Play Book Tag discussion

I'm sure there is no one here who hasn't at least heard of Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. It's fiction, but it's based on the experiences of many of the children who were helped, harmed, or killed by Georgia Tan and the Tennessee Children's Home Society.

Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate is a follow-up to that book. The stories are easy to read and I found them interesting. If you have any interest in adoption, children and families, the scandal, or new ways to find family members, this book might be for you.

During Wingate's book readings and public appearances she met many people (who are now quite old) who knew or suspected that they were put up for adoption by Georgia Tan. The discussions were so energizing and helpful, a small group of decided to hold a reunion weekend in Memphis so people could meet and share their experiences, and research tips. Judy Christie conducted interviews before, during and after the reunion weekend, to collect the stories from these individuals and their families. These stories make up this book. No two stories were the same. Some were happy stories, and some were heartbreaking. Many families were split up, and some spent decades searching for their missing siblings. Newer techniques and laws are making it easier to find missing relatives, but it's a tough decision for some. Tan changed many names and birthdates, so it's difficult to gain accurate information even though the records are finally available. Christie describes the research process she went through, as well as the stories themselves. I appreciated this style of writing.

When my brother arrived for Thanksgiving he presented me with a signed first edition of this book! I haven't read it yet. But I will...

That’s awesome. I hope you enjoy it.

My brother is the executive director of a large and well-regarded Retirement Community in Tennessee. They hosted the authors AND several actual survivor orphans of this terrible episode in history. My brother said that they ran out of books and had to emergency order more of them. I think they had over 250 people in attendance!

Book Concierge wrote: "My brother is the executive director of a large and well-regarded Retirement Community in Tennessee. They hosted the authors AND several actual survivor orphans of this terrible episode in history...."

Wow, it sounds like this thing is snowballing. The kids were sent all over the country, so there might still be many that don’t know about it, or who don’t even where they came from.

It's books and reviews like this that prevent my want to read shelf from shrinking!