Before We Were Yours
Updated: Sep 22, 2022
By Lisa Wingate
Unforgettable, gripping true story
This story brings to life a horrible chapter in history when children were kidnapped, countless numbers killed, all from the mastermind of a cruel woman who operated a network of conspirators so that she could steal and then adopt away children for steep payment. The structure of the story is masterful – switching between the voice of a present-day politician’s daughter Avery and then 1950s kidnapped-child Rill – so that the reader pieces together how their lives are connected while unraveling hidden crimes from the past. This is a heartbreaking, tension-filled story. You will find yourself rooting especially for Rill. Yet, despite the tragic circumstances, Wingate leads the reader to a place of hope and healing. Beautiful!