The Pink Bonnet

Written by Liz Tolsma

Narrated by Jeanine Bartel

A Desperate Mother Searches for Her Child Step into True Colors -- a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime Widowed in Memphis during 1932, Cecile Dowd is struggling to provide for her three-year-old daughter. Unwittingly trusting a neighbor puts little Millie Mae into the clutches of Georgia Tann, corrupt Memphis Tennessee Children's Home Society director suspected of the disappearance of hundreds of children. With the help of a sympathetic lawyer, the search for Millie uncovers a deep level of corruption that threatens their very lives. How far will a mother go to find out what happened to her child?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980047193

Liz Tolsma

Bestselling author Liz Tolsma loves to write so much it’s often hard to tear her away from her computer. When she closes her laptop’s lid, she might walk her hyperactive Jack Russell terrier, weed her large perennial garden or binge on HGTV shows. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, and together they adopted three children. She’s proud to be the mom of a US marine.

Reviews for The Pink Bonnet

[Karen Kuklinski · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Basic story was good, but the drama in the narrative and narration got kind of over-the-top cheesy at times.

[Christy Janes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anyone who has read Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate knows the infamous history of Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children's Home Society. You'd have to be completely heartless not to be affected by the stories that resulted from this place's dark history of black market adoptions and ruthless child kidnappings. Since I live in the area where this history took place, I am probably more fascinated with it than most. It's not that I enjoy reading the horrors of this time (because they are atrocious), but I am thankful that this woman and her unethical practices were finally brought to an end.

I have slowly been making my way through the True Colors series by Barbour Publishing, but did not realize that one of the books featured a fictional story amidst the very real history of the Tennessee Children's Home Society. From the very first chapter, it is a heartbreaking tale, and as a mom, I know that if placed in the same situation, I would move heaven and earth to get my children back. Such is the case with Cecile Dowd. Due to her persistence and the help of legal assistant, Percy Vance, they are on a mission to find Cecile's daughter and bring her home.

For those interested in separating fact from fiction, there are several mentions of actual Memphis landmarks and individuals that helped Georgia Tann continue her moneymaking scheme. There is also a very helpful author's note at the end.

It's also worth noting that this story is available as an audiobook. While I am normally a huge fan of this particular narrator, her accents and interpretation of the characters were a bit overdone for my taste. Memphis is a Southern city, but we don't all speak like a bunch of uneducated, backwoods hicks. There were a few instances where I got this impression from the narrator, and it tarnished my enjoyment of an otherwise great story.