Before We Were Yours

By Lisa Wingate

THE BLOCKBUSTER HIT - A #1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller

Two families, generations apart, are forever changed by a heartbreaking injustice in this poignant novel, inspired by a true story. For readers of Where the Crawdad Sings and Orphan Train.

Born into a world of wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all. A loving daughter to her father, a US senator, with her own ambitious career as a lawyer and a handsome fiance waiting for her in Baltimore, she has lived a charmed life.

But when Avery returns to Aiken to help her father weather a health crisis and a political attack, a chance encounter with May Crandall, an elderly woman she's never met before, leaves Avery deeply shaken. Avery's decision to learn more about May's life will take her on a journey through a hidden history of stolen children and illegal adoption. A journey that will reveal a secret that could lead to devastation...or 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.

PRAISE

'Wingate is a compelling storyteller, steeping her narrative with a forward momentum that keeps the reader as engaged and curious.' - Publisher's Weekly

'It is impossible not to get swept up in this near perfect novel. It invades your heart from the very first pages and stays there long after the book is finished.' - Huffington Post

'The society seems too Dickensian to be true, except that it was, and its black-market adoption practices caused a stir in the mid-twentieth century. Wingate writes with flair, and her distinctly drawn characters and adept use of the adoption scandal will keep readers turning the pages.' - Booklist

'Lisa Wingate's heart-racing, heart-wrenching tale of a family ripped apart by the Tennessee Children's Home Society scandal, rang so true I couldn't sleep until I knew their fate. Days later, I'm still haunted by the diabolical plot to steal and sell the most vulnerable children to high bidders, sanctioned by high-ranking officials who looked the other way.' - Julie Kibler, International Bestselling Author of Calling Me Home

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Jun 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781489233257

Lisa Wingate

Lisa Wingate is an award-winning journalist, a magazine columnist, a popular inspirational speaker, and a national bestselling author of nineteen books. Her works have been featured by the Readers Club of America, AOL Book Picks, Doubleday Book Club, the Literary Guild, and American Profiles, and they have received numerous awards. She resides with her family in Texas.

Reviews for Before We Were Yours

[nancynova · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely heartbreaking. Alternates between Avery in present day and May/Rill in 1939. May/Rill is the oldest of 5 siblings that live on a river boat, when her mother is taken to the hospital to deliver her twins. The river boat kids are picked up and taken to the Memphis Children's Home, where they are split up, given new names and horrible things happen. Eventually Rill & her sister Fern are sent to the same adoptive home, but how does Avery's grandmother Judy tie into the picture? When Avery starts snooping around in Edisto Island, South Carolina, she meets up with Trent who's late grandfather helped find the lost children that were placed by the Tennessee home. Kept me guessing about Judy's identity until the end.

[niquetteb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The story of a poor, but loving family living on a boat. The main characters are two sisters and the different paths their lives took after a tragic family event occurred. Many parts of this book stayed with me months later as though I had seen this in a film rather than read it in a book.

[signoraedie_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Heart-wrenching, kidnapped from poor families and sold into adoption, siblings try to reconnect.

[lyndainoregon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wingate uses the historical framework of a corrupt adoption system in Tennessee to tell the story of a fictional family torn apart by a system that saw the children of poor and often uneducated parents as commodities to be sold to the highest bidders.

Rill Foss is left in charge of her four siblings when their father makes a frantic trip to get their laboring mother to a hospital. In the adults' absence, the children are removed to an orphanage where they are systematically stripped of their identities and separated under the auspices of the "Tennessee Children's Home Society".

Their story is revealed piecemeal when the daughter of a prominent political family in modern-day South Carolina begins trying to understand the actions of her grandmother, whose dementia is stealing memories she may or may not have ever intended to share.

[cougargirl1967 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a great story, plenty of realism and a few tears.

[deslivres5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Historical fiction on a sad chapter of adoption in the US, the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. The powerlessness of the children caught up in the clutches of this agency is truly, truly heartbreaking. The novel jumps between the 1930s and present day, slowly exposing the story of one family affected by the deceit of the agency.

[delphimo_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Before We Were Yours presented adoption as I have seen. The story hints at true-to-life adoption in Tennessee from the 1920’s to the 1950’s. I have never heard of this horrible practice of stealing babies and children from biological parents and selling these children to the wealthy. The story tore at my heart with the cruelty rendered the children and poor parents. The story follows five poor children living with their parents on a riverboat. The mother is pregnant, and the parents leave the five children on the boat while the mother, Queenie, goes to the hospital. Queenie and her husband, Briny, are told that the twins are born dead. When the pair returns to the boat, the five children are missing. The story alternates between the past when the children disappear to an adoption home, and the current times when the granddaughter of one of the five missing children uncovers the story. Lisa Wingate pens a heart-warming story of greed, forgiveness, love, and hope. Lisa Wingate shows that present day horrors happened in the past, and that the past is not always a golden story.

[techeditor_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I’m glad I read “A Note From the Author” (at the back of the book, before the “Acknowledgements”) before I read BEFORE WE WERE YOURS. I appreciated more the chapters of this book that otherwise would have seemed exaggerated.BEFORE WE WERE YOURS is told in alternating chapters, some in present day told from the point of view of Avery Stafford, who is being groomed to take over her father’s senate seat. The majority of the other chapters begin in 1939 and are told from the point of view of Rill Foss, the eldest of five children who were stolen from their parents and experienced the horrors of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage and corrupt adoption practices.Rill’s chapters seem over-the-top exaggerated. But, although Rill and her brother and sisters are fiction, their experiences at this orphanage are all based on the experiences of people who really were orphans there. And Georgia Tann was real; although she seems too horrible, she really was.These chapters that are based on fact make BEFORE WE WERE YOURS worth reading. The other chapters seem more like a sweet story you might see on the Lifetime channel. (I guess they do serve as relief from Rill’s very depressing life.)

[kaylynvh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this book for a bookclub. I have so many thoughts and questions to share. I loved how this book was written.

[alphawoman_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Couldn't put down. Liked the way the book jumped back and forth. Couldn't wait to find out what was occurring in each time period. So sad to think this really happened. The same sort of thing went on in Ireland with unwed mothers and lack of respect for human beings. Happening on our borders right now.

[toobusyreading · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Knowing little about this book before I started reading it, other than it was popular and getting good reviews, I enjoyed learning about living on a shantyboat during hard times. Then I thought it got way too melodramatic. Not far into it, I started Googling, and was horrified by the facts behind the story, so I became more engrossed in the story. But it continued to be too melodramatic, too good vs evil. I finished the book, and enjoyed the story but I would have enjoyed it more if it had been a less hyperbolic. I found the Google information more interesting than the book.Still, when will we ever learn that children should be cherished and loved, and not treated like chattel?

[beth.clarke · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 Stars. I didn't know anything about the Tennessee Children's Home prior to this book. Wingate wove the stories of Avery and May together beautifully. Each chapter left me wanting to read the next to find out the characters' fates. The stories felt a bit contrived, but still an enjoyable read.

[carolee888 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am so glad that Lisa Wingate decided tell a fictionalized version of this horrible situation at the Tennessee Children's Home Society. I had never heard of this vile scheme that involved kidnapping children, keeping them underfed, untreated for any health problem, physical and emotional abuse and for huge profit under the woman who ran it for many years. The author has a government attorney, Avery, who returns to her family home her rich and her well known father, a prominent Senator, has cancer. Her beloved grandmother has be moved to an expensive care facility for dementia. Avery is engaged to be married but no date has been set yet. She uncover a deeply hidden family secret. Avery made a visit nursing home as society press release about a resident's 100 birthday and has an encounter with a different resident. A photo in the woman's apartment of a group of women all had a resemblance to herself and her grandmother. Avery could not let go of her investigation into this strange mystery. As more and mire is learned, a frightening story unfolds. When I bought this audio book, I did not realize the true basis that more than 500 children died and many more were wrenched from their families. This story is expertly handled and the fictional secondary story about Avery, gives you some relief from the terror that happened.The author has another book about the memories of the people were in the children' home which I would love to listen. Please read this book to learn of how so many children were harmed and why the story was hidden so long from the public.

[far2manybooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great book club choice, inspiring good conversations.

This was such a good story! A wonderful historical fiction! Very compelling and well written.

"A woman's past need not predict her future. She can dance to new music if she chooses. Her own music."

[nancyjcbs · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Before We Were Yours has been compared to Orphan Train. I find this a good comparison.The story is based on the true account of Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children's Home Society's practices for decades. It is a horrifying and unbelievable history that is not as widely known as it should be. The repercussions are still affecting families. The fictional family in the novel is now feeling the impact.The story goes back and forth in time from the 1940's to current day. The writing is engrossing and characters are well defined.I highly recommend this novel.

[sbenne3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a well written book based loosely on factual events. While I really liked the ending, I thought it took a little too long to set up - the book flows between present and past and the chapters were quite long. About the time it was leading up to something in one chapter you had to switch back to several pages of a slow plot for the other story line - just not the most engaging style. The story telling, however, was good and ultimately I am glad I read it.

[sgilbraith-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was intrigued by this book and how the author used the real-life event of the Memphis-based adoption scandal and Georgia Tann. It is a mystery, of sorts, which keeps the reader guessing about the identity of the present day characters. I love how the chapters alternate from present to past so we are experiencing two stories coming together at the end. Great book club selection. I highly recommend this book.

[booklover915 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Before We Were Yours" was inspired by a shameful episode in our country's history. Starting in the 1920s, the greedy and malevolent Georgia Tann operated the Memphis branch of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. She earned a fortune from a shocking scheme backed by Tann's network of wealthy and influential individuals. Her scouts searched for infants and children to kidnap and she sold many of these youngsters to wealthy couples for a hefty fee. As if this weren't bad enough, thanks to poor nutrition and substandard health care, quite a few of the boys and girls who were housed in this institution died.

Lisa Wingate introduces us to Briny and Queenie Foss and their five children, who live on a shantyboat on the Mississippi River. In a flashback to 1939, twelve-year-old Rill describes her family's unconventional existence. The Fosses have little money, but they love one another and somehow manage to make ends meet, albeit barely. When Queenie is about to give birth to twins, she needs emergency medical attention, and Briny takes her to a hospital. While he is gone, the authorities spirit Rill and her siblings away to the Tennessee Children's Home.

We fast forward to the present, with thirty-year-old federal prosecutor Avery Stafford being groomed for political office and planning to marry Elliot, a man she has known since childhood. When she stumbles upon clues that point to a mystery concerning her dad's mother, Judy, Avery's curiosity is piqued and, with the help of the handsome and goodhearted Trent Turner, she uncovers long-hidden secrets. The author's writing is evocative and poetic, her villains are despicable, and we are stunned when Avery and Trent uncover details about an incredible chapter in their grandparents' past. Although "Before We Were Yours" is a bit too long and rambling, its themes are poignant and powerful. Wingate stresses the value of preserving facts and memories that shed light on our heritage; the horrific consequences of child abuse; and the ways in which avarice, corruption, and selfishness destroy innocent lives. Shockingly, The Tennessee Children's Home was not shuttered until 1950, and its records remained sealed until 1995.

[scot2-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really enjoyed this book, based on a true story of an orphanage owner who stole poor children and sold them to rich families , it was at times heartbreaking. At the end one of the characters poses the question, "Would I have been happier with my own family, marrying a poor man; or was I happier being brought up by a wealthy family, enjoying the priviledges they offered me. "

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

At first I struggled to engage with the book. I think it was the printing in the paperback was so close together. Finding out that it was based on some true historical events made me want to dig into the book. I slowly engaged with the book but once that occurred the rest was very compelling. I liked the story of the orphanage and the voice of the orphans more than I did the rich, privileged lawyer daughter's voice. Set in the US, historically the book starts out in the thirties and tells a deplorable tale of orphanages and a woman who made stealing and selling children her job. The story is from two POV, lawyer daughter in the current time who is being groomed to take over for her father politically if he should die of cancer and the voice of Ril from the river rat children. Rating: 3

[jonimfisher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Part history, part horror, part inspiration, the story Before We Were Yours explores the true-life crimes of the Memphis Tennesse 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.

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals. Knowing that, as I read, I had a very hard time not getting this book wet with my tears. Georgia Tann, director of a Tennessee Children's Home Society in Memphis. , kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country who were not able to have their own. This story was heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. All you need to do is google Georgia Tann and you will find many articles about this human trafficker.

The story is told in two timeframes. The one in the past narrated by a young girl, Rill, whose brother and three sisters were taken from their parents and brought to this so-called orphanage. Families believed that this was temporary and they would get their children back, WRONG. The parents of this young family did not even understand what they were signing. By the time they realized what had happened, they were unable to get their children back. Children were not treated well in the home. They were punished severely for minor indiscretions and fed as little as possible. Sleeping arrangements were not the best, in fact the family of 5 slept in a basement room on smelly, musty cots for a long period of time. Blonde children were particularly valuable as they were more easily adopted, bringing the larger sums of money to it's crooked founder. Her story is heartbreaking, and though hers is a made up character her story is representative of many that were factual. The modern day story follows a grown woman, Avery, from a prestigious family who wants to find the truth about her beloved grandmother, now suffering from dementia. An accidental meeting of an older woman in a nursing home, sets this search in motion and once started, Avery refuses to give up until she finds out about her own family background.

The past story is what this book is really all about. The characters are more developed and the story is more emotional. The plot is very well written and the two stories tie together nicely. I liked the character of Avery, willing to go against her mother, Honeybee's, wishes for the first time in her life. I kept turning the pages quickly to see what would happen next. Even though this is a sad read, I enjoyed finding out about the story. I had no idea that this had gone on in the past, even though there is still human trafficking now. Well done Lisa Wingate. This book is historical fiction, but I believe anyone who enjoys good Literary Fiction will enjoy it.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Inspired by true events, "Before We Were Yours" follows the horrific story of Rill and her siblings were were illegally taken from their destitute parents by Georgia Tann, an actual person who ran a black market child adoption ring in the first half of the twentieth century, and placed in the Tennessee Children's Home Society. Here children faced starvation, physical abuse, neglect, molestation and rape, before being sold to wealthy clients. Some were even murdered if they caused too much trouble or the adults feared they would expose them to what was actually happening in this home. The author did a fabulous job bringing these true events to life, highlighting the gut-wrenching horrors these children had to face. However, at times the storyline dragged and I found myself skimming sections of the book. My heart bled for Rill as she struggled desperately to keep her siblings together, but watched them gradually disappear, one by one. I admired her tenacious spirit, her love of family and her strength of character.I also liked Avery, the protagonist from the present day who was trying to discover the truth about her beloved grandmother who suffered from dementia. Even though Avery's story wasn't as compelling or as well written as Rill's, I enjoyed the mystery surrounding her grandmother and I liked how the author brought the two stories together at the end. The last chapter brought a few tears to my eyes.The front cover of "Before We Were Yours" is lovely and the story inside is powerful, heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting. A lovely tribute to the importance of family.

[berthashaver · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book! I found Rill's adventures fun and determined. I laughed out loud. I cried. I was aghast. It really put me through a wide range of emotions. What a brave and protective little soul Rill is. I found Avery's determination just as enthralling as she methodically put a captivating puzzle together. It breaks my heart as well as enrages me with the historical part of this book. ....the Georgia Tann and the Memphis Tennessee Children's Society. All under the guise of "good intentions" of making a better life for a child, she lied, stole babies from their families and left them abused, undernourished and not taken care of properly until she could sell them to a wealthy family for her own person gain. It piqued my interest and led me to research the tragedy of the Memphis Tennessee Christian Society more in depth.Really... a must read on your "to be read pile".

[katyefk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very intense story, based upon a true, very horrific situation with orphanages in the 1930's. I couldn't put the book down as I wanted to find out what happened to all of the characters. It was recommended to our book club and generated a lively discussion as we were all very affected by the traumas that these children were put thru.

[brangwinn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Set in the depression the fictional account of children who were “stolen” by the Tennessee Children’s Home Society, follows the lives of four sisters. I was confused by Grandma Judy and how she fit in, but that was because I hadn’t paid attention to the clues in the story. The ending seemed a little too much like a fairy tale to me, but still the book brings to light the horrors faced by the poor.

[maryreinert · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book I've read recently that took a real historical situation and made a modern novel with an unrealistic happy ending. Avery is the daughter of a senator from a prominent family in the South. A strange occurrence at a nursing home brings her in contact with a woman who looks remarkably like her beloved grandmother. The story is told in alternate chapters: Avery's quest to find the connection between her grandmother and this woman called May and Rill Foss, the young girl who was literally stolen along with her siblings and taken to the Tennessee Children's Home Society where children were sold to families wanting children. Rill eventually becomes May as she and her sister Fern are adopted by a well off family. All of the characters are fairly flat; either good or evil. Men are handsome and the women are pretty. The ending is a bit to happy to be realistic as the sisters are reunited.

[sarahgracegrzy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow.

I had a feeling this book would totally decimate my emotions, and it did just that. It is not for the faint of heart.

First off, Wingate's writing style . . . just wow! While I don't usually enjoy first person present tense, it worked incredibly well for this novel. While incredibly poetic and profound, it is also down-to-earth. There were some lines where I just had to stop reading and think about the beauty of a sentence or paragraph. That happened quite frequently actually . . . Just so lovely.

The characters were also fabulous. So complex and *real*. I loved Avery instantly, maybe because she is so much like me. Rill was also amazing, and I could definitely relate to her big-sisterly-ness. And Trent and Jonah were adorable.

The story was . . . wow again. I feel like that's all I can say about this book. Based on true events, this book does not steer away from the reality of the tragedies that happened in the Tennessee Home for Children. It is truly heartbreaking.
The mix of contemporary and historical was really interesting, and very well done. The romance was very sweet and subtle, and while I was a little frustrated with how it went down at first, I did love the ending. It was perfect!

All in all, this was stunningly beautiful and incredibly eye-opening.

CONTENT NOTE: Not recommended for those under 17, or for sensitive readers. As mentioned, this deals heavily with the tragedies that took place at the Tennessee Children's Home. Children were often kidnapped from their own homes, and abused, starved, severely "punished", and even molested. Other times, they just "disappeared" and were never heard from again. While this book does not delve deeply into the details, there are times it is mentioned and implied.
There is also some romanceattraction and a few kisses that are kept very clean.
Also a couple of innuendoscrudeness.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Digital audio performed by Emily Rankin and Catherine Taber.A chance encounter with an elderly woman in a nursing home leads Avery Stafford to investigate her family’s history. What she uncovers is a shock to her. This historical novel is based on a shameful episode in Tennessee history, when babies were sold for profit and powerful people looked the other way. Told with a dual time line – Rill’s story told in Depression-era Memphis, and Avery’s search for her family history in contemporary South Carolina – the novel gives the reader a sense of the trauma these families suffered at the hands of the greedy Georgia Tann. Her baby-snatching-and-selling operation, which she ran for nearly three decades, wreaked havoc on intact families. Though Tann died in 1950, avoiding criminal prosecution, powerful friends (and co-conspirators?) in the legislature successfully sealed all records until 1995. The story is fascinating, though I saw the reveal coming a mile away. I could easily have done without the Avery-Elliot-Trent triangle, and instead just read about Rill and her siblings and how they survived their abduction and adoption. This is a popular book-club selection and two of my F2F groups are discussing it this fall and winter. The first meeting was this week, just a few days after I finished reading it. Most gave it 4 or 5 stars. While I think the emotional impact of the story might merit a higher rating, I didn’t think the writing was anything special. And I felt that many of the characters were straight out of central casting. Still the story captured my attention and kept me engaged throughout. The audiobook is performed by two talented voice artists: Emily Rankin and Catherine Taber. They do a fine job of narrating, breathing life into these characters. I particularly liked the chapters told from Rill’s perspective, though I’m sorry to say I’m not certain which of these artists voiced those.

[mrs.dubois · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Heartbreaking historical fiction story of a family torn apart through notorious adoption practices. Based on the true story of Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children's Home. This story will stay with me for a long time.