Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society

by Judy Christie, Lisa Wingate

The compelling, poignant true stories of victims of a notorious adoption scandal—some of whom learned the truth from Lisa Wingate’s bestselling novel Before We Were Yours and were reunited with birth family members as a result of its wide reach From the 1920s to 1950, Georgia Tann ran a black-market baby business at the Tennessee Children’s Home Society in Memphis. 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. The publication of Lisa Wingate’s novel Before We Were Yours brought new awareness of Tann’s lucrative career in child trafficking. Adoptees who knew little about their pasts gained insight into the startling facts behind their family histories. Encouraged by their contact with Wingate and award-winning journalist Judy Christie, who documented the stories of fifteen adoptees in this book, many determined Tann survivors set out to trace their roots and find their birth families. Before and After includes moving and sometimes shocking accounts of the ways in which adoptees were separated from their first families. Often raised as only children, many have joyfully reunited with siblings in the final decades of their lives. Christie and Wingate tell of first meetings that are all the sweeter and more intense for time missed and of families from very different social backgrounds reaching out to embrace better-late-than-never brothers, sisters, and cousins. In a poignant culmination of art meeting life, many of the long-silent victims of the tragically corrupt system return to Memphis with the authors to reclaim their stories at a Tennessee Children’s Home Society reunion . . . with extraordinary results.Advance praise for Before and After“In Before and After, authors Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate tackle the true stories behind Wingate’s blockbuster Before We Were Yours, of the orphans who survived the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. With a journalist’s keen eye and a novelist’s elegant prose, Christie and Wingate weave together the stories that inspired Before We Were Yours with the lives that were changed as a result of reading the novel. Readers will be educated, enlightened, and enraptured by this important and flawlessly executed book.”—Pam Jenoff, author of The Orphan’s Tale and The Lost Girls of Paris

Genres: Nonfiction, History, True Crime, Audiobook, Biography, Memoir, Adoption

297 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 22, 2019

About the author

Judy Christie is an author and consultant who lives in Northwest Louisiana.

She writes inspirational fiction and nonfiction. Her popular Green series chronicles the goings-on in the small Louisiana town of Green and is part of Abingdon Press’s new inspirational fiction line.

Judy is also the author of the popular Hurry Less, Worry Less nonfiction series, published by Abingdon Press.

Wreath, published in October 2011, is Judy’s first young adult book. Look for it and a free download on her books page!

Judy was a journalist for many years and is a frequent speaker at retreats and workshops. She works with clients around the country on how to slow down and enjoy each day more and how

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so taken with Lisa Wingate’s moving novel Before We Were Yours, so I was definitely drawn to reading this nonfiction account . It focuses on real life stories of some adults who were victims of Georgia Tann’s corrupt money making operation, the Tennessee Children’s Home Society that sold babies and young children from the 1920’s to 1950. Stolen children, falsified records, illegal adoptions that cost $500 vs $7 for the state cost at that time. “An investigation concludes that Tann profited from the operation of TCHS in Memphis in excess of five hundred thousand dollars in the last ten years of her life - taking in today’s equivalent of between five and ten million dollars.” This book came to be when a woman contacted Wingate after reading the novel to say she was one of those babies. Journalist Judy Christy was brought on board by Wingate to interview the people who had come forward as having been part of a Tann’s scheme. They plan a reunion of some of the orphans. Christy skillfully and tenderly interviews those who can come together for the reunion to share their stories.

A desire to find siblings, know their family history, medical and otherwise, find out the truth of what Georgia Tann did to them, their mothers were motivating factors to search out their pasts.. The years they lost are poignantly reflected when a dying man meets his brother - “We didn’t get to play as children, but we can play in heaven.” Some of the stories were joyful when they meet siblings they never knew they had or a mother who never wanted to give up them up. There were some who didn’t want to be united with their relatives. Some who didn’t want to share their stories. Some were grateful for the people who adopted them knowing that they had a better life than they would have . Some did not have that better life. Their stories are moving. You will meet all of these people here.

While this focuses on children that were adopted through Georgia Tann’s corrupt money making operation, it speaks of the journey of many other adopted people to find their families. I was particularly touched by these stories because last year through Ancesrty.com we discovered a niece who had been searching for her birth parents for years. I won’t go into details here, other than to say that her father was one of my brothers in law who had passed away. The meetings with our family were emotional and the connection has continued. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the same when she found her birth mother. They met, shared information but her mother does not want to have a relationship going forward. Sometimes making the connection after years doesn’t always work. I highly recommended to those who were touched by Lisa Wingate’s novel and anyone who might be interested in the journeys of some adopted children to their adulthood and back to their roots.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Ballantine Books through NetGalley.

[Dorie - Cats&Books :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

***NOW AVAILABLE***


This is the follow up non fiction book to “Before We Were Yours” by Lisa Wingate. I would recommend that if you haven’t read that novel you investigate the story of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society from the 1920’s through 1950 before reading this book, it doesn’t really work as a stand alone.

If you are looking for a lot more information about Georgia Tann and the daily operations of the orphanage you won’t find a lot of that here. This book is devoted to the adoptees.

Ms. Wingate teamed up with journalist Judy Christie and they were able to find and document 15 people who had been adopted from this orphanage. Because of the time frame, the adoptees that they found were all infants (with one exception) at the time they were adopted and had no knowledge of their time spent in the home, most were probably only there for a few days or weeks. Most of the abuse suffered in the home fell on the shoulders of the older children living there, many of which were separated from their siblings during the adoptions and languished in the home for months or even years.

When Before We Were Yours was published some individuals who had known they were adopted started to dig deeper into their background, questioning grandparents, aunts, friends of their parents, etc. When they started to contact Ms. Wingate she felt compelled to write this follow up telling their stories.

To quote from the blurb : Before and After includes moving and sometimes shocking accounts of the ways in which adoptees were separated from their first families. Often raised as only children, many have joyfully reunited with siblings in the final decades of their lives. In Before and After, Wingate and Christie tell of first meetings that are all the sweeter and more intense for time missed and of families from very different social backgrounds reaching out to embrace better-late-than-never brothers, sisters, and cousins. In a poignant culmination of art meeting life, long-silent victims of the tragically corrupt system return to Memphis with Wingate and Christie to reclaim their stories at a Tennessee Children's Home Society reunion . . . with extraordinary results.”

As “Before We Were Yours” was one of my favorite books of 2018 I thoroughly enjoyed this followup and can highly recommend it. If you are like many readers you will probably find yourself on the internet delving into the history of that terrible home that was allowed to exist for so many years and caused so much emotional and physical pain to children.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.

The book is set to publish October 22, 2019.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

" How does someone choose to prey on the most vulnerable? Go against all the instincts we have to protect children and market them like products? How does a community turn a blind eye?"

What happens when you find out that your name was not always your name? That you might have been snatched from a front yard, bought and sold, taken from a young poor mother who could not afford to battle a corrupt woman (Georgia Tann) who ran the Tennessee Children's Home Society. A black-market adoption agency that operated for 30 years using bribes, corrupt officials, and sold children to those wanting to adopt with a policy that allowed new parents to return a child if "it" was not the right fit for them. Many parents were duped, coerced and bullied into giving up their children. Other women were told their newborn died after birth, only to have the newborn whisked away and sold. Others had their children disappear from their front lawns. Many infants and toddlers died while in the care of the Tennessee Children's Home Society while awaiting to be "adopted” If you have read Before We Were Yours you will be familiar with Tann and her illegal "adoption" agency. That work of fiction brought made many people aware of the horrors that Tann and the Tennessee Children's Home Society brought.

While reading that book, many who were affected sought out the Author to share their personal stories of how they learned they were adopted, how this affected them, their search for the truth and their reunions with siblings they never knew they had. Wingate met with many of the adoptees and teamed up with Christie in order to tell their stories about their lives, how learning they were adopted affected them and their relationships with their adoptive parents. Fearing and yearning to know about their own personal history, who their biological parents were, if they had other siblings, and the circumstances surrounding how Tann obtained them.

One woman who was adopted was told by her adoptive father when she was an adult that "Clearly you were beautiful, but you were the saddest baby I had ever seen." Another woman received a letter in the mail revealing that she had been adopted and shared, "When I got the letter, it was such a shock. I had lived a lie. I wasn't who I thought I was." These 15 individual stories are just a glimpse into the lives of the children who were affected. Their search for answers and their reunion with relatives is moving.

"We never lose those whose stories remain with us."

This was a wonderful follow up book to Before We Were Yours. The 15 stories are the heart and soul of this book. Their individual paths, their search for truth and the affect it had on their lives once they learned more about their own adoptions. I'll let their individual stories talk for themselves.


If you enjoyed Before We Were Yours, I highly recommend this book. I think it is beneficial to read that book first (but not necessary). You can also learn about the Tennessee Children’s Home Society and Tann online.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evil comes in many shapes and sizes, but as to gender, the female sex is in the minority. Not in this case though, because Georgia Tann, was pure evil in a women's body. The harm she caused to so many women and children can not be underestimated. Although she did not operate alone, many make lawyers, politicians and judges were active participant. So evil had much help.

Many of those involved first found about about the children's home in Tennessee, when they read Wingates novel, Before we were yours. Sometimes in book groups, sometimes by friends who alerted them to this scandalous and heartbreaking affair. Some wanted a reunion of those who were left, some just wanted their stories told, which is what this book is about.

Their stories are heartbreaking. although some realize they were probably better off with their adopted families, most felt a sense of not belonging, something missing. Some have sought out their birth information and in many cases, this was not to be had easily. Some sought out new family members, finding brothers and sisters they never knew.

My lower than many readers rating, reflects not their stories, but the way this was written. In between stories there is an italicized section which I felt was unnecessary, lending drama to a situation that was dramatic enough on its own.

[Terrie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Before and After" by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate is the nonfiction personal account of victims who survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society.

Lisa Wingate's historical fiction novel "Before We Were Yours" sparked a plethora of interest about the Tennessee Children's Home Society in Memphis, TN.

Returning home from a book tour, Lisa found an abundance of letters and emails sent from real-life survivors. More continued to arrive with questions: How can I find my birth parents? How are other adoptees doing? One survivor even inquired about organizing a reunion for the adoptees.

If a reunion were to happen, Lisa knew she would need a partner to coordinate this effort and assist with interviewing survivors who offered to tell their stories. Fellow author and journalist, Judy Christie agreed to be that person!

This book profiles fifteen survivors, each chapter telling separate stories of experiences at the hands of Georgia Tann, how they were separated from family and affected by this tragedy. Some were glad for their adoptive parents, others spoke of struggles from being adopted. Some told of emotional connections with their birth families, while others were still searching.

There were common threads felt by most adoptees before and during the reunion: the need to connect with their birth family, a lifelong feeling that something was missing, and the joy they felt by coming together with others who've experienced the same things.

Part of the reunion took place at the historic Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis, TN. This is where the nineteen children that are recorded to have died while in Tann's care were buried. It was a mass grave in a 14x13 lot without headstones or grave markers with only a small memorial erected in their honor in 2015. Visiting the memorial was both an emotional and unforgettable experience for the survivors.

This is an emotional read about a tragic occurrence in Tennessee's history. I'm still quite numbed by it, in fact. However, with the audiobook, Emily Rankin did an amazing job keeping an upbeat and voice inflected narration for the reader. I do recommend this book to others who enjoy nonfiction and learning. I especially recommend the audiobook, rather than the print book, based on the narrator's talent!

3.5 stars rounded up.
_______________________

Background of The Tennessee Children's Home Society and Georgia Tann:

Georgia Tann took over as Executive Director of the Tennessee Children's Home Society in Memphis, TN in 1924. Well respected and considered the foremost authority on child adoption, this is also when she began trafficking children and continued until the organization closed in 1950.

Various unscrupulous methods of obtaining children were aided by a network of doctors, nurses and social workers while local and state leaders looked the other way. Kidnapping was often used by Tann herself, driving through impoverished neighborhoods in her limo looking for children to whisk away.

Lack of regulation for child adoption in TN and sealed adoption records worked in Tann's favor. It is estimated that 5,000 children were adopted, mostly out-of-state by desperate parents who were turned down by traditional adoption agencies. Many were wealthy and would willingly pay whatever price Tann asked to have a child.

A 1950 state investigation revealed record irregularities, false child histories and secret bank accounts. In some cases, Tann pocketed 80%-90% of the adoption fees for out-of-state adoptions. Georgia Tann died suddenly in 1950 before the state could release its findings on her activities.

The scandal resulted in adoption reform laws in Tennessee in 1951. However, Tennessee did not open the records for all adoptions and attempted adoptions until 1996.

Sadly, it is estimated that 400-500 children died while in the care of the Tennessee Children's Home Society and Georgia Tann.

[Karen R · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Before They Were Yours by Lisa Wingate and looked forward to reading these ‘Before and After’ stories of real victims touched by the Georgia Tann black-market adoption scandal. Unfortunately, I only made it halfway through the book. Too much superfluous writing about the authors, their efforts to put together a victims’ reunion and repeatedly plug Before They Were Yours with less focus on the victims. I felt like I was left hanging at the end of each spotlighted victim’s narrative.

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow!! I read Lisa Wingate's Before We Were Yours seven years ago. It is a historical fiction book based on horrors that occurred at the Tennessee Children's Home. I rated Before We Were Yours five stars.

Shortly after Before We Were Yours was published, Lisa Wingate was contacted by many people who were adopted from the Tennessee Children's Home. Wingate began meeting with them to hear their stories. Before and After is the nonfiction journey of many adoptees and their stories about trying to find biological parents and siblings.

Fascinating, hopeful, and sad all at the same time.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this what I like to call a good “coffee table” book. It’s one of those books to have sitting on your coffee table that you can pick up and use as a conversation starter.

This is the nonfiction follow up to the novel Before We Were Yours. The book starts with Lisa Wingate seeking to reunite the surviving adoptees with other surviving victims of Georgia Tann's Tennessee Children's Home Society who have suffered silently. After travelling to Memphis, Lisa and journalist Judy Christie gather with the adoptees and their families who tell their adoption story. This book is the recollection, memories, and artifacts of children who were adopted through Tennessee Children’s Home Society that was run by the nefarious Georgia Tann. The stories told are the stories of hope when life has been stolen. While some of the adoption stories deeply benefited the child, the cards dealt to other children were not always in their favor. Sometimes sweet and sometimes appalling, each separate account gives the adoptees a voice that will not be forgotten.

"To this day I search Ancestry.com and use my DNA to discover if there is some familial connection somewhere. If I could just learn the truth of my mother's story, I might find some peace." -Email from an adoptee's child

The chapters are organized by adoptee, and each chapter tells the story of a child who was adopted through the Tennessee Children’s Home Society in Memphis. It revolves around their adoption, what happened to them in their adopted home, and the reunion with their birth family much later in life (if one occurred). The book is full of supportive photocopies and photographs.

This does not entail memories of Georgia Tann or the heinous acts that occurred at her orphanage. There is only one adoptee in this book who can account for remembering Georgia Tann, but it does not focus on Tann or the orphanage environment; rather it centers around the adoption, her new family, and the reunion with the biological family.

I recommend this to readers interested in true crime and adoption, and for readers that enjoyed "Before We Were Yours". If you have not read "Before We Were Yours", I recommend knowing a bit about Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children's Home Society beforehand.
Many thanks to Random House- Ballantine, Lisa Wingate, Judy Christie, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.

For more information on the subject:
About Georgia Tann
Baby Snatcher

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Parents were permitted to return a child like a piece of clothing that did not fit."

BEFORE AND AFTER is a real life sequel to BEFORE WE WERE YOURS as Julie Christie teams up with Lisa Wingate to bring us mind-boggling stories and family secrets as we revisit the Tennessee Children's Home Society (TCHS) child trafficking scandal of the self-serving and untouchable Georgia Tann.

......read excerpts of letters from the nasty monster: "Take him and try him for a week."

......see baby pictures of those now grown.

......hear stories of kidnapping from the now elderly children and relatives.

......visit the Elmwood Cemetery of those who were, but are no longer forgotten.

......attend the reunion of many brought together.

And OMGOSH, hear the mystery behind the night the babies all died in the maternity ward....of the nineteen children buried who died while in the so-called care of Tann....and of a little "undesirable" born tongue-tied who had a savior.

So much good has resulted from Lisa Wingate writing BEFORE WE WERE YOURS and although some adoptions actually worked out well, so many children went to poor homes with troubled marriages, so many lost contact with siblings, so many young mothers were deceived....and ALL so a "lower than lowlife" woman with political clout could take in immense wealth.

So sad and disheartening that such corruption could go unexposed for 30 long years (1924-1950) but then Tann knew all the tricks.

Many thanks for the early invite to read from PENGUIN Random House via NetGalley in exchange for review.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly I’m a bit disappointed with this read. At times the author’s voice, opinions, responses, daily schedule, book promotion, and preparations for the reunion greatly overshadowed the voices of those affected by Georgia Tan and the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. I was strangely unemotional for such an emotional topic. I did love hearing the adoptee’s stories of their journeys to finding the truth of their childhood trauma and search for their birth families. But ultimately I was left wanting a bit more from this book.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written non-fiction book which recounts the true stories of some of the victims of the Tennessee Children's Home Society adoption scandal. It is an excellent companion to Ms. Wingate's outstanding historical fiction novel, "Before We Were Yours", and the accounts are both heartbreaking and hopeful. The audiobook is well narrated by Ms. Emily Rankin.

[Taury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before and After by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate is a very well written NF behind the scenes book about Georgia Tan and the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. The real life adoptees behind Lisa’s Wingate’s novel Before We Were Yours. The selling of children, kidnapping of children and the horrible conditions some of these children grew up in. The children, now adults tell their stories and the search for their biological families.

[Carol]

Busy, and rushed with deadlines, Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate's Before and After felt a bit disjointed. Their hearts were in the right place and many fans of Wingate's Before We Were Yours including me, were eager to read the personal stories of the many brave adoptees willing to be interviewed.

I am a proponent of open adoptions and feel keeping secrets does more harm than good.

Recommended to all who have interest in what happened to some of the children caught up in Georgia Tann's many years of adoption fraud. I can only hope that these adult victims will continue to meet and that others will seek the answers they need to have a clearer picture of their family history.

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The nonfiction follow up to Lisa Wingate's wildly popular "Before We Were Yours" .
Lisa's book started the ball rolling in reuniting a lot of people with their families and it's still continuing today.
The truth comes out as people that were adopted from The Tennessee Children's Home Society from the 1920's to 1950's tell their stories. So many of the children placed there were stolen when desperate mother's thought they were just placing their children there until they got back on their feet. Once the children were in the TCHS they were never returned to their parents. Georgia Tann ran the TCHS like a business, someone wanted a child, she made sure there was a child there with their specifications and believe me the adopting family paid dearly for them too, many times over the state adoption fee.
Reading the stories in their own words, the people that were adopted tell their stories.
Many remember their birth parents and being torn from siblings to never see them again.
There are stories of people after decades of being apart how they came to be reunited with birth parents and siblings. Many though are still searching for their original families and it has affected their whole lives. It's truly heartbreaking what Georgia Tann has done to families, all in the name of greed!
Expected publication: October 22nd 2019 by Ballantine Books.
I was given a complimentary copy. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

[Krickette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on audio and enjoyed it so much! This story captivated my attention after reading Before We Were Yours -an absolutely incredible and emotional story.

This book was step two and came about only after Before We Were Yours started hitting the bookclub scene and created quite a stir! This is the story behind the story-starring real people who were victims of the illegal adoption and trafficking of children in Tennessee.

Of course real identities are changed to protect the privacy of these victims. But their stories are priceless. Hearing their heartfelt stories, all the crazy lies and the saved documentation of their illegal adoptions and collective stories of children gone missing. But mostly it’s about their memories of how these tragic events scarred them and the reuniting of siblings they didn’t know they had. It is incredibly touching.

I loved this!

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before and After by Judy Christie gives the reader an in-depth look at what happened in the Tennessee Children’s Home Society in Memphis, information about Georgia Tann the women who owned the orphanage and the terrible acts of cruelty she committed.

Georgia Tann used three events to her advantage, the stock market crash, the great depression, and the Second World War, people were vulnerable and desperate. Living in poverty, families were struggling to feed hungry children, unwed mothers were shunned by society, people moved around a lot to find work, and Miss. Tann had a corrupt mayor on her side.

There was a huge demand for babies, older couples who couldn’t adopt due to their age, parents who had suffered the loss of an infant and others who couldn’t conceive. Georgia Tann took advantage of poor families, young single mothers, she removed babies from maternity wards and told new parents their baby had passed away overnight. She forged paperwork, didn’t issue adoption and birth certificates on time, she lied about children being orphans and about birth mothers backgrounds, and religious beliefs.

Before and After shares the personal stories of fifteen people who were adopted as babies from the infamous home, some had happy childhoods and others didn’t, from different social back grounds, and all shared the common feeling of loss. They lost their birth parents and real name, knew nothing about their heritage and medical history, and if they had siblings, cousins and extended family? The reunion held by Lisa Wingate and Judy Christie, brought survivors together, to share their stories and feelings, information and photo’s they had collected over the years, and they felt united and not unwanted.

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate was released in 2017, and she had no idea the impact her novel would have, and I highly recommend reading it first and then Before and After. A well written and heartbreaking story, and it’s a tribute to the thousands of babies, children and their families who were effected by the inhumane actions of Georgia Tann, and five stars from me.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/

[Ahaaha4 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll start by saying I absolutely loved Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, it was one of my top favorite books. When I received this ARC I was anxious to get started reading, but I did not make it half way through. I found the writing style and use of names very hard to follow therefore finding it difficult to get emotionally involved with the people. The authors talk a lot about themselves and getting a reunion together, which was like, oh well. There is no doubt Georgia Tann was a horrific human being. I learned much more about her researching her on the internet then by reading this book. . After reading Before We Were Years I went on the internet and really enjoyed reading the stories of the adoptive men and women, I felt a much deeper connection to all the people involved and even needed to grab Kleenex. I think it is just the style in which this was written that left me void of emotion. It is not like me to not be weeping when I read a book like this. I am addicted to reading and always get lost emotionally in the books that I read. This one just did not do it for me. My recommendation is to research Georgia Tann and The Tennessee Childrens Home Society Orphanage rather than read Before and After by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before and After by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate is a non fiction follow up to Before We were Yours by Lisa Wingate.
The story of illegal adoptions and stolen children and the heartbreaking accounts of the terrible treatment of children and unmarried mothers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[♥ Sandi ❣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Such a heartbreaking book. The non-fiction story behind the fictional book Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. Same author, beside a co-writer, who follows up on the true story behind the horrific reign of Georgia Tann, owner and evil matron behind the Tennessee Children's Home Society.

After the first book Before We Were Yours was published in 2017 the author was inundated with messages from people who were either part of the Tennessee Children's Home Society, or had loved ones who were. People who had been given up for adoption, people who were accidentally (but on purpose by Georgia Tann) signed away by parents, people who were out right stolen as babies with their parents then told that they died at birth. At that point, overwhelmed by the outpouring of people involved, Wingate sought the help of friend and author Judy Christie.

With the help of others, Christie then put together a weekend conference for the people who were still looking for their natural birth parents and siblings. The conference was held in Memphis, the home of the now defunct Tennessee Children's Home Society. The adoptees themselves were in their 70's and 80's, but for many it was the family, some two and three generations later, that were looking for answers.

It was around this Memphis weekend that Christie began talking one on one to the people who were passed off as orphans, and to the families of the adoptees to gather the sad, sorrowful stories of their lost identities. For even those who ended up with a great childhood and wonderful adoptive parents, felt a loss, a feeling of not belonging, an aloneness.

This book is full of those stories, along with the greedy life and death of Georgia Tann, the way that laws and legislation blocked knowledge from the seekers, and the unfortunate deaths of so many children who were not strong enough to survive the Tennessee Children's Home Society.

[Mary Jackson _TheMaryReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my where do I even start on this review.
First did you all read Wingates fiction book Before We Were Yours? If you answered NO you need to go get a copy of it and read it first.
Now on to the real life stories of the babys from Tennessee childrens home and how they are doing now. Wingate interviewed them and they share their stories.
Wait until you read the chapter Seven- Dollar Baby. Wait until you get to the end of this book. Wingate has out done herself, this story telling getting to the heart of what happened and making many aware of what happened. Many had to idea about this until Wingate wrote her frist book Before We Were Yours.
I HIGHLY recommend this 5 star book. I plan to share it with may people.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is without a doubt a harrowing story involving the monster Georgia Tann and her Tennessee Children’s Home Society in Memphis. Tann and her black market babies are an aberration on society as a whole – most especially because it was allowed to go on for so long with influential people in cahoots with her. Not to forget that Tann never faced one day of reckoning!

While I suspect the children who ended up in unhappy and unspeakable circumstances are in the majority I was overjoyed to read the stories this book presented as told by some of the adopted children. Some of the stories appear to have had a happy ending in that they seem to have found themselves, luckily, with decent adopted parents who cared for them and in much better circumstances than if they had not been adopted.

While this does NOT excuse anything Tann did, if she was on trial today this book could have been her ‘get out of jail’ card.

[Pam Jenoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you loved Lisa Wingate's Before We Were Yours, the heart-wrenching novel about children stolen from their families in Tennessee during the first half of the 20th century to be sold for adoption, as much as I did, you should reach for this gripping non-fiction companion, which chronicles many of the true stories behind the novel.

[Jen Juenke · Rating 1 out of 5]

UUUUGGGGHHHH...why do I torture myself? I really didn't like the book, Before We Were Yours. yet decided to give this book a try.
Over 20% of this book is the authors patting themselves on the back for getting a "reunion" together. The authors write about what THEY were doing, how THEY felt, why THEY were doing this...it got really OLD very quickly.

The part that I loved was the stories of those who were adopted. I liked to hear how they found lost relatives.
Overall the majority of them were better off being adopted.
I had to wonder if NOT every adoptee feels this way, not just those that were taken by Georgia Tann.

This book was unnecessary and more to boost the authors egos then to provide any answers to the adoptees.

This book was not what I expected nor wanted.

[Amanda Hupe · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The realities of what happened at TCHS are hard to contemplate, but they are necessary to revisit. The history we deny is the history we are most likely to repeat.”

BEFORE AND AFTER
Before and After by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate is a nonfiction account of the survivors of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society run by Georgia Tann. This agency was discussed in Lisa Wingate’s historical fiction Before We Were Yours. After the release of Before We Were Yours, survivors and adoptees reached out to Lisa Wingate. Wingate then contacted Judy Christie to help her write down all of these stories. Judy Christie is a journalist who interviews all those who reach out leading up to a reunion of the survivors.

Maybe after reading these stories, someone out there will choose to become that one person for one person. Change a life. Save a life. Tell a story that would have otherwise been lost.

BEFORE AND AFTER
I wish I could quote this whole book! Like Before We Were Yours, it took me some time to get through because of the emotional carnage. Some stories were heartwarming and beautiful and others shattered my soul. Over 5,000 children went through this agency and it is estimated that 500 children died. Georgia Tann was a salesperson. She talked of these children as if they were an object. These stories show the heartbreaking reality and stigma on unmarried mothers and those that lived in poverty.

Georgia Tann was not alone. Many social workers, doctors, politicians, etc…are also complicit. She paid them off for her benefit and families suffered. The infuriating part is Georgia Tann was never brought to justice and the adoption files were sealed until the 1990s. All her files were also filled with false information and changes. One story that broke my heart is the mother, Josie.

“Josie is still in the maternity ward the next morning, foggy from the lingering effects of the anesthetics, when the hospital officials deliver devastating news. Their newborn son has died overnight.”

BEFORE AND AFTER

Except her newborn did not die. Her baby was taken and she was told he died. I wish I could list each and every wrong this woman committed. She destroyed lives and families. However, these stories need to be told and I really recommend everyone read Before We Were Yours and Before and After. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first read of 2020, and I could not have picked a better book to start off the year! This book is a must-read read if you read (and loved) Before We Were Yours.

The book begins with authors Lisa Wingate and Judy Christie seeking to reunite surviving children of the infamous Tennessee Children's Home Society in Memphis. On the way to Memphis for the reunion, Judy stops along the way to meet with the adoptees and their families, who tell their respective stories. Their stories are a compilation of recollections, memories, and artifacts. They are filled with hope and fulfillment for many, while lingering sadness and questions for others. While some of the adoptions clearly benefited the adoptees, the cards dealt to other adoptees were not so happy. Sometimes sweet and sometimes sobering, each story gives the adoptee a voice that is not soon forgotten.

The chapters are broken up into separate stories of different adoptees and revolves around their adoption, what happened to them in their adopted home, and the reunion with their birth family much later in life (if such occurred). The book is full of corresponding photographs.

I laughed, I cried, and I empathized with every single adoptee, their families, and the authors. It is amazing to me how a fiction book can influence the lives of so many hundreds, if not thousands, of people, and effectuate healing. All the stars for this amazing read!

[Staci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before and After is a good example of how a work of fiction can make an impact.

The individual stories shared are a blend of heart breaking and heart warming. I cannot imagine the struggles these families have experienced.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

*A fractured book that is part memoir, part anecdote, and part self-promotion*


I was debating which to read first: Before We Were Yours or Before and After. I went with the nonfiction Before and After because I prefer to have at least a general idea of the facts before reading the fiction. Both books are about the Tennessee Children's Home Society. First Lisa Wingate wrote her fictional story, Before We Were Yours. Because of the response to her novel, she decided to host a reunion of sorts for families affected by the tragic events surrounding the Tennessee Children's Home Society. Then she teamed up with Judy Christie to write a nonfiction book partially about organizing the reunion and partially a collection of stories from the affected families.

I have extremely mixed feelings about Before and After. One the one hand, it is a touching book and easy to read. I had no problem reading the whole thing in one day. And many of the stories within were quite poignant. On the other hand, this book is undeniably a huge, shameless plug for Before We Were Yours.

If you want historical documentation about the TCHS, then Before and After isn't the book for that. While a lot of research went into this book, it is primarily anecdotal evidence from victims. There is very little information about the children who died at that horrible place. There isn't much information about the legalities around the scandal either other than the mention about the eventual opening of adoption records. These stories are more about putting faces to individual names rather than historical documentation.

On a more technical level, I had issues with the co-authorship. I generally avoid books with multiple authors because they tend to be messy and lack cohesion. Before and After is no exception to that. Having two authors was confusing especially since this is part memoir. Most of the time I could not tell who was narrating. And I’m pretty sure they talked about themselves in third person in some parts.

There aren't any major spoilers for Before We Were Yours within, but this book is clearly intended as supplemental material for those who read and loved the novel. I can totally see the people within this book gasping, clutching their pearls, and dramatically exclaiming, “What do you mean, you haven’t read Before We Were Yours yet?!?” Christie and Wingate act as if every decent bookclub in America has already selected that book. I feel obliged to inform my bookclub that we are unacceptably lacking since we unwittingly committed the social faux pas of not reading the right (I.E. Popular & Bestselling) book. Any day now we might be forcibly disbanded for Crimes Against Bookclub.

I expected a certain amount of self-promotion going into this. At first, I was able to overlook it both because of the emotional impact of some of these stories, and because it is at least somewhat justified since Before We Were Yours is what brought about this book and the reunion. But almost every single story started with “Because I read Before We Were Yours …” Everything ties back to that book. It is mentioned over and over how much people loved that book, how long it was on the best seller list, how their lives were changed by it, how it gave them the courage to speak up about their own experiences, etc. Not to mention the name dropping. I remember the exact moment when I got fed up with these overdone plugs. The author was relaying a secondhand story that someone had read a different book about the Tennessee Children's Home Society, asked the author about it, and apparently the author insisted that person they just had to read Before We Were Yours. The author and other book are deliberately unnamed, but Christie’s book is applauded overenthusiastically.

Sadly, I am much less excited to read Before We Were Yours now. I probably will still read it, but I'll take it all with a grain of salt. The in-your-face cheerleading in Before and After severely dampened my enthusiasm. I’m conflicted on whether or not I would recommend this book to anyone. As I mentioned, I was moved by parts of it. But now that it’s over, I can’t shake that icky feeling of the hard sell and self-promotion gimmick.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 4 Stars
Attention to Details: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Objectivity: 1 Star

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate opened a Pandora’s box of emotions for many families that had an adoption touch their lives in some way. After publishing Before We were Yours, Wingate began to hear from adoptees or their family members who believed they were adopted out of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society in Memphis. Some of the adoptees, young as they were, even remember Georgia Tann. Feeling that the stories were important, Wingate enlisted the help of an author and friend, Judy Christie, and together they put together a collection of stories from several adoptees.

Reading each individual’s account of their lives and the families involved was often bittersweet. While many of the adoptees felt that they did have a better or easier life because of the adoption, they also mourned for the parents they never got to know and the siblings they didn’t have growing up. Some of the sweetest stories were those of siblings who were reunited in their later life and kept their connection until they died.

Most heartbreaking was reading about the babies and children that died under Tann’s care that are not named or recognized in any way. It was also sad to read about the few adoptees that have not been able to find anything about their family history.

One thing I found fascinating was the role book clubs played in helping these stories come about and how a simple mention of Before We Were Yours moved an adoptee or a family member to read it and become encouraged to find out more.

Before & After is a wonderful follow-up to Before We Were Yours and I’m happy to recommend it to readers who love genealogy, history and family relationships.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy and offer an honest review.

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was heartbroken after reading Before We Were Yours and realized that that book was based on a true story. This book is a fascinating non-fiction follow-up to that book.
After the book was published, Wingate got many e-mails from those who had been adopted through the TCHS and those who thought they might have been. She was able to facilitate some of those people to reunite and find family members that they didn't know they had or those that they couldn't find. The book follows the stories of some of those people. These are real people, this isn't fiction. The book is at times gut-wrenching, but also at times very uplifting and filled with hope. I am in awe of these people who survived this woman and her machinations. My own grandfather and his siblings were not sold through this society, but had similar circumstances being sold to different families because they were very poor. Eventually the siblings were able to find each other again, but the trauma of this carried through their whole lives. This made these stories hit a bit closer to home.
If you haven't read Before We Were Yours, definitely read it before this book, because this will help you to get the full picture of how this affected real people.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Stephanie Anze · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The realities of what happened at TCHS are hard to contemplate, but they are necessary to revisit. The history we deny is the history we are most likely to repeat."

Georgia Tann ran the Tennesse Children's Home Society from the 1920's to 1950, a supposed adoption agency. In truth, Tann's organization was really a black market trade of children. Over 5000 children were "adopted" through TCHS but sadly the majority of these children were not orphans. They were kids stolen from yards, from poor parents that could not fight Tann's organization, from mothers that had been told that their babies had died in the hospital and from parents duped into thinking they were placing their children in a temporary home. Tann charged five hundred dollars per adoption, much higher than the seven dollar fee that the sate charged. Its estimated that in the last ten years of her life Tann earned five hundred thousand dollars, about five to ten million dollars in today's terms. Lisa Wingate wrote a historical fiction novel, Before We Were Yours about TCHS and a group of children that went through Tann's organization in 2017. It was through this book that many learned of their past. A group of adoptees gathered, a gathering organized by Wingate and reporter Judy Christie. These are their stories.

I learned about Georgia Tann and TCHS when I read Before We Wwere Yours, an incredible book. When I heard that there was going to be a follow-up book about the real life accounts of former Tann adoptees, I knew I had to read it too. The book is broken down into the individual accounts of former adoptees and their families. I was surprised at just how different they all were. Some children went to homes of loving parents, some learned that they were adopted later on in life and most learned about Tann as mature adults. Their psycologies vary but all of them suffered dearly because of Tann. As these group was able to learn of their pasts, they learned about unknown siblings and cousins, and sometimes of parents that never stop looking for them. There were happy reunions but also disappointments as not everyone wanted to remember. Its hard to imagine how this poor excuse of a human being was allowed to run TCHS for as long as she did. The tone of this book is one of compassion, it is infurating and also sad but ultimately, it is empowering. I have been told how I resemble a sibling or a parent and always took that for granted. Thanks to Wingate and Christie for bringing these stories to the forefront, where they need to be. If you have not read Before Were Yours , I highly recommend it.