littlekepi2's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
lindapatin's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
becky_crow's review
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
micki24's review
5.0
This is the kind of story that keeps you thinking long after you've finished it. I know I will find myself doing a little more research. It's a hard read but it's worth it.
bak8382's review
3.0
Told in alternating chapters that go from the present day life of Avery Stafford, the youngest daughter of a Tennessee senator, to the 1939 life of 12 year old Rill Foss, who lives on the river with her family. How these two stories are connected is the driving force of this novel, which is a fictionalized account of the Tennessee Children's Home Society scandal. The history here is fascinating, Georgia Tann was able to get away with kidnapping poor children and adopting them out to wealthy families for decades.
This story is mostly effective. Wingate touches on many aspects of the real-life children's experiences while in Tann's care. Less effective is the alternating between past and present. I was initially more interested in Avery, mostly because her story seemed easier to read, but it's Rill's journey that's ultimately the most engaging and interesting. Overall a good introduction to the topic and a good book discussion book.
This story is mostly effective. Wingate touches on many aspects of the real-life children's experiences while in Tann's care. Less effective is the alternating between past and present. I was initially more interested in Avery, mostly because her story seemed easier to read, but it's Rill's journey that's ultimately the most engaging and interesting. Overall a good introduction to the topic and a good book discussion book.
jenmat1197's review
3.0
This is a story that flips between present day and the 1930s. A family - the Floss' family - live along a river in a boat. They are poor, and have 5 children and another on the way. But they are happy and close. The mother - who the children call Queenie - goes into labor and has complications and needs a hospital. Briny - the father - doesn't know what to do, so runs for a neighbor to take her. The neighbor returns to the children to say that the there were twin babies and they both died during the birth. The eldest - Rill - is a young teenager, and is left in charge of her siblings until her mom and dad return from the hospital.
In the meantime, police come by and tell the kids that their parents have decided they can't care for them any more and that they will now be placed in a children's home and readopted. The kids fight, but are taken away and placed in the Tennessee Children's Home Society orphanage. (which was a real place). The children are poorly treated here, and one by one are adopted off to rich people looking for children. Slowly Rill and her siblings are separated - possibly to never see each other again.
The other half of the book is about Avery who is an adult in Tennessee. She has come home to help her ailing father who is a Senator, and care for her grandmother who has recently been placed in a nursing home due to Alzheimer's. While Avery is in town, she tours a nursing home with her father and meets an older woman named May who swipes a bracelet Avery is wearing. When Avery goes back to retrieve it, so talks with May and discovers that somehow May knows her grandmother. Thus begins a hunt to find out her grandmother's past.
This was a fair book. I wanted to like it so much more - especially after 5000 reviews on Amazon. But it just seemed predictable. I knew what was going to happen and who the characters were going to be very near the beginning of the book. Maybe the author wasn't trying to keep that from us, but I doubt it. The story of the orphanage was horrible -especially since that was real and those were real people who did terrible things to children. But the rest of the story was just okay.
the story just wasn't well developed. We didn't learn enough about the 5 Foss children between the time that they were adopted and then what happened later in their lives. There was too much glossed over that made it hard to get invested in the book. I was sad I didn't like it more.
Bottom line - it is a decent book. It could have been better, but I am not sorry I read it.
In the meantime, police come by and tell the kids that their parents have decided they can't care for them any more and that they will now be placed in a children's home and readopted. The kids fight, but are taken away and placed in the Tennessee Children's Home Society orphanage. (which was a real place). The children are poorly treated here, and one by one are adopted off to rich people looking for children. Slowly Rill and her siblings are separated - possibly to never see each other again.
The other half of the book is about Avery who is an adult in Tennessee. She has come home to help her ailing father who is a Senator, and care for her grandmother who has recently been placed in a nursing home due to Alzheimer's. While Avery is in town, she tours a nursing home with her father and meets an older woman named May who swipes a bracelet Avery is wearing. When Avery goes back to retrieve it, so talks with May and discovers that somehow May knows her grandmother. Thus begins a hunt to find out her grandmother's past.
This was a fair book. I wanted to like it so much more - especially after 5000 reviews on Amazon. But it just seemed predictable. I knew what was going to happen and who the characters were going to be very near the beginning of the book. Maybe the author wasn't trying to keep that from us, but I doubt it. The story of the orphanage was horrible -especially since that was real and those were real people who did terrible things to children. But the rest of the story was just okay.
the story just wasn't well developed. We didn't learn enough about the 5 Foss children between the time that they were adopted and then what happened later in their lives. There was too much glossed over that made it hard to get invested in the book. I was sad I didn't like it more.
Bottom line - it is a decent book. It could have been better, but I am not sorry I read it.
zumpers's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Kidnapping, Trafficking, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Bullying, and Child death
mikernc's review
3.0
I enjoyed the historical aspects and the poignant storyline of the Foss family as this was a life (-style?) I was previously unaware of. I was also unaware of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society’s existence and history, but am unsurprised at the ease humans can mistreat each other. I could have easily done without the present day story of Avery.
crystalh429's review
5.0
LOVED this book. It was interesting, not too predictable, played on your emotions soooo hard, and was really just a good read. The characters are easy to fall in love with. The story will probably tear you apart and hopefully enlighten you a bit on adoption and it's history.