In case anyone is interested in following our book club, I'm planning to blog about the book we read each month. For January, I chose Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate.
Several people recommended this book as one of their favorites, and I recently read it. I wanted to start with something everyone would enjoy, and this seemed to appeal to a variety of interests. In the future, though, I hope everyone feels free to choose a personal favorite, whether or not the whole group appreciates the book. One of the purposes of having a book club is to open your mind to new material, after all!
Before We Were Yours is a story based on the real-life Tennessee Children's Home Society, which existed in Memphis from 1897 to 1950. This orphanage operated under the guise of a respectable institution, supported by high-profile individuals. In reality, many of the children had been kidnapped or stolen from their families, and were sold at a huge profit. To read more of its scandalous history, check out the Wikipedia article here. The characters in Before We Were Yours are fictionalized, but their story is very likely similar to that of many children who suffered from the cruelty of the Society.
Maybe I'll add more in another post after we gather in February to discuss this book. In the meantime, check it out for yourself!
This inspires me to listen to it now! It’s been in my audible library for quite awhile.
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