Before We Were Yours

You need to read the book Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate. Seriously, I think everyone should read it. It is one of my favorite books.

Summary:

This book provides a fictional account of a real and scandalous event in American history. In 1939, in Memphis, TN, Riley Floss, a twelve-year-old girl, and her younger siblings are forcibly taken from their river home by strangers and placed in the Tennessee Children’s Home Society.

They are told they will be returned to their parents care, but come to realize that this will never happen. Meanwhile, their parents are told their children are gone forever. And none of them know what to do.

The home is run by Georgia Tann, the founder and director, who was once heralded as the “Mother of Modern Adoption”.  She ran the home from 1930 – 1950.

She dressed up these children and paraded them in fromt of prospective parents. They wore tattered clothes the rest of the time. In addition, they did not have much to eat. The children were so sad.

Ms. Tann was not a nice woman. She ‘sold’ beautiful young children to rich people. They thought they were adopting orphans. Several children died in her home because of her lack of care for them.

Each chapter alternates between two narrators. One is from young Riley’s perspective. She is a child going through a very confusing time in her life. The other is from a woman looking into a mysterious past. But her story is told in present time. However, these two stories come together perfectly. Likewise, the two stories are interwoven beautifully.

Review:

This book explores the themes of family, corruption and the resilience of the human spirit.  It is a book you will not want to put down. And it will stay with you long after you finish reading.

I find it difficult to think that there actually was a Georgia Tann. She stole poor children and “sold” them to rich adoptive parents. These parents did not know the children they adopted were not actually orphans.

Georgia was mean in ways I will never understand. How could anyone treat others, especially children the way she did? Most importantly, this is an unbelievable story that is actually true.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Another book I recommend  is The Girl in the Red Coat, by Lisa Wingate.

Book Review:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lisa-wingate/before-we-were-yours/

Book Discussion Questions:

http://www.princetonbookreview.com/book_pages/discussion/before-we-were-yours-all.php

Something About the Author:

https://lisawingate.com/about-lisa/

Something About Georgia Tann:

http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/The_Children_of_Georgia_Tann

https://nypost.com/2017/06/17/this-woman-stole-children-from-the-poor-to-give-to-the-rich/