“It’s funny how what you’re used to seems like it’s right even if it’s bad.”–Lisa Wingate, Before We Were Yours
This story will break your heart–especially since it is based on the true story of children from poor families in the South being kidnapped from their families, kept in a horrific orphanage, and then adopted out to unsuspecting couples. Lisa Wingate is a terrific storyteller and brings all her skill to crafting this story.
This is a dual timeline story set in 1939 Memphis and present day South Carolina. 1939–12 year old Rill Foss is watching her four younger siblings when her father must take her mother to the hospital. Strangers appear and take all the children, depositing them in an orphanage where they are told they will be reunited with their parents. It doesn’t take long for the children to realize they are in a very bad place and the odds of them ever seeing their parents again are slim to none.
Present Day–Avery Stafford is a successful federal prosecutor, comes from a family of wealth and influence, and is engaged to be married. What more could she ask for? While helping her father recover from a health issue, an odd interaction sets her on a path to learn more about her family and their history and what she discovers will rock her world forever.
Content Advisory: Child abuse