One sentence summary
A suspenseful story of two families, the Fosses and the Davises, set in different eras and connected through important themes of love, loss, and justice.
Book genre
Historical Fiction
Main topic of the book
Before We Were Yours follows the story of two families, the Fosses and the Davises, as they are connected through secrets and lies, love and loss, and justice.
Key ideas
- Love– Despite everything, the Foss children and Avery Harper, remain resilient because of the love that they share with their families.
- Loss– The lives of the Foss children are greatly affected by their loss of family members and their sense of self.
- Justice System– Throughout the book, we are presented with the flawed and unjust system that allows for the kidnapping and trafficking of children.
Main parts of the book and a short summary
- Part 1: ‘When I Was Added to the Family’. The story begins with a precocious twelve-year-old girl, Avery, from the present day, whose life is changed when her grandmother, Rill Foss, arrives from the past to share her story.
- Part 2: ‘When We Were Taken Away’. In this section, we are taken back to the 1930s and introduced to the Five Foss children who were abducted from their Tennessee home by the Tennessee Children’s Home Society.
- Part 3: ‘When We Returned Home’. In this section, the Foss children return to their family home and their story continues with great sorrow, tragedy, tragedy and forgiveness.
Key Takeaways
- Love, devotion, and loyalty can overcome tragedy.
- The justice system can be flawed and unjust.
- The effects of loss can have long-lasting effects.
- Family secrets can have devastating consequences on multiple generations.
Author’s background and qualifications
Lisa Wingate is a bestselling author of 21 novels and a two-time winner of the Carol Award. Her books have been published in over 20 countries, and she has been featured multiple times in National Public Radio, Associated Press, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly. Wingate’s most recent novel, Before We Were Yours, was an international bestseller and has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over a year.
Target audience
The target audience for this book includes adults and teenagers interested in historical fiction, family dynamics, and the power of love.
Publisher and first publication date
Before We Were Yours: A Novel was originally published by Ballantine Books (imprint of Random House) on July 11th, 2017.Amazon reviews: 4.6 out of 5 stars (143,502 reviews) as of 12/10/2023