Before We Were Yours: The heartbreaking novel that has sold over one million copies

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She is the sister of Trent Turner Sr. Both kids are abducted and taken to Memphis orphanage home while they are walking by the roadside – and probably heading home. It doesn’t take too long for Rill and the children to realize that they are not going to see their parents ever again. Now, I look at my dad and think, How can you not want it, Avery? This is what he’s worked for all his life. What generations of Staffords have strived for since the revolutionary war, for heaven’s sake. Our family has always held fast to the guiding rope of public service. Daddy is no exception. Since graduating from West Point and serving as an Army aviator before I was born, he has upheld the family name with dignity and determination. I sincerely feel thankful to the Goodreads Community——it’s books like this 'and' the other book which I’m almost done ‘listening’ to “Only Child” by Rhiannon......(which has me feel extra close to you BOOK PEOPLE)....

LISA WINGATE delivers a well-researched and emotional story here with alternate timelines, one from the past which was told by a young girl named Rill who was taken from her parents along with her brother and three sisters and were brought to this horrible place. The present day story was told to us by an adult woman named Avery who is in search of learning the truth about her Grandmother’s past.Not knowing who are real family is, Judy grows up in a wealthy family, becomes established in life, and marries a senator from the prominent Stafford family. She will later find out who she really is thanks to Trent Turner Senior – who helps her reunite with her eldest sister – Rill, along with a few other siblings. Between the 1920’s-1950’s, The Tennessee Children’s Home Society was run by a matron named Georgia Tann. She illegally adopted out hundreds of children to the highest bidder. Those who stayed in the care of the home were abused, neglected, or worse. And sadly, many children died under her care. The tactics Ms. Tann used to scare parents into signing their children over were despicable and once that happened, there was nothing that could be done. She was the epitome of evil incarnate. Just ask Rill Foss and her four younger siblings, who found themselves in Tennessee Children’s Home Society one day, after their parents left them home alone. Rill thought life was a struggle before, but she had no idea how good they had it. One by one, Rill’s family fell apart and she lost control of everything. Wells is the father of Avery Stafford and the son of Judy Stafford. Wells develops a terminal illness and needs to step down from the US Senate for his daughter to be in his stead. He is married to Honeybee Stafford and has other daughters aside from Avery. One day, during a visit to a local nursing home as part of her father’s political campaign, Avery’s bracelet is stolen by one of the residents. Of course you want this, I tell myself again. You’ve always wanted this. You just didn’t expect it to happen yet, and not this way, that’s all.

It turns out that Shad is one of the twins born on the night Rill Foss and her four siblings were kidnapped by the police. On hearing the news – and that her twin was stillborn, Queenie suffers health complications and dies shortly. Briny is devastated and turns into an alcoholic who later causes his own death and destroys the shanty boat home. narration: major props to these narrators I think they added so much to the book they were Rill and Avery.... so five stunning stars also go to Catherine Taber and Emily Rankin... But all is not doom and gloom......We have two stories that unfold here; while one family is literally being ripped apart, a member of another family discovers truths about herself and an unbelievable family secret....while finding true love. Immediately, the children are thrust into a grim situation. They experience abuse and cruelty at the hands of the people running the "orphanage". Tragedy and loss become all that they know as they are stripped of their former identities. Separated, renamed and adopted out, their lives are forever changed.

Who Should Read “Before We Were Yours”? And Why?

Maybe we would have done more justice to the real facts of the story if we just called her Beelzebub! Mr. Sevier is a goodhearted wealthy composer. His wife, Mrs. Sevier, wasn’t able to have a baby (losing several in childbirth) so she’s more than happy with the fact that she finally has children to care for.

A compelling storyteller, Wingate juggles remarkably well with the two timelines, managing to keep the reader hooked chapter after chapter and, moreover, to profoundly touch him/her through the very same scenes which may have sounded too melodramatic in the hands of a less capable writer. In the present day in Aiken, South Carolina, Avery Stafford, has returned home to assist her father with a health issue. While home she is approached by an elderly woman named May who takes her bracelet. When she meets with the woman, questions arise. Avery goes on a quest to learn the truth and to find out what connection this woman, May, has with her family. Daddy stares out the window, his head resting to one side. He’s relegated his aides and Leslie to another car. Lisa Wingate’s book is a fictionalized account of this scheme. I'm grateful to the author for shedding light on this shameful part of our history. Knowing the story was based on true events just made it that much more horrifying.

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Missy is the eldest of Wells and Honeybee’s children. She and Avery – and probably Allison – don’t get along very well as they see her as a perfectionist who is always strict and formal. The events these two have weathered make me marvel. This is what's possible when love is real and strong, when people are devoted to one another, when they'll sacrifice anything to be together. This is what I want for myself, but I sometimes wonder if it's possible for our modern generation. We're so distracted, so... busy. Happiness and emotion swell the room, stretching it like a helium balloon. Any more joy and we'll all float away. pg. 12 If you have ever watched “ Les Mis,” you’ve already guessed what Tann wants: more money. And if you’ve read carefully up till now, you’ll understand us for having second thoughts on using Georgia Tann birthname.