Before We Were Yours

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Hidden within plain sight, this place flourished in it's cruelty and money making by the silence of those who knew and should have spoken, but didn't. My heart broke for all of the children who spent time in The Tennessee Children’s Home Society or any place that even remotely resembles that. The heartbreak of the historic part of this book made the present day part of this book even better, it was a breath of fresh air. This is the story of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society, the facility, “home,” where Rill Foss, who will be renamed May Weathers, and her siblings who become wards, as well, are also all renamed by Georgia Tann.

I knew these characters were fictional BUT they were sharing a very horrific reality of many children and families and I was very aware of that as I read this story.She offered up more than 5,000 orphans tailored to the wish lists of eager parents—hiding the fact that many weren’t orphans at all, but stolen sons and daughters of poor families, desperate single mothers, and women told in maternity wards that their babies had died. 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.

Sometime books rated high - are Goodreads Choice Winners - really ‘are’ heartbreaking- beautiful- emotional - important - historical - powerful - eye opening - educational - ( based on real life scandals) - wonderful and compelling. The link between the two gradually becomes clear but it hard to recount without giving away the plot! The narrative switches back and forth between Rill and Avery, but I must confess my heart was with Rill from start to finish. It is all very bittersweet, with a lot of sadness, but there were blessed times, as well, and those are the reflections and moments that will stay with me.The children were literally kidnapped in broad daylight and no matter how birth parents tried to fight in court, they were not allowed to win. By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions.

I also found myself waking up in the middle of the night after haunting dreams/nightmares in which the kidnapped children appeared. The book provoked good discussions about adoption, how sections of our society, even today, are devalued and ignored eg grooming, and how influential people can escape the law eg high profile politicians, entertainers and religious leaders etc. Like so many others, I was completely unaware of the existence of this illegal adoption agency and the wide-spread corruption that allowed these child traffickers to prosper for so many years.Through the telling of this story, Lisa Wingate sheds light on the despicable real life actions of Georgia Tann, a woman that ran a black market child trafficking ring masked as a legitimate adoption agency for decades in Tennessee. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge, until strangers arrive in force.

Along the way, Ollie and Nessa form an unlikely band with others like themselves, struggling to stay one step ahead of those who seek to exploit them .There are some difficult passages in this novel, which you should be prepared for, but this is such a great story! Eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley knows that her stepfather doesn’t have good intentions toward the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home as wards. Rill's utterly singular voice will stay with you long after the last page is turned, as will Wingate's courage to follow her anywhere. But I can't help but wonder, since this was the big NG Historical Fiction book of the year 2017, did I go in with the highest expectations that could not be met?