Book Review - Before We Were Yours
Title: Before We Were Yours
Author: Lisa Wingate, 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction -(Best Historical Fiction book of 2017 by Good Reads)
Summary:
- Memphis, Tennessee 1939
Rill Foss lives a happy life on a Mississippi riverboat until, her mother gets rushed to the hospital. Rill, only 12 years old is left in charge of her 4 siblings. Found unsupervised, the Foss children are taken to the Tennessee Children’s Home Society (TCHS), an orphanage and told that they will be returned to their parents. Rill holds onto this hope but soon realizes that is not what the woman charge, Ms. Georgia Tann has planned.
- Aiken, South Carolina, present day
Avery Stafford, a federal prosecutor, returns to her Southern home to help her father, a Senator with a health crisis. Expected to carry on her family’s prominent place in the community and local politics, she uncovers a family secret that she is compelled to explore.
The story starts off slow as the characters are developed, but keep reading. Rill and Avery are challenged with events that will change not only their destiny, but the path of their family’s legacy.
Based on a real-life kidnapping scandal, the author has created a fictional tale, that will have you asking, “How could this have happened?” and “ Where was the moral compass for all of those involved?”
Favorite Quotes From the Book:
“One of the best things a father can do for his daughter is let her know that she has met his expectations.”
“ I want a pain I understand instead of one I don’t.”
“The good life demands a lot of maintenance.”
Rating: 4 out of 5
Sensitive Topics: kidnapping & child abuse
Movie Adaptation: “Stolen Babies” staring Mary Tyler Moore
Notes: The author is writing another book about the children of the orphanage , Before & After, to be released Oct., 2019.
Book Club Discussion Points and Questions
Did you research the Tennessee Children's Home Society?
If so, was it before, during or after you read this book?
What happened to Georgia Tann? Was she prosecuted?
So many people were aware of what she was doing, why didn’t anyone report her to the authorities? Who else should be held responsible?
Have you or anyone in your family been touched by adoption?
If so, how did it affect your thoughts while reading this book?
Do you think family secrets should remain secret?
What if the secret holder has passed away?
Is there a secret in your family’s history?
Do you wish to share it now or maybe in the future?
How has your past made you who you are today?
Would you change anything about the decisions you made in the past?
If so, would you care to share it now?
Did your family have expectations for you that you didn’t agree with?
If so, how has that impacted your life?
Are you close to your siblings? Yes or no, discuss further.
Who do you have the closest bond with? A sibling, parent, friend, etc.
Do you know anyone with dementia? If so, how has it impacted you?
What do you think it would be like to suffer from memory loss?
If you were suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's, how would you feel if your loved ones put you in a care facility?
Which story line did you like better, Avery or Rill?
What did you think of the ending to each of these women’s stories?
Let us know if you have read this book or if you plan to read it by commenting in the section below. We would love to know your thoughts about the book.
