Book Club Meeting, Book Review: Before We Were Yours

Before We Were Yours 

By Lisa Wingate

Lisa Wingate has written a novel Before We Were Yours. historically, adoption in the state of Tennessee. Which is outrageous, and heartbreaking. I had to use so many tissues and had to stop myself from screaming, it was shocking!

Before mainstream adoption was considered good practice. Before Georgia Tann, most adoptions were unheard of.  Adoptions before the '30s were usually hidden. Most families didn't tell anyone. It was considered a scandal in upper-class families.  For regular folks, once they adopted a child the family moved away. Children were considered a throwout, a reject. 

A woman named Georgia Tann, a respected woman of Memphis society. People around town didn't think anything of it. She was in charge of Tenn. Children's Society. She was recognized by Elenor Roosevelt.

She helped thousands of children. In reality, it was the opposite. Children were stolen right in open daylight, stolen from the women given birth, taken from women in mental hospitals. Families would show up at family services asking for assistance. Instead, they would sign papers not realizing what they were signing. Ms. Tann had hired spotters to others to help find children that would be acceptable for adoption. 

Children were neglected, molested, starved, diseased, and died in her care. They were transported, out of state to families that would pay the high price of Ms. Tann's fees of thousands and thousands of dollars. Ms. Tann adopted out to many political, actors,  politicians, important people as long as they could pay the high price.  Many people worked for Ms. Tann. Many people were on the take, including the judge

Ms. Wingate weaves the story with facts and fiction. The book transports you in contemporary time to the 1930s. With two main characters, Avery, and Rill. Avery is a lawyer in a powerful family. Who's father happens to be running for a seat in the government. 

Rill lives on a riverboat with her family, of 5 brothers and sisters. Her mother just went into labor. Her mother and father were expecting a normal delivery. Instead, her parents had to leave, and go to the hospital. While her parents were gone. The authorities came to pick up Rill, and her brothers and sisters. eventually, the children find themselves in the custody of Tenn. Children's Society. 

Avery's grandmother, Judy was recently taken out of her home and placed into a nursing facility. In the facility, Avery by coincidence meets May. That is where the connections begin.  I  enjoyed reading about these elderly ladies. Their connections, and the love they had for each other. This part of the story was so poetic.  

  It was the best part of the book. Don't get me wrong, I loved every part of the book. But, the part when the secret is no longer hidden from the family was very potent.  Especially when the family learns the truth about a certain aspect of Judy, the grandmother. 

 

Alternating chapters were confusing at times, and the many different characters as well.  But toward the end, it jelled together.  I thought it was a good read, and emotional. But, you had to have patience. Also, Don't expect the novel to have depth, the novel is women's fiction. It is still a good read, and worth reading. 

The book also brings up social values. Ms. Tann's argument was the families were poor, and couldn't raise the children properly. Well, if we take these children and have them adopted to a "better family". Who's right is it? Just because they come from a poor family. Doesn't mean they will not come from a happy family. Going to an upper-class family isn't going to mean they are raised better. 

Ms. Tann didn't do backgrounds on families going to be adopted. She didn't check out the families and find out if they are reputable. There are many children adopted by wealthy families and were abused. So her argument doesn't stand up for her rationale.

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