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Before We Were Yours

Lisa Wingate

Discussion: Crazy Challenges - No Way!

Why we're reading this: Awesome mixed genre. Historical fiction/contemporary fiction.
[close] Awesome mixed genre. Historical fiction/contemporary fiction.

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What Members Thought

Oct 12, 2018 Book Concierge rated it liked it

Shelves: concierge, strong-women, library, social-commentary, orphans, southern-lit, audio, book-club, historical-fiction, tennessee

Digital audio performed by Emily Rankin and Catherine Taber.
3.5***

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 contempora ...more

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Jan 09, 2020 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: nl-2020-audio-book-challenge, nl-2020-new-to-me-author

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 14, 2019 Jan Norton rated it it was amazing

This is my second book by Lisa Wingate. This one kept me reading. Even though I figured some of the turns the books would make, I could not put it down. The focus is on The Tennessee Children's Home run by Georgia Tann existed for decades. Georgia made millions selling the children that she obtained many taken from their mothers thinking that they are dead or just disappeared. I can not imagine the pain of these mothers. It tells about a dark time in our history, when being poor was enough to ha This is my second book by Lisa Wingate. This one kept me reading. Even though I figured some of the turns the books would make, I could not put it down. The focus is on The Tennessee Children's Home run by Georgia Tann existed for decades. Georgia made millions selling the children that she obtained many taken from their mothers thinking that they are dead or just disappeared. I can not imagine the pain of these mothers. It tells about a dark time in our history, when being poor was enough to have a family ripped apart forever. Few adoptive parents knew about these terrible conditions, nor did the state, nor the birth families, who were left wondering what happened to their children. That being said, I can’t help but think of the current stories of human trafficking that is in the news.
This novel takes the facts and the recounted stories of the children, who later were able to locate family members, when the documents were unsealed in 1995 (the home was closed in 1950). It is unbelievable to me that it took so long. But then I look at the current child abuse case of a very wealthy man and his connections with the rich and powerful. He has been protected and now that he is dead it appears that those associated with him will get away with horrible crimes.
Lisa Wingate intertwines a believable story of a group of siblings who are taken from their parents and put up for adoption.. Avery Stafford finds a puzzling photograph that leads her into an ever more confusing story of secrets and lies inside her upright, respected family. Along the way, she starts to question the man her family has picked for her to marry and her expected role within the family. What follows is a heartwarming story of love, betrayal, memories and staying true to your heart. The characters are well developed. There is a background story to add to the story and to give a realistic view into the 1930s. I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot about a dark time in our history, when being poor was enough to have a family ripped apart forever. ...more

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