Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society

Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society

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  • Create Date：2021-02-06 04:17:15
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Judy Christie
  • ISBN：9780593156704
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Summary

The compelling， poignant true stories of victims of a notorious adoption scandal—some of whom learned the truth from Lisa Wingate’s bestselling novel Before We Were Yours and were reunited with birth family members as a result of its wide reach

From the 1920s to 1950， Georgia Tann ran a black-market baby business at the Tennessee Children’s Home Society in Memphis。 She offered up more than 5，000 orphans tailored to the wish lists of eager parents—hiding the fact that many weren’t orphans at all， but stolen sons and daughters of poor families， desperate single mothers， and women told in maternity wards that their babies had died。

The publication of Lisa Wingate’s novel Before We Were Yours brought new awareness of Tann’s lucrative career in child trafficking。 Adoptees who knew little about their pasts gained insight into the startling facts behind their family histories。 Encouraged by their contact with Wingate and award-winning journalist Judy Christie， who documented the stories of fifteen adoptees in this book， many determined Tann survivors set out to trace their roots and find their birth families。

Before and After includes moving and sometimes shocking accounts of the ways in which adoptees were separated from their first families。 Often raised as only children， many have joyfully reunited with siblings in the final decades of their lives。 Christie and Wingate tell of first meetings that are all the sweeter and more intense for time missed and of families from very different social backgrounds reaching out to embrace better-late-than-never brothers， sisters， and cousins。 In a poignant culmination of art meeting life， many of the long-silent victims of the tragically corrupt system return to Memphis with the authors to reclaim their stories at a Tennessee Children’s Home Society reunion 。 。 。 with extraordinary results。

Advance praise for Before and After

“In Before and After， authors Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate tackle the true stories behind Wingate’s blockbuster Before We Were Yours， of the orphans who survived the Tennessee Children’s Home Society。 With a journalist’s keen eye and a novelist’s elegant prose， Christie and Wingate weave together the stories that inspired Before We Were Yours with the lives that were changed as a result of reading the novel。 Readers will be educated， enlightened， and enraptured by this important and flawlessly executed book。”—Pam Jenoff， author of The Orphan’s Tale and The Lost Girls of Paris

Editor Reviews

Advance praise for Before and After

“In Before and After， authors Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate tackle the true stories behind Wingate’s blockbuster Before We Were Yours， of the orphans who survived the Tennessee Children’s Home Society。 With a journalist’s keen eye and a novelist’s elegant prose， Christie and Wingate weave together the stories that inspired Before We Were Yours with the lives that were changed as a result of reading the novel。 Readers will be educated， enlightened， and enraptured by this important and flawlessly executed book。”
—Pam Jenoff， New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale and The Lost Girls of Paris
 
“Lisa Wingate’s #1 New York Times bestselling novel Before We Were Yours brought worldwide attention to a shocking scandal of lost and stolen children。 What she couldn’t know was that her novel would also become the catalyst for survivors， now in old age， to share their stories。 Before and After， while at times a very sad and shocking read， is ultimately a collection of astonishing real-life stories of strength， hope， and resilience in the face of the cruelest circumstances。 If you read Before We Were Yours， you will devour Before and After。”
—Amy Hill Hearth， New York Times bestselling author of Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years

“Fans who couldn’t get enough of Before We Were Yours will devour this book in a single sitting。 In Before and After， Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate gracefully chronicle the experiences of survivors forever affected by a corrupt Tennessee orphanage， leading many to a life-altering reunion in search of healing。 。 。 。 Not only a heart-wrenching and inspiring read but also a testament to the incredible power of storytelling。”
—Kristina McMorris， author of Sold on a Monday and The Edge of Lost
 
“Truly fascinating accounts of relatives lost and found， and of the reverberations through generations of countless families caused by a single person’s greed， these stories of strength， hope， and uncertainty will remain with me。”
—Cea Sunrise Person， author of North of Normal: A Memoir of My Wilderness Childhood， My Unusual Family， and How I Survived Both

“An uplifting exploration of what family truly means。 Most of the stories are touching tales of discovering one’s true history and reuniting with biological relatives。 This title is an excellent companion to Wingate’s novel and will surely be a hit on the book club circuit。”
—Booklist
 
“Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate have given readers a precious gift in this book， in these haunting stories filled with both heartache and hope。 What you hold in your hands is a testament to the power of family， faith， and the love that binds our human hearts。 You will race through Before and After， but you will keep thinking about it long after the final page。”
—Allison Pataki， author of Beauty in the Broken Places

From the Publisher

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Chapter 1

Real-Life Adoptees

“Have you considered a reunion？”

Connie Wilson is relaxing in her condo in Southern California with her beloved Labradoodle， Jackson， when the email arrives。

“Oh my gosh， Connie！” a book-club friend from Arizona writes。 “Have you read Before We Were Yours？”

It’s June 2017， and the novel by Lisa Wingate is brand-new。 Connie has not heard of it。 But faster than her pup can nudge her to play tug-of-war， she downloads a digital copy。 In only forty-eight hours， she devours it， tamping down emotions as she reads。 The fictionalized story about children adopted through the Tennessee Children’s Home Society is oh so familiar to her。

Connie’s life is historic in a way she would rather have avoided: she is one of the last babies placed by the scandal-ridden orphanage。 In her late sixties when she， Lisa， and I meet， Connie is one of the youngest members of a unique and uncomfortable club—living adoptees connected to TCHS。 People whose lives were irrevocably altered at the hands of Georgia Tann。 For Connie and thousands like her， events that took place decades ago are difficult to place in the past。 The effects remain ever present。

On September 11， 1950， just two months after Connie’s birth， a criminal investigation into Tann’s adoption practices was announced。 Orphanage funds were cut， and the babies on hand were left in limbo。 Connie’s adoption was held up， and her guardianship was transferred from TCHS to the Tennessee Department of Public Welfare。 That was when she joined the tail end of a decades-long line of sad statistics。

Under the autocratic control of Georgia Tann， and thanks to her effective grip on look-the-other-way political and civic leaders， TCHS managed to operate in Memphis from 1924 to 1950 without scrutiny or interference。 Approximately five thousand children， many of whom were not actually orphaned， passed through the agency’s doors。 An unknown number， estimated at five hundred， perished in unregulated， often squalid， holding facilities。 Others were delivered into homes that faced little to no scrutiny， to parents who， for a host of reasons， could not adopt conventionally。

These real-life stories left their mark on ordinary people， now in the final season of their lives， as they pass along their experiences with TCHS and Tann’s deeds to future generations through their personal accounts of what happened 。 。 。 and through their DNA。

A blend of what was happening in the world， from the Great Depression to World War II and the Holocaust， and including the stigma of unwed motherhood， led to the growth of Tann’s network for obtaining and placing children。 Poverty-stricken mothers gave up babies out of desperation; unmarried young women were not allowed to keep their newborns because of the taint of illegitimacy; and poor parents， hard at work， often unable to afford babysitters， found their children lured from front yards and into Tann’s chauffeur-driven black limousine as it glided around Tennessee and Arkansas。 With her paid network of doctors， social workers， and even boardinghouse owners， Tann snatched babies up as soon as they became available。

Some frantic birth parents—along with the occasional physician—attempted to challenge Tann， a stern-looking woman with short hair and glasses。 Tann， however， had political clout and immense wealth， built on the backs of children sold for profit， some of it from checks made out to her personally。 With the help of her connections via Memphis mayor E。 H。 “Boss” Crump， a political kingpin with powerful ties throughout the state， and others in positions of authority， she deflected inquiries with the ease of swatting a mosquito on a Tennessee summer afternoon。

But now， in 1950， the year of Connie’s birth， the end of Tann’s reign of terror nears。 Tennessee politics are changing。 Crump is out。 The new Tennessee governor， Gordon Browning， appoints attorney Robert Taylor to ferret out the grisly truth of TCHS’s Memphis operations。 He has already discovered damning evidence。 Only a small network of co-conspirators know the truth。 With the investigation under way， they flee into the crevasses of Memphis and disappear like rats running into the city’s sewers。 Although some community leaders—powerful， wealthy， political—have undoubtedly been complicit， all the blame is conveniently assigned to Tann。

She holes up in her home， reportedly in the last stages of uterine cancer—too ill， it is said， to respond to the charges or face the public。 Governor Browning releases Taylor’s shocking initial report， which details Tann’s years of nefarious dealings in the adoption market。 She has， the governor reveals， made herself rich and completed an unknown number of horrendous deals involving flesh-and-blood products。

Within days， on September 15， 1950， it is announced that she has died。 Tann， fifty-nine， never married， leaves her estate to her mother， an adopted daughter， and an adopted sister。 The orphanage is not mentioned。 The Tennessee State Legislature quickly and quietly seals the paperwork of thousands of TCHS children， which will leave adoptees desperately searching for decades to uncover the truth about their heritage。 The investigation concludes that Tann profited from the operation of TCHS in Memphis in excess of five hundred thousand dollars in the last ten years of her life—taking in today’s equivalent of between five and ten million dollars。

During that period， the investigation found， she placed more than a thousand children for adoption outside the state of Tennessee， principally in New York and California， the exact number not known。

If Connie， the baby girl born just two months before Tann’s death， and these thousands of other children were characters in a novel， justice as well as blame might have landed squarely on Tann’s head。 Police would swoop into her Memphis Receiving Home， rescue her remaining charges， shackle Tann， and whisk her off to jail。 She would endure a trial and be forced to stand eye to eye with children she procured in the 1920s or 1930s or 1940s， or with parents whose babies were snatched， or with people in California and New York who paid extra for children because they sensed that if they didn’t， their in-process adoptions might suddenly go wrong。

But real life does not happen that way。

Tann dies， never having admitted to her crimes and， supposedly， never having known that she has finally been exposed， and certainly not having paid back the money that supported her lavish lifestyle。 She is never made to face families she misused， those good and kind people who will spend a lifetime unraveling the knots she tied， a lifetime trying to heal the hearts she broke。

But finally， all these years later， her name is ruined， her power gone。 Now the triumph belongs to quiet conquerors， who are ready to tell their stories。

In a piece of history with so many villains， they are the heroes。

Still in the throes of reading Before We Were Yours， Connie is intrigued when her book-club friend surfaces again with an invitation: “Would you mind talking about you and the book？”

A seasoned traveler after years in the business world， Connie happily makes plans to hop a plane to Arizona a couple of months later。 Spurred on by this interest in her past， she emails the author of the novel， a woman she has never met。

09/12/17 at 4:06 p。m。

Dear Lisa Wingate，

Reading your new book Before We Were Yours inspired me to go back through all the records， articles， and information I have gathered about my adoption 。 。 。

I was reunited with my natural brother after 40 years of not knowing I even had one （same for him）。 It is a wonderful story if you are interested。 I also think you would find interesting all the letters from Georgia Tann and the research for the 40 years that followed。

I’d also love to know how the other victims are today。 What emotional impact this had on them。

Please let me know if you’d like me to come speak with you， bring any records， or just have a phone call。

Looking forward to hearing from you，

Connie

Reviews

Grateful Grandma ，

After reading Before We Were Yours， when I saw this book， I had to read it。 This is the followup non-fiction book written by Judy Christie as she follows Lisa Wingate in her meetings， interviews and phone calls with actual adoptees or their families。 We learn how some of them ended up in the system， things their birth and adoptive families （some never knew about other siblings） and get the opportunity to follow them when they meet their birth siblings and other family members。 Some lived better lives than they would have if not adopted， some did not。 When Before We Were Yours was published some of the now adults who knew they were adopted， read the book and identified with it。 They started to dig deeper into their background， questioning grandparents， aunts， friends of their parents， etc。 Some took DNA tests and matches were found int he database。 When Lisa Wingate started getting letters and phone calls， she felt compelled to tell their stories。 That was when she contacted journalist and friend Judy Christie to tell this story。 This was a very interesting and uplifting story。 Before We were Yours was rather depressing and even though this only highlighted 15 orphans and their stories， but it was nice to hear that there were some happily ever afters out there。 I do recommend this story， especially to those who read Before We Were Yours。 As well， if you like learning about what happens after an historic event （in this case the emotional and tragic upheaval of being stolen from your family） then this is a book for you。 If you are not familiar with The Tennessee Children's Home scandal or Georgia Tann， then take a look on the internet， you will be surprised and shocked about what you find。

Cindy ，

Incredible true stories of loss and searching for parents and siblings。 Children that were part of a scandal in the Tennessee orphanage。

Sharon ，

This was the unbelievable real life stories of orphans and their families who went through the Tennessee Children’s Home Society。 Wingate and Christie the authors met with actual survivors and families that endured this terrible tragedy！

Karen Mussoline ，

I read this book after reading "Before We Were Yours" A fictional booked based upon the children that were "stolen" from their parents and placed in the Tennessee Children's Home， this book is the real life accounts of some of the children who lived their。 Sometimes hard to read， and your heart breaks for these "stolen" babies as you read the events in their lives。 I read this book after reading "Before We Were Yours" A fictional booked based upon the children that were "stolen" from their parents and placed in the Tennessee Children's Home， this book is the real life accounts of some of the children who lived their。 Sometimes hard to read， and your heart breaks for these "stolen" babies as you read the events in their lives。 。。。more

Rachele ，

Made me think about the value of family and belonging。 Very touching and some horrifying stories that really affected me。

Brandy ，

Interesting real life stories that inspired “Before We Were Yours”。 The stories are fascinating but I felt like I already read them when I read the book these stories inspired。

Sylvia ，

Not nearly as interesting as I expected it to be。 Many of the stories seem to be so similar and there was not enough about the horrible woman who arranged all this and how she got away it for so long。

Allison Willeke ，

This book was an interesting follow up to Before We Were Yours。 It made me realize how recent the events of the novel really were and the deep scars they left in real life。 I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the novel， but it did feel rushed and somewhat thrown together。 The parts in between the adoptees stories about the author’s quest for a slapdash reunion were mundane and stress inducing to my type a， planning personality。

Jackie ，

Excellent companion read to “Before We Were Yours” to hear more of the true stories behind the novel relates to TCHS。

Kristi ，

I loved Before We Were Yours。 It was heartbreaking， infuriating， and so much more。 I’m still haunted by the stories in that novel。 That led me to reading this one。 The stories of the families and people who were victimized by Georgia Tann are incredible and I want to know even more。 This is something that everyone needs to know about so it’ll never happen again。 Their stories should be told。 5 stars to them for sharing the struggles of their past and present with us。 The 3 star rating was due to I loved Before We Were Yours。 It was heartbreaking， infuriating， and so much more。 I’m still haunted by the stories in that novel。 That led me to reading this one。 The stories of the families and people who were victimized by Georgia Tann are incredible and I want to know even more。 This is something that everyone needs to know about so it’ll never happen again。 Their stories should be told。 5 stars to them for sharing the struggles of their past and present with us。 The 3 star rating was due to the way their stories were told。 I felt like the author was too caught up in herself and not enough on the families。 So much of the story read like an itinerary。 I hope the families of those who were affected by the evil Georgia Tann and the horrors of the Tennessee Children’s Home continue to share their stories。 。。。more

Bernadette Chappell ，

This book was true stories about adoptive children from Tennessee。 I think I would have appreciated this book if I would have read their first book Before we were yours。

Tara Brandman ，

1/26/21

Cassiejoan ，

3。5 stars。 I adored Before We Were Yours and couldn't believe that child trafficking of this nature took place until 1950 so I definitely had to read more about the subject。 I listened to the audio version of this and the stories told in it are truly unbelievable。 It is heartbreaking the destruction that Georgia Tann caused， not just to the children she placed with adoptive families， but the parents who did not willingly surrender their children and the subsequent generations that are still deal 3。5 stars。 I adored Before We Were Yours and couldn't believe that child trafficking of this nature took place until 1950 so I definitely had to read more about the subject。 I listened to the audio version of this and the stories told in it are truly unbelievable。 It is heartbreaking the destruction that Georgia Tann caused， not just to the children she placed with adoptive families， but the parents who did not willingly surrender their children and the subsequent generations that are still dealing with the emotional damage done。 The content in this makes it an excellent book but the way it is crafted was not fantastic， in my opinion。 。。。more

Melanie ，

Georgia Tann and anyone who helped her were just pure evil。 To prey on people who were in dire circumstances and ruin countless lives in order to make money is incomprehensible。 I read Before We Were Yours by one of the co-authors， Lisa Wingate。 I found the story to be very sad。 That was a novel based on the true story of a decades long scandal with Georgia Tann and her Tennessee Children’s Home Society。 Georgia and her henchman tricked people into giving up their children or kidnapped them。 She Georgia Tann and anyone who helped her were just pure evil。 To prey on people who were in dire circumstances and ruin countless lives in order to make money is incomprehensible。 I read Before We Were Yours by one of the co-authors， Lisa Wingate。 I found the story to be very sad。 That was a novel based on the true story of a decades long scandal with Georgia Tann and her Tennessee Children’s Home Society。 Georgia and her henchman tricked people into giving up their children or kidnapped them。 She found desperate parents who didn’t want to deal with the stigma of raising an illegitimate child， people who were too poor to be able to raise their children， or just stole children and then sold them to people while she lived lavishly off of the money they gave her。 Many children died in her hands and so many lives were changed because of her doings。 This book told stories of some of the real adoptees and their searches to find out where they came from and the circumstances of their adoptions。 While all of them have different stories， they share a common thread。 They were all separated from their birth parents by way of Georgia Tann and given new lives。 They felt like outcasts and felt like something was missing。 The book is well written and I was curious to hear the stories that the adoptees and their families went through。 Heartbreaking but some bright moments as well。 。。。more

Maura ，

Ultimately very disappointing follow up to the riveting Before We Were Yours， this compilation of stories of actual adoptees from Georgia Tann's child trafficking operation did not do much justice to the emotional intensity of each of the stories of the individuals who agreed to be interviewed。My criticism starts with the title of the book -- most， if not all， of the children who were trafficked by Georgia Tann were not orphans。 It is absolutely astonishing to me that the authors would have allo Ultimately very disappointing follow up to the riveting Before We Were Yours， this compilation of stories of actual adoptees from Georgia Tann's child trafficking operation did not do much justice to the emotional intensity of each of the stories of the individuals who agreed to be interviewed。My criticism starts with the title of the book -- most， if not all， of the children who were trafficked by Georgia Tann were not orphans。 It is absolutely astonishing to me that the authors would have allowed the publisher to go forward with this inaccuracy。 None of the people interviewed were orphans and some were actually stolen from their parents。 I could never figure out which of the authors was speaking in the first person for many of the chapters， and I was distracted and annoyed on the focus on the authors' feeling of overwhelm about managing deadlines and travel and organizing a reunion。 I wasn't interested in organizational details for a reunion。 I was interested in the stories of the people whose lives were affected by Georgia Tann， and the stories of their family reunions and finding the truth of their origins。 By that measure， this compilation fell far short。 I could discern no organization to the stories， little connection between them， and it felt like every chapter just left me hanging， yearning for more information。 Some alluded to meeting a birth sibling but barely touched upon the experience。 Others just barely scratched the surface。 I found myself wishing I could just listen to transcripts of the people talking rather than have them translated through the author's attempt at a narrative。The story that I felt earned the book up to 2 stars as the Four Sisters chapter， about Nelda， who was stolen from her parents。 As the child of a mother with complex PTSD from her experience with being forced to surrender a child to adoption in secrecy， I could relate very much to the daughters' complicated feelings of anger and pity toward their mother， and I wanted to get to know them and Nelda's story better。 I honor the people who were willing to share their stories in this book and hope some of them will go on to write their own books。 。。。more

Amanda ，

Contrary to popular opinion， I didn't love the novel Before We Were Yours。。。。but I was interested in the historical events that inspired it。 So， it makes sense that this book appealed to me。 However， I felt like there was way too much focus on how AMAZING Before We Were Yours apparently was， and too much detail about the authors themselves。 I just wanted the historical facts， and there are a lot of facts I'm still left wondering about。 The victims' stories were at times moving， but I wanted to k Contrary to popular opinion， I didn't love the novel Before We Were Yours。。。。but I was interested in the historical events that inspired it。 So， it makes sense that this book appealed to me。 However， I felt like there was way too much focus on how AMAZING Before We Were Yours apparently was， and too much detail about the authors themselves。 I just wanted the historical facts， and there are a lot of facts I'm still left wondering about。 The victims' stories were at times moving， but I wanted to know how Georgia Tann got away with all this， what the politics behind it were， who enabled it， etc。 Kind of disappointing。 。。。more

Sassyo ，

More about the lost children

Isabelle Sanginario ，

This is about Georgia Tann's survivors， innocent children taken， stolen from their biological families， and siblings separation into different families。 These stories are about the adopted children trying to find their family to have a reunion of being Tann's victims。 This is about Georgia Tann's survivors， innocent children taken， stolen from their biological families， and siblings separation into different families。 These stories are about the adopted children trying to find their family to have a reunion of being Tann's victims。 。。。more

JoAnn ，

Amazing true stories of Tennessee Children’s Home Society。

Colette A。 ，

A very interesting follow up to "Before We Were Yours。" It was captivating to read these real life stories of lives forever altered by Georgia Tann and TCHS。 Their courage， determination， and hope inspires。 A very interesting follow up to "Before We Were Yours。" It was captivating to read these real life stories of lives forever altered by Georgia Tann and TCHS。 Their courage， determination， and hope inspires。 。。。more

Sarah Bittel ，

After reading “Before We Were Yours” I knew I had to read this book。 Hearing real life accounts of people who were affected by Georgia Tann was both moving and heartbreaking。 Such an important read to hear more about the Tennessee Children’s Home Society and stories from survivors。

Rochelle ，

I really enjoyed reading this， and learning some of the TRUE stories of families affected in the Tennessee Children's Home Society。 Such interesting and tragic stories all at the same time。 It was affirming to note that we all truly have a desire to know our history， and that connections to 'our people' are so important。 I did love the first book， Before We Were Yours， and the introduction to the children in this orphanage - which was told in great story format。 This book， on the other hand， I f I really enjoyed reading this， and learning some of the TRUE stories of families affected in the Tennessee Children's Home Society。 Such interesting and tragic stories all at the same time。 It was affirming to note that we all truly have a desire to know our history， and that connections to 'our people' are so important。 I did love the first book， Before We Were Yours， and the introduction to the children in this orphanage - which was told in great story format。 This book， on the other hand， I felt was mere reporting the facts。 Yes， it was all interesting， but the stories meshed together and were a bit difficult to follow， besides sometimes being somewhat depressing。 The climax of the book， maybe the reunion， didn't hit a true highpoint。 My sympathies to anyone that suffers in life due to adoptions， although I know so many good adoption stories， sometimes the uncertainty continually eats away our comfort。 。。。more

Kathryn ，

I thought it was interesting to hear the different stories of those adopted & how they search for their real families。 The success of most of the adoptees & how their families react to them。

Mackayla Headlee ，

If you have read Before We Were Yours and were curious on some of the true stories of the Tennessee Children’s Home adoration scandals I would highly recommend this book。 It was heart wrenching and beautiful to read how BWWY revealed the truths for so many families involved with TCH and Georgia Tann。 They have built a lovely community to share their resources， experiences， and stories to finding out what happened in their previously veiled family histories。

Wendy Johnson ，

A must-read for fans of Before We Were Yours。 The stories of children who were adopted and how they are finally starting to reconnect is inspiring！

Angela ，

This book broke my heart， opened my anger， deepened my curiosity and compassion。 It was well worth the read and I highly recommend it after reading Lisa Wingate’s Before We Were Yours。

Nicola ，

I enjoyed this follow up to the book I read a few years ago。 I loved hearing the real stories， but it was so heartbreaking to see the awful things that Georgia Tann and her helpers did。 No one deserves to be treated the way she treated those children。 I'm grateful that the story has shed light on shady doption practices。 I enjoyed this follow up to the book I read a few years ago。 I loved hearing the real stories， but it was so heartbreaking to see the awful things that Georgia Tann and her helpers did。 No one deserves to be treated the way she treated those children。 I'm grateful that the story has shed light on shady doption practices。 。。。more

East Greenbush Community Library ，

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed and was moved by Before We Were Yours， written by Lisa Wingate。 Hear the real life stories of just a few children， now adults， that were processed through the Tennessee Children's Home Society。 Very moving。 I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed and was moved by Before We Were Yours， written by Lisa Wingate。 Hear the real life stories of just a few children， now adults， that were processed through the Tennessee Children's Home Society。 Very moving。 。。。more

Julie Bross ，

I’m really torn on how to write this review。 I wanted to be consumed in it the way i was with before we were yours but I just wasn’t。 I thought the stories were incredible and heartbreaking。 The part I struggled with was keeping up with everyone。 It seemed like there was a lot of back and forth between the past and present within each characters story that I had to reread those paragraphs a lot。 Content would get 5 stars， the writing was 3-3 1/2。

Kelly ，

If you read and we're touched by Before We Were Yours， this is a must read。 A bit hard to keep up with the who's who。。。but reading the real life stories of people directly involved in this unbelievable tragedy and the impact on them and their families is a must。 If you read and we're touched by Before We Were Yours， this is a must read。 A bit hard to keep up with the who's who。。。but reading the real life stories of people directly involved in this unbelievable tragedy and the impact on them and their families is a must。 。。。more

Elizabeth Garberg ，

A heart breaking， lovely and somewhat difficult to think about。 I strongly suggest you read Lisa Wingates novel before starting this one。 Very well done。 If interested The Orphan Train is also a good read。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0