Before We Were Yours

A Novel

By: Lisa Wingate

Narrated by: Emily Rankin, Catherine Taber

THE BLOCKBUSTER HIT—Over two million copies sold! A New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller

“Poignant, engrossing.”—People • “Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power.”—Paula McLain

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 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.

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.

Publishers Weekly’s #3 Longest-Running Bestseller of 2017 • Winner of the Southern Book Prize • If All Arkansas Read the Same Book Selection

Drew me In and Kept the Pressure on.....

I must say that this book, based on the true story on the Tennessee Children's Society Scandal was compelling, horrifying and aspirational. I could not stop listening. There were tears. The two performers of the dialog from past and present were interesting but the reader who handled the past story was irresistible. Her Southern Accents were right on and each character's voice was unique.

A must read...

Heart wrenching...very moving and well narrated...hard to stop listening..will definitely check other books by this author

Fun read

Started a bit slow but I couldn’t put it down after chapter 7. Great easy summer read.

Excellent writing, wonderful narration

Listened to this book on a very long trip and I was mesmerized. My two grown daughters and I were pulled into the story and when we arrived home with two hours of audio left, we sat down at the kitchen table to listen to the rest.

Warm and yet Real

This audio book held my attention the whole time. I just loved the depth and yet warmth I felt throughout the whole thing. Mean characters tempered by very kind hearts made the reality of the story palatable and the characters loveable.