From the Bookshelf of Clean Reads…

Before We Were Yours

Lisa Wingate

Why we're reading this: It's a hopeful book with a positive message. While there are instances of child abuse, none mentioned are…more
[close] It's a hopeful book with a positive message. While there are instances of child abuse, none mentioned are graphic. There's no language or sex.

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What Members Thought

Feb 05, 2018 Alice rated it really liked it

4 and a half stars
This is my kind of historical fiction. I like when a story takes me to a time and place in history that is hard to read about, but alleviates the discomfort by going back and forth with a present day or more recent story line that is connected to the historical one. In this one we learn about the practices of the Memphis Tennessee Children's Home Society and Georgia Tann who directed the adoption agency. At the time she was lauded as a savior to the children she served, but yea ...more

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Sep 27, 2018 Sarah rated it it was amazing

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Feb 26, 2019 Kristen rated it liked it

I wanted to love this book. I DID love the idea of it. I had never heard of the child trafficking that took place in Tennessee under the hands of Georgia Tann, so that portion of the book was interesting. That being said, I really disliked the dual plots for this story. I saw the point of Wingate's structure, but ultimately, I felt that it really disrupted the pacing of the book.

I felt most engaged during Rill's story, while exceedingly bored and agitated during Avery's story. Wingate was caref ...more

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May 17, 2019 Carla rated it really liked it

This is a sad story, based on true events. A story that needed to be told. I'm not sure I would have read it if I'd known before hand how sad it was, so I'm glad I didn't know! I'm grateful that the main characters were able to essentially "find their happy endings." I believe two things pertaining to that: 1) If it's fiction, it should have a happy ending, and 2) In life, terrible events and circumstances do not have to mean life will be terrible or irreparable - it's never too late to make som ...more

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Sep 28, 2020 Catherine Sullivan rated it it was amazing

I got sucked into this book and ended up finishing it in one sitting (that was not my plan!). I really enjoyed this fictional approach to telling the real story of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. My heart was with the characters the whole time. I had no idea this happened for 20+ years!

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