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 really liked this book, although it takes awhile to get in to it since the chapters alternate back and forth between two eras.
I loved it. It’s been a few books ago. But I know it was great and I am not really a Wingate fan as a rule. But this is a great book!
Heartbreakingly well written
A historical fiction based on actual events. It describes what happens when children become commodities.
Great historical content about Tennessee Orphanages, though could have been better written.
Before We Were Yours was our book club selection this month. It is a interesting read based on horrific real life events.
Fabulous writer. Her sentences read like original poetry. To have such talent is startling. O quoted some of her lines to family and friends. If you like a good read, one that massages your mind and sparks clear emotional images this writer is one of the best.
Historical fiction novel I will never forget. Children of poor circumstances taken and sold as orphans to wealthy families but some are old enough to remember that there was a time “before they were yours.”
an excellent book. Although the children were fictional, the Tennessee Children’s Home Society did exist as well as the owner and director, Georgia Tann. It was a horrible place!
Excellent story of the past.
Hard to believe something like this could happen for so long.
Part history, part horror, part inspiration, the story Before We Were Yours explores the true-life crimes of the Memphis Tennessee Children’s Home Society whose unregulated adoption practices tore families apart. The story is told from two points of view, one from the past, and one from the present. Wingate’s elegant prose drives the story deep into the reader’s heart. An excellent choice for book clubs who enjoy historical fiction, women’s fiction, and literary fiction.
So appalled that something like this occurred.
Thankfully history will not repeat itself as there is currently a system of checks and balances in place.
Good read
It captivated my attention from beginning to end. It was based on fact. Such a touching, heartbreaking story.
A thought-provoking story about how a present-day attorney uncovers her family’s hidden past among the horrors of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. I absolutely loved the characters in this story and felt I got to know them well!
This was a great read, based partially on true events that occurred involving the Tennessee Children’s Home Adoptions in the 1940s. It Intertwines stories involving people from the past and present to evolve into a satisfying ending. The fact that stories like these actually happened makes it a haunting tale
It was a story that I had heard about for years since I live in the Memphis area. Very sad.
A heart rendering story about the infamous Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage and the quest of a twelve year old and her siblings that were pulled from their poor but happy Mississippi River Shantyboat in 1939. It was hard to put down as you unravel this story to the end.
Children are survivors and can even grow up to function.