Vivid and affecting.”-Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of Circling the Sun 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 the real feat of this stirring novel is how deeply Wingate plunges us into the heart and mind of twelve-year-old river gypsy Rill Foss.
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That Georgia Tann and her Memphis Tennessee Children’s Home Society could actually exist, unraveling the lives of countless children, stealing their pasts and changing their futures, will give you chills.
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“Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power. “This story is heartfelt and genuine, especially as Wingate explores the idea of home and family from a youngster’s point of view.”- Historical Novels Review Take note: This may be the best book of the year.”- Shreveport Times It’s a great book-club read, one of those books that teaches you something, gives you lots to discuss and even more to think about. Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate, is such a book. “Every now and then a novel comes along that sweeps me off my reading feet. “ affecting new novel.”- The New York Post It should not be missed.”- The Huffington Post There are a lot of books that will catch your eye this summer, some from our best storytellers. Few novelists could strike the balance this story requires but Wingate does it with assurance. It invades your heart from the very first pages and stays there long after the book is finished. It is impossible not to get swept up in this near-perfect novel. This story about children taken from their parents through kidnapping or subterfuge and then placed for adoption, for a price, clearly pours out of Wingate’s heart. It is almost a cliché to say a book is ‘lovingly written’ but that phrase applies clearly to Lisa Wingate’s latest novel, Before We Were Yours. Wingate is a master-storyteller, and you’ll find yourself pulled along as she reveals the wake of terror and heartache that is Georgia Tann’s legacy.”- Parade “ Before We Were Yours is sure to be one of the most compelling books you pick up this year. A poignant, engrossing tale about sibling love and the toll of secrets.”- People 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. 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. 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.Īiken, South Carolina, present day. 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.
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But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge-until strangers arrive in force.
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Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat.