Two families, generations apart, are forever changed by a heartbreaking injustice in this poignant novel, inspired by a true story, for fans of Orphan Train and The Nightingale.
Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old 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.
So very sad that this happened in our own country and that … Reading this book brought light to children’s plight when in the hands of organizations that are for profit. So very sad that this happened in our own country and that a few can terrorize the innocent. In this story victory comes to the surviving sisters and a lovely tale is told.
Great book! This is the first book I’ve ever read by Lisa Wingate, but having read it I will search through her other titles. It was an excellent book! The subject matter was hard, and sad at times, as I knew it would be before starting. I could not put it down because I had to find out how the story ended. It was a glorious book, I’m happy that I read it!
A great read about a shameful past practice I wasn’t familiar with Lisa Wingate’s books before I read “Before We Were Yours” but I’ll be looking for others now that I’ve read it. I was drawn fully into the story, set in both the 1930s and present day. It follows the story of the Foss children in the ’30s and Avery Stafford in present day, and brings to light a horrifying and shameful real-life scandal.Â