--- product_id: 99606864 title: "Before We Were Yours: A Novel" price: "199 kr" currency: NOK in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.no/products/99606864-before-we-were-yours-a-novel store_origin: NO region: Norway --- # Before We Were Yours: A Novel **Price:** 199 kr **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Before We Were Yours: A Novel - **How much does it cost?** 199 kr with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.no](https://www.desertcart.no/products/99606864-before-we-were-yours-a-novel) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description 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 Review: Heartwrenching story that I could barely put down - This is a story of 5 siblings, especially the oldest sister Rill, who try to stay together after they are kidnapped from their shanty boat home by agents of one of the most prolific human traffickers in US history. In the story, their love for each other and desire and attempts to protect one another are both heartwarming and heart wrenching. Thankfully the ending is heartwarming and not tragic, because I don't think I could have handled a tragic ending to a book that already had so much heartbreak. If you love children, this is a very difficult story to read. I personally believe that there is a special place in hell for people who harm children. The part that makes this story so awful is that the Tennessee Children's Home Society was a real place, and Georgia Tann was a real person who trafficked an estimated 5,000 kidnapped children in for profit adoption schemes that lined her own pockets. She preyed on the socioeconomically poor parents that she stole the children from, but also on the adoptive parents that probably desperately wanted children. And I'm sure that the vast majority of them were fed a pack of lies by Georgia Tann and legitimately believed they were adopting children that had no other family in the world. She also preyed on the children themselves, forcing them to live in dangerous, unsanitary and often abusive conditions. It's just disgusting. On further research about Georgia Tann, it appears that she held to the belief that there were two kinds of people: the poor, whom she viewed as incompetent parents, and the wealthy. She fattened her own purse in the process. For DECADES. "She just thought that she knew better than God." One survivor reunited with her birth parents stated: "The Bible says you're not supposed to hate anybody, but I'll tell you, if that woman was still living . . . all those people she did this to, all the suffering she caused for money. And she couldn't take a dime of it with her." The writing is compelling and the children are wonderfully developed. I just wanted to give Rill a hug and tell her she was amazing for trying so hard to be a good big sister and to look out for the little ones. They try so hard to be resilient and look out for one another in the worst of circumstances. I pray that my kids would stick together like that, god willing they will never be in situation where they are permanently separated from family. The people on the river and the Seviers are also wonderful to read about. The one thing I could have done without was the half baked love triangle with Avery. After the 3rd Avery chapter, I just started flipping through those parts because they were so irrelevant to the rest of the story. This was a single-day read for me because it was so compelling. I just had to see how it ended. I cried for Gabion, he reminded me so much of my baby. I'm glad it ended the way it did. Review: Before We Were Yours is both sad and riveting - I was mesmerized by this story. Things this cruel and inhumane should not happen anywhere. And yet it did. Lisa Wingate weaves a remarkable story about a fictional family who experienced what real families did in the 1930’s to1950’s under the cruel guise of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society and Georgia Tann. The tale is weaved back and forth between present day and the stories being unraveled from the past. I am glad I read the book and recommend it to anyone who likes learning about history in a novel. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B06Y1MGNL9 | | Author | Lisa Wingate | | Best Sellers Rank | #1,114 in Audible Books & Originals ( See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals ) #18 in Fiction Sagas #84 in Historical Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) #96 in Literary Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (160,337) | | Language | English | | Listening Length | 14 hours and 29 minutes | | Narrator | Emily Rankin, see all | | Program Type | Audiobook | | Publication date | June 6, 2017 | | Publisher | Random House Audio | | Version | Unabridged | ## Images ![Before We Were Yours: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91bn4O56TJL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Language, Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Heartwrenching story that I could barely put down *by K***R on April 3, 2019* This is a story of 5 siblings, especially the oldest sister Rill, who try to stay together after they are kidnapped from their shanty boat home by agents of one of the most prolific human traffickers in US history. In the story, their love for each other and desire and attempts to protect one another are both heartwarming and heart wrenching. Thankfully the ending is heartwarming and not tragic, because I don't think I could have handled a tragic ending to a book that already had so much heartbreak. If you love children, this is a very difficult story to read. I personally believe that there is a special place in hell for people who harm children. The part that makes this story so awful is that the Tennessee Children's Home Society was a real place, and Georgia Tann was a real person who trafficked an estimated 5,000 kidnapped children in for profit adoption schemes that lined her own pockets. She preyed on the socioeconomically poor parents that she stole the children from, but also on the adoptive parents that probably desperately wanted children. And I'm sure that the vast majority of them were fed a pack of lies by Georgia Tann and legitimately believed they were adopting children that had no other family in the world. She also preyed on the children themselves, forcing them to live in dangerous, unsanitary and often abusive conditions. It's just disgusting. On further research about Georgia Tann, it appears that she held to the belief that there were two kinds of people: the poor, whom she viewed as incompetent parents, and the wealthy. She fattened her own purse in the process. For DECADES. "She just thought that she knew better than God." One survivor reunited with her birth parents stated: "The Bible says you're not supposed to hate anybody, but I'll tell you, if that woman was still living . . . all those people she did this to, all the suffering she caused for money. And she couldn't take a dime of it with her." The writing is compelling and the children are wonderfully developed. I just wanted to give Rill a hug and tell her she was amazing for trying so hard to be a good big sister and to look out for the little ones. They try so hard to be resilient and look out for one another in the worst of circumstances. I pray that my kids would stick together like that, god willing they will never be in situation where they are permanently separated from family. The people on the river and the Seviers are also wonderful to read about. The one thing I could have done without was the half baked love triangle with Avery. After the 3rd Avery chapter, I just started flipping through those parts because they were so irrelevant to the rest of the story. This was a single-day read for me because it was so compelling. I just had to see how it ended. I cried for Gabion, he reminded me so much of my baby. I'm glad it ended the way it did. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Before We Were Yours is both sad and riveting *by L***1 on August 10, 2026* I was mesmerized by this story. Things this cruel and inhumane should not happen anywhere. And yet it did. Lisa Wingate weaves a remarkable story about a fictional family who experienced what real families did in the 1930’s to1950’s under the cruel guise of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society and Georgia Tann. The tale is weaved back and forth between present day and the stories being unraveled from the past. I am glad I read the book and recommend it to anyone who likes learning about history in a novel. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tossed About Like Flotsam and Jetsam, Will They Ever Find Justice? *by S***L on June 12, 2017* Rill Foss lives an unconventional, carefree, and almost idyllic life with her younger sisters and brother aboard the riverboat Arcadia. Their parents, who they call Queenie and Briny instead of Mama and Daddy, are indigent but devoted. Rill feels like the princess of a river kingdom, until one day, Queenie must be rushed to the hospital to save her life and that of her unborn twins. Within days, Rill's life is ripped apart, into jagged pieces that may never come together again. Decades, almost a century, later, Avery Stafford struggles to keep up her role as the perfect senator's daughter. Her father's staff grooms her to take his place, fearing the great Wells Stafford will succumb to cancer. But a chance encounter with a nursing home resident sends Avery down the last path she expected--one unplanned, unpaved, and full of secrets her family can no longer afford to keep. The style and plotting of Before We Were Yours is classic Lisa Wingate, which I have missed in the years since her last release. As always, Lisa unites two distinct characters and stories existing generations apart. This creates a beautiful book that reminds readers, in its own subtle way, to know and respect the histories around them--their own and others'. I must admit Rill's half of the story captured me more than Avery's, but both mesh together well. This Wingate novel is considerably darker than some other offerings, asking readers to learn about and face a terrible truth in the history of Tennessee and the United States. Lisa paints the plight of Rill and her siblings so well, you experience everything with them in piercing, raw detail. This novel inspired me to do some research into Georgia Tann, and reminded me of the trafficking crisis the United States still faces today. The Tennessee Children's Home Society no longer exists, but places like it remain. Adoption fraud still stalks families. By the time you finish Before We Were Yours, you will have added these families, past and present, to your prayer list. When an author makes you feel and think like that, he or she has written a winner. Wingate's characters, especially Rill and her siblings, come to life on the page, as do their environments. Knowing almost from the outset that the siblings will be split up raises the stakes and kept me reading long into the night, wondering what would happen to each one and if any of the Foss kids would ever find each other or their parents again. Here, there are no idealistic endings or pretty bows. Nothing is sanitized, and emotions are not spared. In a world that often glamorizes orphan status in the media, the raw truth was a welcome change. As noted, Avery's half of the story didn't draw me in like Rill's did. I understand why it was there, but many parts seemed underdeveloped or unnecessary. For instance, did Avery need an engagement and budding romance on top of what she already dealt with? If Grandma Judy was so important to the story--as she should be--why did we not see more of her? Why were there not more parallels between Rill's experiences and say, the nursing home care crisis alluded to in Avery's story? I might have advised Lisa to either do that, or go for a straight historical novel. That being said, Before We Were Yours is a book you won't soon forget. I highly recommend it, especially if you also like books such as Orphan Train, With You Always, and other orphan-centered offerings. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.no/products/99606864-before-we-were-yours-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.no/products/99606864-before-we-were-yours-a-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart Norway* *Store origin: NO* *Last updated: 2026-10-26*