Book Review // Before We Were Yours

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

"Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty.

Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption." Amazon.com

Review:

This book! My mama heart just hurts reading Before We Were Yours. And I'm appalled at myself for knowing zero about the Tennessee Children's Home Society and Georgia Tann before reading this book.

For those of you who don't know about the TCHS, it was an adoption agency that often times took (stole, abducted, etc) children out of loving homes and put them up for adoption. And mostly into socially powerful and political families who paid big bucks for the children. Often times, the families of the poor were used as leverage, or they were just snatched up on the side of the road never to be seen or heard of again.

Before We Were Yours is told as a fictional story but wove actual facts and stories into the lives of the 5 Foss children. I really appreciated how careful Lisa Wingate was about writing certain details, especially about the abuse that took place in the home. I don't think I could have handled anymore details. It was heartbreaking.

Learning about history can be painful. And the main take away from this story is that we can all do more and be better to make sure our future is full of love and respect for others. I can't believe this was a reality for so many during this time. Georgia Tann has now passed away, but many have come forward to talk about their experience. Lisa Wingate has included these stories in her new book Before and After. I hope to read it soon.