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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I enjoy stories that explore the human condition from many angles and this well-written book does just that. Based on real events the story spans the years between the 1930s and the 50s when babies were stolen from poor women and sold to celebrities. It is not always an easy read, but is always a good read. My first Lisa Wingate book, but not my last.
The frightening story of human trafficking right here in America. Brave Lisa Wingate for bringing some peace to these poor babies stolen from their families.
Before We Were Yours is a novel based on a horrific institution that exisited in Tennessee and a woman who saw no boundaries in securing financial gain for herself. The story is told through the eyes of one of her victims and a relative who discovers the secret many children carried into their futures. Although this story is based on criminal actions, it is the bond of sisterhood that is so heartwarming. Lisa Wingate gives us an account of cruelty and greed alongside of love and hope.
My book club often leans towards historical fiction and I had this book on my bedside table anyway, given to me by a co-worker. So this month we are all reading this very disturbing and horrific account of an evil woman selling babies. I was unable to read before sleeping as I cannot have visions of child abuse and family trauma before I turn in. So I’d read during daylight when I could tolerate the imagery of the story, knowing it was based on factual accounts given by victims. I normally prefer “feel good” or generic mysteries or dramas, and this story is just too compelling to ignore. It’s a part of our American history that has to be told. The author kept me on edge, I really wanted to know there was some kind of good outcome. Looking forward to another good read from Lisa Wingate.
Avery was a great character–most people could identify with her. The Southern backdrop made for an interesting read. I found myself looking forward to the “Rill” and “May” chapters to find out what would happen next with her and her family. A rich, epic read!
Georgia Tann’s untimely death saved her from the Hell she truly deserved! The crimes she, and all who worked for her, committed against poor, helpless children over decades were horrendous. All the politicians and high society folk who pretended not to see what she was doing should all burn in Hell! Prayers for all the victims and the families whose lives were forever torn apart =(
Fascinating story of a true period in our history, when one woman’s greed changed poor families’s lives into tragedy. Lisa Wingate weaves the present and past into one connected story that unfortunately, many adults now know as their own.
Years ago, I interviewed a woman who was taken as an infant from her mother and sold. That story stayed with me. It’s a dark time in American history, and I loved Lisa Wingate’s book based on these types of cases out of our country’s past. A great use of the braided narrative, Lisa seamlessly weaves together two fascinating stories to form an exceptional book. Highly recommended.
After reading this fictional novel, I researched the story line. Although Rill Foss and her siblings were fictional characters, their plight was not unique. Before We Were Yours re-tells the true tale of many children from the mid-1920s to 1950.
Thousands of children and newborns were kidnapped and placed for adoption by an unscrupulous woman in Tennessee. Georgia Tann infamously ran a black market adoption agency operating at a great profit by selling innocent victims.
I recommend this novel.
An emotional, difficult to read, novel of courage and resilience.
“The truth always comes out sooner or later. I’m of the belief that you’re better off knowing about it first.”
Avery Stafford of South Carolina meets an elderly woman in a long term care facility, and this woman recognizes Avery’s bracelet as one she and her sisters once had.
When Avery begins to visit this woman, there is a definite connection. Avery also notices a photo of a group of children in the room, that closely resembles her own grandmother. Who is this and how can it be?
The plot begins to unfold as Avery searches for the pieces to this woman’s family at the risk of opening up some disturbing facts which may cause severe problems for her own family.
She needs to know the truth.
In the late 1930’s, children were taken abruptly from poor families and sold to the wealthy.
These children, often siblings were separated, lived in horrid conditions and often did not make it from this “orphanage”.
This book was told in two timelines- the early 1900 and then in present day. It is brilliantly written and one not to be forgotten.
Our book club rated it 4.2.
I recently read BEFORE WE WERE YOURS by Lisa Windgate. LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. It was inspired by the horrify real life story of Georgina Tann, who between 1930-1950 stole babies and children from poor families and sold them to wealthier families. BWWY is told from both the perspective of one fictitious child in 1938 and from a young woman in present time. And yes, there is a hint of a love story. I can’t say enough about the book!
I haven’t read it yet but I think it is good
Emotional, sad, unexpected, happy, based on historical events near Memphis! A definite page turner!
Great read! Historical Fiction.
I’d heard about this book for months before finally sitting down to read it—and that was accomplished in two sessions. Found it very hard to put down, a well-crafted story that hit me in the feels. It passed the ultimate litmus test: I sent a copy to my mom.
This story was both tragic and uplifting. Using the horrible history of abuses in children’s homes/adoption programs through the first half of the 1900s as her springboard, the author brings to life characters that will stay with you long after you read the last page. Thirteen-year-old Reel is a voice you won’t soon forget. Raised on the river in a shanty boat, the oldest of five siblings, she never dreams that one day it would all be gone. Her desperate attempts to keep her siblings together and never forget where they came from, is heartbreaking. But she is as strong as the mighty Mississippi and never gives up.
I have enjoyed Lisa Wingate’s books for many years, but Before We Were Yours has risen to the top of my all time favorite novels. Wingate introduced me to a litte-know event in Southern history, sharing the stories of twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings who were caught up in the Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage. This novel was especially powerful to me as a mom who’s adopted seven children myself. I’ve recommended this novel time and time again to friends.
Lisa Wingate is a gifted storyteller. One of the reasons I love historical fiction is the opportunity to read a great work of fiction while learning about history in the process. Although I had heard of Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children’s Home Society, I knew few details about the appalling events associated with it. Lisa Wingate weaves a powerful story of the Foss family. Beautifully written!
Such an amazing book and masterful writing. An utterly heartbreaking story yet told in such a way that good rises up from the ashes. To know that the horrific situations included were based on an actual slice of American history makes the story that much more shocking. I had no idea these events took place. Thanks to author Lisa Wingate for enlightening me and countless others I’m sure. This is definitely one that will stick in the memory. Everyone should read this important book.