Reading is one of the things I enjoy most. Yet, it is also one of the things I do not make enough time for. I decided with the start of 2020 to change that. I came up with a challenge for myself to read at least as many books as my age this year and to share my monthly reads here. So let’s kick it off with my Before We Were Yours book review.
Before We Were Yours is a historical fiction novel by Lisa Wingate. It is based on a horrifying scandal that occurred with adoptions at a Memphis based orphanage. Though this is an incredibly sad situation for many, this novel manages to turn a heart-wrenching situation into a heart-warming story.
Summary
The book opens in 1939 aboard the Foss families Mississippi River shanty boat. In labor with twins, the parents rush to the hospital, leaving Twelve-year-old Rill Foss to care for her four younger siblings. While awaiting the return of their parents, strangers arrive and take the children to the Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage. Here they are lead to believe they will stay until their parents return. Unfortunately, Rill quickly realizes this is not the case and they are in danger.
Flash forward to present-day South Carolina. Avery Stafford’s life is quite the opposite of the Foss family. She is a successful lawyer, daughter of a senator, and currently planning her own lavish wedding. Avery has returned to South Carolina to be groomed as the next senator, should her father’s cancer treatment go differently than planned. While making a public appearance at an aged care facility, Avery encounters May Crandall. Avery’s interaction with May and her inability to leave things alone may shift everyone’s life.
Review
I had been seeing this book shared all over Instagram. At the time, I was busy and kept pushing it off. Finally, winter break came and my desire to read returned. After reading the synopsis I knew I needed to pick up this book. Having heard so many good things about it and knowing it was based on true historical events, I had high expectations.
I honestly struggled at the beginning of this book. As the characters are developed the story starts off slow. I knew the storylines had to connect, but I just couldn’t fathom how. None of the characters seemed to match up and the locations and names were totally different. Ultimately, this works in the stories’ favor as it made it unpredictable and kept me reading.
Wingate really makes you feel for these characters. It is hard to fathom children being kidnapped and some of the other horrible things the Foss children experience. Even though, Avery is well-off you also feel for her in a different way. In a sense, she is trapped in a life that she did not ask for and may not want.
Before We Were Yours is a 4 star read for me. It makes you sad and sick to think about what happened to those children yet by the end you cannot help but smile. I enjoyed the little bit of romance mixed in and was grateful for the happy ending.
I hope you enjoyed my Before We Were Your book review. Before We Were Yours is available wherever books are sold or you can grab it using my affiliate link here!
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