‘Before We Were Yours’: Why Lisa Wingate’s Gripping Historical Novel Should be Your Next Book Club Read
[image error]If you love a historical novel that is moving as well as informative, ‘Before We Were Yours’ by Lisa Wingate is an ideal book club choice.
Here are the reasons why:
The History Behind the Story
Wingate’s novel is based on a real historical case that took place in America between the 1920s and the 1950s. American readers may already be familiar with the story of Georgia Tann and the adoption scandal surrounding the Tennessee Children’s Home Society, on which the book is based. As a Brit, I came to the story fresh and was horrified to learn that thousands of children were effectively stolen from poor parents and sold to the rich during this period. Inspired by reading the accounts of survivors of this large-scale adoption fraud, Lisa Wingate conveys what this experience must have been like for the children and parents involved.
[image error] A Loveable Narrator
One of the novel’s two narratives is told by twelve-year-old Rill Foss: a river gypsy who has been brought up on a shanty boat with her four siblings. Rill has a disarmingly frank, down-to-earth voice reminiscent of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. She is the perfect narrator for readers who like to empathize with their protagonists.
Location
For those yearning for sunnier climes, Wingate evokes an intoxicating sense of the American South in her novel, from grand plantation houses to life on the Mississippi River.
Themes
‘Before We Were Yours’ explores universal themes such as love, family history and the imbalance of power between the poor and the privileged. The novel also looks at wider societal issues, including the ethics of adoption when money is involved and the best way to care for elderly loved ones.
A Readers’ Favourite
The members of the Goodreads community are a discerning lot and voted ‘Before We Were Yours’ the Best Work of Historical Fiction of 2017.
[image error]The Study Guide for Book Clubs
A new study guide is now available, aimed specifically at book clubs discussing ‘Before We Were Yours’. This guide will prove really useful for anyone leading a discussion and includes an analysis of themes, characters and literary style as well as a list of thought-provoking discussion questions.
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