Beginning in the 1920s, Georgia Tann (1891 ~ 1959) ran a fraudulent adoption agency using
the Tennessee Children’s Home Society as a front for her business in child trafficking. Tann
would steal children from poor families and sold them to affluent families all over the country.
the Tennessee Children’s Home Society as a front for her business in child trafficking. Tann
would steal children from poor families and sold them to affluent families all over the country.
Before We Were Yoursis a fictional account of four children who were taken from their
loving parents and placed under the care of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society.
loving parents and placed under the care of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society.
The novel alternates between the present and 1939. In the present, the protagonist is
Avery Stafford. She is from a prominent South Carolina family and her father is a politician
and is involved in a re-election campaign. While assisting with her father’s campaign, she
meets May Crandall, an elderly woman in a nursing home. She sees a photograph in May’s
room that looks amazingly like Avery’s grandmother, Judy. Judy has dementia and hints at
some scandal and a mysterious link to May Crandall. Judy, however, is unable to elaborate
further. This causes Avery to search for the story behind the photograph.
Avery Stafford. She is from a prominent South Carolina family and her father is a politician
and is involved in a re-election campaign. While assisting with her father’s campaign, she
meets May Crandall, an elderly woman in a nursing home. She sees a photograph in May’s
room that looks amazingly like Avery’s grandmother, Judy. Judy has dementia and hints at
some scandal and a mysterious link to May Crandall. Judy, however, is unable to elaborate
further. This causes Avery to search for the story behind the photograph.
In 1939, Rill Foss and her sibling lived with their loving parents on a boat on the Mississippi
River. Rill and her sibling are stolen and sent to the Tennessee Children’s Home
Society orphanage. Life in the orphanage is harsh ~ rules must be followed and
punishment is severe. Rill hopes that her parents will come and rescue her and her sibling.
She tries to keep her family together despite the danger and uncertainty of life in the orphanage.
River. Rill and her sibling are stolen and sent to the Tennessee Children’s Home
Society orphanage. Life in the orphanage is harsh ~ rules must be followed and
punishment is severe. Rill hopes that her parents will come and rescue her and her sibling.
She tries to keep her family together despite the danger and uncertainty of life in the orphanage.
The two stories are told side-by-side. As Avery seeks to learn about her family’s history, May
seeks to find her sibling.
seeks to find her sibling.
There is a side story of a romance, which didn’t quite mesh well with the narratives of Avery
and Rill. That said, however, this is a wonderful novel that exposes a piece of history.
and Rill. That said, however, this is a wonderful novel that exposes a piece of history.
Read: May 25, 2018
4 Stars
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