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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Lovec it!
It was very well researched, well written, thought provoking and will stay with most readers a long time.
i had no idea this really happened in our world. Amazing and heartbreaking. Very well done flipping between generations. It inspired me to do some research on the subject as well.
A powerful, moving illustration of one of the darkest chapters of adoption agencies.
Wonderful writing about a sad era era in US history. A page turner I could not put down. The spirit of family ties and sibling love is stronger than one can ever expect and express.
Really good book did not want to quit reading. True part of this book was really sad n horrific! Just really good!
Well written and an interesting read.
One of the two best books I have read recently. Highly recommend reading it.
So sad, that this really happened, Very well written story that makes you want to find out more.
Good Read!
Shocking look at disturbing events in our own country.
Such a sad time in life. Good bonds between siblings. Great characters…good storyline. Just sad.
Wonderful read!
It took me a little bit to get into the story, but oh my goodness it was soooo good! There are several names to keep straight, two storylines that cross, and some mystery. It was just so perfectly realistic and bittersweet. This all added up to an excellent story. I have read other books by this author and enjoyed them, but this one was by far my favorite!!!
Having such a sad tragic story be based in historical truth was heartbreaking .
Before We Were Yours is the tragic true story of children who were adopted in Tennessee. Very sad but totally engrossing.
I loved all of the images that the author described in the book. The fact that the story is based on events made it even more interesting and scary.
Wonderful historical fiction, well researched and brought alive through two viewpoints. The story begins in 1939 when a feisty little girl and her younger siblings are stolen and taken to an orphanage. In alternate chapters, her granddaughter deals with upper-class issues and inadvertently comes to realize her grandmother has a secret. I didn’t have a single suggestion to improve this book.
I found this book very disappointing, did not finish it.
Read this book for book club, the ladies loved it. This particular home was where a famous actress adopted her children. It was hard to read, the children have a tough life living in this orphanage. Definitely an eye openner