Before We Were Yours
In this poignant novel, inspired by a true story, two families, generations apart, are forever changed by a heartbreaking injustice. 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
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What you might want to know about Before We Were Yours
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
In 1939 Memphis, five poor riverboat siblings are taken from their parents and placed in a children's home that quietly sells them to wealthy families. Decades later, a young federal prosecutor uncovers the trail.
Yes. Before We Were Yours is fictional but inspired by the real Tennessee Children's Home Society scandal under Georgia Tann, who illegally placed thousands of children for adoption between the 1920s and 1950. Lisa Wingate researched the documented cases.
A film adaptation has been in development since 2017 with Universal Pictures, with Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine producing. As of 2025, no release date has been confirmed.
Before We Were Yours was written by Lisa Wingate, published in 2016 by Ballantine Books.
Before We Were Yours is 443 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Before We Were Yours takes most readers 7 to 10 hours to finish.
Before We Were Yours is a standalone novel by Lisa Wingate, not part of a series.
Before We Were Yours is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.