Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

Amy         

Lynnie   

historical fiction

Before We Were Yours tells the story of Rill Foss and her family, victims of the real-life Memphis-based Tennessee Children's Home Society run by Georgia Tann during the 1930s and 1940s.  Through Rill's fictional story, told from two alternating points of view, Lisa Wingate relates the horrors that truly befell many families.

Amy's Review

Before We Were Yours is an amazing story and I’m thrilled that my book club selected it. I can’t wait to discuss it. Told from two viewpoints, one an older woman looking back on her life and one a younger woman discovering the truth about her grandmother’s life, its structure reminded me a lot of Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline (which I adored). The revealing of truths for orphans from the early part of the 20th century is also a central topic for both of the novels. Yet, the stories and situations are different.

After it got going, I was completely sucked in to Rill’s story and couldn’t wait to listen to the audio book at every opportunity I could get. I had to find out what happened to her and her siblings. Her narrative was full of ups and downs--harrowing, horrifying, and heartwarming. She was a girl who was strong in the face of adversity on many fronts and braver than anyone could have expected. In fact, there were a couple times where I felt the story might have gone a little bit too far and made the scenarios seem far-fetched. But it was all plausible and I didn’t let these unlikely successes get in the way of my enjoyment of the novel. However, with those scenes and the slow beginning, I’m withholding a star. Otherwise, the telling was terrific and I loved the way Lisa Wingate crafted the story. I enjoyed both points of view and they never felt disjointed or placed at inopportune intervals, which can sometimes happen with multiple viewpoints.  The story really got under my skin and hasn't yet let go, many days later.

The narrators were Emily Rankin and Catherine Taber. They were both pretty great at bringing these characters to life. I especially loved the voice acting by and vocal quality of Emily Rankin and give her an A+. I give Catherine Taber an A.

Lynnie's Review

Wow! What a novel.

I had heard about Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children's Home Society previously; at some point I watched a tv show about it and recall being fascinated and horrified by what she had done. Tann represents the dark underbelly of adoption; she was a child trafficker, but her ability to place children in the families of some very prominent people gave her credibility.

Before We Were Yours is the fictional story of children that could very well have fallen prey to Georgia Tann, how they came to be at the TN Children's Home, how their lives unfolded and the impact on future generations of their family. Told from two different points of view- in the present by Avery Stafford (a Senator's daughter from a prominent South Carolina family) and Rill Foss, the oldest daughter of river gypsies who becomes a victim of Tann's agency.

This is a story that is often difficult to listen to. There were times when it was crystal clear what was going to happen, but the emotional impact still hit like a ton of bricks. At its best, the book is both terrifying and full of hope. I listened to the first half on audiobook & the narrators were excellent. I enjoyed both of them and the dimension their voices added to the story.

Lisa Wingate's story will keep you glued to the edge of your seat as you piece the story together. I can't recommend this highly enough.