Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories
of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society by Judy
Christie and Lisa Wingate is a follow-up to Ms. Wingate’s bestselling book, Before
We were Yours which I reviewed two years ago (a link for that review is
posted below). Ms. Christie, a journalist, and Ms. Wingate present the real
stories of individuals who were stolen from their parents, from their homes and
placed in illegal adoptions. As well as documented the outpouring of support
for Before We Were Yours as many do not know these painful events which
occurred in Memphis, Tennessee from roughly 1923 to 1950 when the scandal
broke. Each story was heartbreaking as many of the victims were torn between
being angry that they were taken from their families and loving the families
they grew up in. Before and After helps put the physical names and faces
to the events readers see in Before We Were Yours.
Some of the stories were harder to read then others. Some
stories the children were stolen from very loving homes and placed in not so
loving homes. Stories of uneducated, but loving parents being tricked into
signing away their children. Even the adopted parents were doped by Ms. Tann as
there are many stories of Jewish parents asking, and being told they were
getting, a Jewish baby, only to find out years later, their baby isn’t Jewish.
There was one part of the story I had to laugh, and it isn’t related to the
victim’s stories. Ms. Christie was recounting a story that her older brother
helped name her that she quipped “Who lets a 7-year-old name their child?”
Well, my husband and I let our 6-year-old have a say in the names that were
considered for our youngest daughter. It was a name we ultimately chose too. If
you have read Before We were Yours, I highly recommend reading Before
and After. If you haven’t read Before We were Yours, I highly
recommend reading it and following up with Before and After.
Before and After
is available in
hardcover and eBook
My review of Before
We Were Yours
https://observationsfromasimplelife.blogspot.com/2017/07/before-we-were-yours-excellent-story.html
No comments:
Post a Comment