Combining a captivating historical narrative with heart-wrenching drama, 'Before We Were Yours' skillfully entwines two family stories across generations. The Foss children, led by twelve-year-old Rill, seek to remain united against the harrowing backdrop of a corrupt Memphis orphanage in 1939, where they face unthinkable adversities after being snatched from their riverboat home. In the present, Avery Stafford, a successful attorney from a privileged lineage, stumbles upon her family's secretive past, setting her on a daunting pursuit for truth. As Avery delves deeper, the paths of past and present converge, revealing a tale of resilience, familial bonds, and the enduring power of heritage. Inspired by true events surrounding the Tennessee Children's Home Society scandal, Lisa Wingate's novel is both a tribute to the strength of the human spirit and a condemnation of the atrocities committed in the name of family and society.