writing itself was beautiful! A very talented writer! I will look for more of her books.
The story of the Foss children’s ordeal in the Tennessee Children’s Home Society was heartbreaking, but when combined with Avery Stafford’s present-day search for clues to her family mystery, it was a very entertaining read. Switching from one timeline to the other kept me eager to see what was happening in the past and in the present. While there were a few coincidences that seemed a little too convenient, overall it was a believable story of family members finding each other after being torn apart. I was also pleased to see there was a hint of romance thrown in, as well!
Really enjoyed this book about families and love among siblings. Sad, but still really good.
I really enjoyed this book by Lisa Wingate. I hadn’t ever tried a book of hers before this one. I saw a recommendation on a blog and asked my library for a loan. Once I got into the book , I was totally absorbed. The book is written not based upon true characters but upon events that occurred in the 1920’s-1950’s. The story is tragic and sad but don’t let that turn you away from giving this book a try. The story is told in alternating timelines which I thought would be hard to follow. I however found it easier to take in. Once I finished it (in nearly one setting) I found that I had a “hang over” and really had a hard time shaking this story. I highly recommend it!
Wonderful book about a subject I didn’t know about prior to reading. Had me crying several times, and that’s not easy! The characters are beautifully drawn and location descriptions colorful. Would read again, and may suggest to my Book Club.
Heart rending story based on actual facts. Children are stolen from their families, names changed and sold to wealthy couples for adoption. The story of one family will tug at your soul.
Incredible story!
Enjoyed this book. Based on real life circumstances. Very interesting and frightening to know how adoptions were handled in the past. Should make us keep our eyes open to make sure nothing like this could happen again
Book club choice. It had me from the start. Based on true, heartbreaking events. Highly recommend.
Based on a true account!
Unbelievable to think this really happened. Hard to imagine people being so selfish and greedy at the expense of children and families!