Family and Injustice: Read our Review of Before We Were Yours by 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 Where the Crawdads Sing and Orphan Train.

Born into a world of wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all. A loving daughter to her father, a US senator, with her own ambitious career as a lawyer and a handsome fiancé waiting for her in Baltimore, she has lived a charmed life.

But when Avery returns to Aiken to help her father weather a health crisis and a political attack, a chance encounter with May Crandall, an elderly woman she’s never met before, leaves Avery deeply shaken. Avery’s decision to learn more about May’s life will take her on a journey through a hidden history of stolen children and illegal adoption. A journey that will reveal a secret that could lead to devastation… or redemption.

Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals – in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organisation, 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.

Lisa Wingate has always produced incredible historical fiction, with modern classics like The Book of Lost Friends and The Story Keeper. Her latest novel, Before We Were Yours, is a multi-million copy bestseller that has been listed on the New York Times bestseller list for nearly two years.

Before We Were Yours captures something special, a heartbreaking tale that explores family bonds and the lengths we go to preserve them. The dual perspectives of 1939 Memphis and modern-day South Carolina bring to light a captivating mystery that slowly unfolds itself as we come to know the wide range of characters, and the chilling story of the real-life Georgia Tann.

Wingate’s representation of Memphis and South Carolina brings to life a rich and immersive setting. It’s clear that Wingate took her time in crafting such a detailed world with her depictions of life on the Mississippi River to the eye-opening circumstances of the infamous orphanage.

From heart-wrenching scenes to uplifting messages of hope, Wingate has brought to life the shocking story of Georgia Tann and her orphanage, while adding a story of family and injustice. With some unforgettable characters and beautiful prose, Wingate has once again delivered an outstanding piece of historical fiction. A summer must-read!