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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Wow! I felt like I was there and sharing the grief and joy and loneliness.
Excellent Read! Best book I’ve read in a long time. Kept me interested, guessing, and engaged until the very end. Haunting and unfortunate that this story could have any base in truth and history. But, encouraging and inspirational to also see the human spirit at it’s best.
Do not miss reading this book. I loved it and found the story interesting.
This book is a must read to make sure parts of America’s adoption schemes in the first half of the 20th century become known to the public.
Horrifying to consider that though these characters were fictional, the story was based on events that truly occurred.
Based on actual happenings. Very sad that it went on for so long.
Beautifully written. Heartbreaking and emotional with a satisfying ending.
Tragically based on real life events.
I rarely read a book twice, but I did this one because I had to monitor my Book Club’s discussion of it. It was even better the 2nd time, and I absolutely LOVED the first reading of it. It was written in two timelines, and both stories were great, and perfectly integrated and important to intertwine the 2 stories. Sometimes this technique detracts from a story, but in this case it was masterful. Kudos to Lisa Wingate!!
Eye opening story that really draws you in.
This book absolutely destroyed me while simultaneously being one of the most beautiful books I’ve read. The fact that this is a true story makes it even harder to read. It’s the kind of story that seems to horrendous it can’t possibly be true, but maybe since it is based on fact that makes it even more deplorable and difficult. My husband and I read this book together and I admit there were a couple of times I had to stop reading because I was sobbing so uncontrollably. However, it didn’t feel like a wholly sad book. I think the format helps to soften to dreadful blow of the primary plot, as well as the happiness of the final few chapters. But if you are going to pick up this book, especially as a parent, know that it is hard and beautiful and underscores the power and importance of families, sibling love, and knowing our history, with such force it is incredible.
The story of Rill Foss and her sweet siblings, and her strength of character was so inspiring. She was one strong girl! My heart just broke for her and the guilt she carried for so many years about her siblings. Everything that happened to her in the few short months her story covered were deplorable. As a mother I couldn’t fathom the kind of pain her parents experienced. As the oldest sister of a big family, I think I unintentionally put myself in Rill’s shoes occasionally, knowing the responsibility she felt toward to her brother and sisters as well as the heart ache she had to have experienced with Gabion, Camellia, and Lark’s being taken from her (I cried every time). Also, the grief Queenie and Briny had to have experienced would have been excruciating. The way things end with Briny made me so sad (I cried again) but I also felt a small measure of understanding. I think if that happened to me, I would lose my mind, too.
I was so grateful for good people like Zede and Silas and Arney (she surprised me with her spunk!), Hootsie (trust me on this one), as well as Mr and Mrs Sevier (side note: I’m so glad Mr Sevier ended up not being the terrible man Miss Tann and Mrs Murphy were trying to pain him as; I wasn’t sure I could have handled it). I’m so glad that Rill found love and support from some people, who helped her move on and heal from the terrible injustices she experienced.
I liked Avery Stafford from the very beginning. She was so incredible! I loved her tenacity, her familial love and loyalty, and her development through the story. I loved that she didn’t give up on May Crandall’s story, even with her reticence to share anything. Even if that past was difficult, Avery’s family history is more rich for knowing it.
Honeybee and Wells Stafford are the cutest couple. I think Honeybee would be far too overwhelming to me, but I loved that she and Wells seemed to balance one another out.
Trent Turner might be my favorite. He is the cutest dad to Jonah and was such a strong character. I was absolutely thrilled with how his story intertwined with Avery’s and how things ended up between them.
Miss Tann, Mrs Murphy, Mrs Pulnik, Mr Riggs are the most deplorable people ever to walk this earth. Miss Tann in particular Is despicable (because she’s the real person in this story). I don’t know how she lived with herself. Honestly I don’t. I don’t even care if she did do a lot to change the social acceptance of adoption in a society that looked down on it, the way she did it was terrible. I do not think it possible she had a true heart in her body, even if she did claim she was helping the helpless. She was all talk and no deed and I am not having favorable or charitable thoughts toward her.
Quotes I loved:
“Life can turn on a dime. The appointment book reinforces my new awareness of this. We plan our days, but we don’t control them.”
“Now we haven’t got anything, and when you haven’t got a single book, the idea of putting your hands on one is like Christmas and a birthday rolled up together.”
“I shush my mind l, because your mind can ruin you if you let it.”
“I learned that you do not need to be born into a family to be loved by one.”
“You see, there is one thing I learned from following in Papa Sevier’s footsteps as I grew up. Life is not unlike cinema. Each scene has its own music, and the music is created for a scene, woven to it in ways we do not understand. No matter how much we may love the melody of a bygone day or imagine the song of a future one, we must dance within the music of today, or we will always be out of step, stumbling around in something that doesn’t suit the moment.”
“A woman’s past need not predict her future. She can dance to new music if she chooses. Her own music. To hear the tune, she must simply stop talking. To herself, I mean. We’re always trying to persuade ourselves of things.”
This book Is about a family where the children were taken away and put in an orphanage for adoption for large sums of money. It is a book you won’t forget.
Great book
a good read
I had no idea this had ever occurred. Thanks to Ms. Wingate for bringing this tragic, but uplifting story to light.
One of the best. books I’ve read in a long time. That it was based on fact added to its realism.
Wingate is one of my favorite authors. I don’t think I’ve read a book of hers I didn’t like.
This tells the tale of sisters separated at an early age by the infamous Tennessee Children’s Home. Heartbreaking and encouraging. Informative and a book where I read every, single word.
Started out confusing but half way through I could not put it down.
This is one of my favorite books I did not know while I was reading it that it is based on real life events that took place in that time period.
The Foss family loved the twists and turns of living on the river, but they never expected to be “sold down the river!” After their parents seek medical care at a Memphis hospital regarding the delivery of premature and unexpected twins, the children are taken from their home by the TN Children’s Home Society. This page-turner tells the story of Rill Foss’ journey to keep the family together and to someday reunite her siblings. Memories fade, but the love found on the river are hard to break loose.