Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

Happy New Year to one and all! Thank you to everyone who came in from the cold to share in the warm conversation of January’s book club selection, Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate. 

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.

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 fiancé, 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.

It would be fair to say that this book was almost unanimously well liked and enjoyed by the group. There was mention from several attendee’s that the grisly abuse depicted in the novel was hard to read, and unimaginable to consider as common practice in the real-life orphanages this book is based upon. On the other hand, the question of what social services would have thought about the original living conditions of the Foss children on the shantyboat, both in 1939 and today, was also discussed. There was no question among our members that despite their family’s poverty, the children were loved and sufficiently cared for while in the care of their biological parents. However, the question was raised: while the abuse suffered in the children’s home was horrific and cruel, were some of the children better off with their wealthier adoptive parents? And did this somehow offset the practices that brought them there? We found the general consensus was “No.” Regardless of their individual outcomes, it would have been far better had they never had any association with Georgia Tann and/or the Tennessee Children’s Home Society.

As you may imagine, Before We Were Yours made for excellent, thought-provoking conversation! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

At the end of every book club discussion we ask three questions and track the average answers:

Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?
"YES"
Would we recommend this to a friend to read?
"YES"
Rate the book 1-4 stars with 1 being the lowest rating:
3 stars