Before We Were Yours

A bestselling novel with over two million copies sold, this powerful story has captivated readers and earned spots on the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists.

Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a charmed life on their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father rushes their mother to the hospital during a stormy night, Rill is left to care for her siblings—until strangers arrive and take them away. The children are sent to the Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, where they’re promised a quick reunion with their parents. However, they soon discover the harsh reality of their situation. Under the control of the facility’s cruel director, Rill must fight to keep her family together in a world filled with danger and uncertainty.

Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Avery Stafford, born into wealth and privilege, seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a fiancé, and an upcoming lavish wedding. But when she returns home to support her father during a health crisis, a chance encounter raises unsettling questions and sends her on a journey to uncover her family’s hidden past. This journey could lead to either devastation or redemption.

Inspired by one of America’s most infamous real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, the director of a Memphis-based adoption agency, kidnapped and sold children from poor families to wealthy ones—this gripping and ultimately uplifting novel reminds us that no matter where life takes us, the heart never forgets where it belongs.