Before we were yours : a novel / Lisa Wingate.
In this poignant novel, inspired by a true story, two families, generations apart, are forever changed by a heartbreaking injustice. 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 bookflap.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780425284681 (hardback)
- Physical Description: 342 pages ; 24 cm
- Edition: First Edition.
- Publisher: New York : Ballantine Books, [2017]
Content descriptions
Target Audience Note: | HL760L Lexile |
Study Program Information Note: | Accelerated Reader UG 5.1 18 18 195183 |
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Available copies
- 121 of 156 copies available at SPARK Libraries.
Holds
- 5 current holds with 156 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abington Community Library | FICTION WINGATE (Text) | 50687011526525 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
Albright Memorial Library | FICTION WINGATE (Text) | 50686015253870 | Storage | Available | - |
Albright Memorial Library | FICTION WINGATE (Text) | 50686015285070 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library | F WIN (Text) | 37268002234557 | AHMFL Adult Fiction | Available | - |
Altoona Area Public Library | F WIN (Text) | 33240004505411 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
Annie Halenbake Ross Library | F Win (Text) | 00136868 | ADULT Fiction | Checked Out | 04/15/2024 |
Ashland Public Library | FIC WIN (Text)
In Loving Memory of: Jessica Fegley
|
3039900032897A | Fiction | Available | - |
Bangor Public Library | F WIN (Text) | 75011000342243 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
Beaverdale Public Library | F Win (Text) | 31814480081501 | BVRM Fiction | Available | - |
Bethel Tulpehocken Public Library | WIN (Text) | 33249023150703 | Fiction | Available | - |
Summary:
In this poignant novel, inspired by a true story, two families, generations apart, are forever changed by a heartbreaking injustice. 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. --