Before we were yours : a novel / Lisa Wingate.
"Two families, generations apart, are forever changed by a heartbreaking injustice in this poignant novel, inspired by a true story, for readers of Orphan Train and The Nightingale. Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family's Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge--until strangers arrive in force. 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. 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. Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiance, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. 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. Based on one of America's most notorious real-life scandals--in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country--Lisa Wingate's riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780425284681 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: 342 pages ; 25 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York, NY : Ballantine Books, [2017]
- Copyright: ©2017
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Brothers and sisters > Fiction. Kidnapping victims > Fiction. Kidnapping > Fiction. Orphanages > Fiction. Families > Fiction. Family secrets > Fiction. |
| Genre: | Domestic fiction. |
Available copies
- 0 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroud Branch | LP FIC Winga | 31681010166668 | LARGEPT | Checked out | 02/03/2026 |
- Baker & Taylor
"Memphis, Tennessee, 1936. The five Foss children find their lives changed forever when their parents leave them alone on the family shantyboat one stormy night. Rill Foss, just twelve years old, must protect her four younger siblings as they are wrenched from their home on the Mississippi and thrown into the care of the infamous Georgia Tann, director of the Tennessee Children's Home Society. South Carolina, Present Day. Avery Stafford has lived a charmed life. Loving daughter to her father, a U.S. Senator, she has a promising career as an assistant D.A. in Baltimore and is engaged to her best friend. But when Avery comes home to help her father weather a health crisis and a political attack, a chance encounter with a stranger leaves her deeply shaken. Avery's decision to learn more about the woman's life will take her on a journey through her family's long-hidden history"-- - Baker & Taylor
"Two families, generations apart, are forever changed by a heartbreaking injustice in this poignant novel, inspired by a true story, for readers of Orphan Train and The Nightingale. Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family's Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge--until strangers arrive in force. 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. 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. Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiance, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. 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 eitherto devastation or to redemption. Based on one of America's most notorious real-life scandals--in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country--Lisa Wingate's riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong"-- - Baker & Taylor
Learning that her grandmother was a victim of the corrupt Tennessee Children's Home Society, attorney and aspiring politician Avery Stafford delves into her family's past and begins to wonder if some things are best kept secret. - Baker & Taylor
A tale inspired by firsthand accounts about the notoriously corrupt Tennessee Children's Home Society follows the efforts of a Baltimore assistant D.A. to uncover her parents' fateful secrets in the wake of a political attack and a chance encounter with a stranger. By the best-selling author ofTending Roses . - Random House, Inc.
THE BLOCKBUSTER HITâOver two million copies sold! A New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller
âPoignant, engrossing.ââPeople ⢠âLisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nationâs history and weaves a tale of enduring power.ââPaula McLain
Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their familyâs Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in chargeâuntil strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Childrenâs Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parentsâbut they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facilityâs cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty.
Aiken, South Carolina, present day. 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. 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 familyâs long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption.
Based on one of Americaâs most notorious real-life scandalsâin which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the countryâLisa Wingateâs riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong.
Publishers Weeklyâs #3 Longest-Running Bestseller of 2017 ⢠Winner of the Southern Book Prize ⢠If All Arkansas Read the Same Book Selection - Random House, Inc.
THE BLOCKBUSTER HITâOver two million copies sold! A New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller
Â
Look for Lisa Wingateâs powerful new historical novel, The Book of Lost Friends, available now!Â
âPoignant, engrossing.ââPeople ⢠âLisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nationâs history and weaves a tale of enduring power.ââPaula McLain
Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their familyâs Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in chargeâuntil strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Childrenâs Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parentsâbut they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facilityâs cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty.
Aiken, South Carolina, present day. 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. 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 familyâs long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption.
Based on one of Americaâs most notorious real-life scandalsâin which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the countryâLisa Wingateâs riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong.
Publishers Weeklyâs #3 Longest-Running Bestseller of 2017 â¢Â Winner of the Southern Book Prize â¢Â If All Arkansas Read the Same Book Selection