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A review by lindamarieaustin110159
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
4.0
In 1939 Rill Foss is a twelve year old girl whose home is on the shantyboat Arcadia, floating on the turbid waters of Mississippi River . Her world revolves around her parents, Briny and Queenie, and her four younger siblings: Camellia, Lark, Fern and Gabion. They are a close family whose lives are simple and placid. Their possessions, though few are cared for and treasured. When the midwife is unable to help Queenie in her labor to deliver twins and Brimy has to take her to the hospital, all their fates change forever. In the absence of Rill’s parents, strangers knock at the door and force their way in, taking all five Foss children to the Tennessee Children’s Home. Under the custody of Georgia Tann and her employees, they are scared, hungry, and abused. Rill feels the responsibility of being the oldest. She tries to look after the others, and keep her siblings together, but she is powerless against Tann’s corrupt system.
Avery Stafford is a aspiring lawyer, born in to a politically prestigious family. A chance meeting with an elderly woman, a photograph, and a peek into an appointment book spar her to embark on an investigation of her grandmother’s past life. When she learns the truth it will change how she sees herself and her life goals. This tale is told in alternate chapters from Rill and Avery’s perspective.
My favorite line from this novel is “A woman’s past need not predict her future. She can dance to new music if she chooses. Her own music. To hear the tune, she must only stop talking.” P. 317
I had a hard time putting down this wonderful creation of historical fiction. I was drawn to it even though it made me feel sad and angry. I cried for all those who were affected by the evils of the Tennessee Children’s Home, and was irate that so many families had no recourse to the life changing ¬¬¬¬events set in motion by the greed and corruption of Georgia Tann and her organization. This book serves as reminder that some dark times lurk in American history.
While I understand that Lisa Wingate exposed these injustices by creating Avery’s character, I would have been intrigued much moreso to have had the entire book told from Rill’s perspective and have learned how she found her sisters one by one and pieced her being back together again.
Avery Stafford is a aspiring lawyer, born in to a politically prestigious family. A chance meeting with an elderly woman, a photograph, and a peek into an appointment book spar her to embark on an investigation of her grandmother’s past life. When she learns the truth it will change how she sees herself and her life goals. This tale is told in alternate chapters from Rill and Avery’s perspective.
My favorite line from this novel is “A woman’s past need not predict her future. She can dance to new music if she chooses. Her own music. To hear the tune, she must only stop talking.” P. 317
I had a hard time putting down this wonderful creation of historical fiction. I was drawn to it even though it made me feel sad and angry. I cried for all those who were affected by the evils of the Tennessee Children’s Home, and was irate that so many families had no recourse to the life changing ¬¬¬¬events set in motion by the greed and corruption of Georgia Tann and her organization. This book serves as reminder that some dark times lurk in American history.
While I understand that Lisa Wingate exposed these injustices by creating Avery’s character, I would have been intrigued much moreso to have had the entire book told from Rill’s perspective and have learned how she found her sisters one by one and pieced her being back together again.