Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

 

Title: Before We Were Yours

Author: Lisa Wingate

Pages: 342

Year: 2017

Genre: Dual-time novel

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Format: eBook (also available in paperback)

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

About the book:

     Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shanty boat. 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 fo 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.

My review:

     This is a heartbreaking dual-time novel!

     I was caught up in the story from the very beginning. I loved the main characters and my heart broke for the situations that they were in. I can’t imagine people treating each other the way that Georgia Tann treated both the children and their birth parents. She was completely cruel and heartless. I completely understood why Rill did the things she did to try and protect herself and her siblings.

     In the present day portion of the book Avery Stafford was caught by the expectations of others and trying to figure out what her own life was supposed to look like. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that she was willing to go against what was expected of her and try to help May as well as her Grandma Judy. She is an incredibly strong woman with a heart for helping other people.

     I liked going on the journey with Avery and Trent to find out how the people in the present were connected with each other and learning each one’s history.

     This is the first book I have read by Lisa Wingate. I loved it and am giving it a rating of 5 stars. I highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more of her books.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention or review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I have done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*