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Starting this thread for Juliette for our upcoming discussion of Before We Were Yours, so that we can get a schedule posted.

Who is going to be joining us for this read?

I will.

I will

I'm looking forward to reading this one and will hopefully be able to join in on the discussion.

I already read it.

I am looking forward to reading this book, although nervous and excited about being the leader, so let's see how I fare!

I have made the reading schedule as follows:

Chapters 1 to 5 : 1 February to 7 February 2018
Chapters 6 to 10 : 8 February to 14 February 2018
Chapters 11 to 15 : 15 February to 21 February 2018
Chapters 16 to 21 : 22 February to 28 February 2018
Chapters 22 to 26 : 1 March to 7 March 2018

I always like to read the authors note, but that is up to you guys.

Schedule sounds great, Juliette. You will do great as a discussion leader! No need for nerves! You've got this!

I will be reading too, have my copy ready!

I also already read this. But if I can safely comment, certain of not revealing a spoiler, I will chime in.

I really want to talk about this book.

Caught up with this week's reading last night. I have to say this is a very engrossing book. Looking forward to the first round of discussion. Juliette, do you have any starter questions for us to discuss?

Yes Sheila, I definitely found it quite engrossing. Already enjoying it.

In the prelude there was a quote “In my multifold years of life, I have learned that most people get along as best they can. They don’t intend to hurt anyone. It is merely a terrible by-product of surviving�. It made me think of our Dr Haber from the book we have just finished The Lathe of Heaven. Just a thought, nothing more.

Okay now to my questions :

How did you find the settling of how the book started? With Avery’s Grandma Judy having been put into an old age home and she and her father (Senator Wells Stafford) having to hide this fact because he could get criticised for it, because of the hype of the mistreatment in some of the old age homes? Add to that Avery constantly watching her father that he doesn’t miss a beat, as they try and cover up that he is currently battling with cancer.

Then the weaving together of everyone’s stories...

May Crandall with her ‘latches in her mind going rusty and worn, doors opening and closing at will�. It was such a lovely way to describe dementia, Alzheimer’s or memory loss as we age. Avery and May’s chance encounter with regards to the return of the bracelet.

Going back into the past and meeting Rill Foss (is she May, I wonder to myself) with her struggles and worries. Gosh, so young and having to be worrying about such immense things.

I picked up my copy at Costco last week and zipped through the first 5 chapters. I had to stop myself from going further as I was immediately sucked into the story and the writing.

I found myself breezing past the descriptions of Avery and her world as they all seem so phony and superficial. In contrast, I found myself flipping back and forth, checking the ages of Rill and her siblings in their incident on the boat as they all seem so worldly and scrappy.

I too wonder if May will turn out to be Rill. It’s my assumption as she seems to be looking for her siblings in Avery which is what I think the oldest sibling would do.

I enjoyed the weaving of the stories at the beginning of the book. The stark contrast has kept me interested, wondering how the author is going to tie them all together (which you know will happen).

Chapters 6 to 10

The story is starting to weave together now and build up!

The hospital forms that Queenie and Briny had to sign, which Zede told Rill about, was actually to surrender the children, I am sure that they didn’t know this. Gosh how they must have felt when they realised this!

I wonder how the ‘police� knew about them and where to look. Rill (who we have now found out is May) heard Miss Tann and Mrs Murphy mention that when they had hit another village further down, it looked like the people had been warned. What do you guys think of all this?

Also, will we hear anything more about or from Silas. Will he try finding them or warn Briny and Queenie?

With regards to Avery, the telephone call to the Estate Agent � Trent - has definitely put a whole new twist on things.

This new home that the children are in sounds really horrible, the encounter in Chapter 10 between the four boys and the children does not sound good, especially when they have been warned about Mr Riggs.

Queenie and Briny were simple people who probably didn't know all the complex things they had to sign. They were told if they sign the papers their medical bills will be paid which was a lie.

I am sure Georgia Tann had her connections and people who knew which families were poor or who wouldn't miss some kids.

I feel so sad for these children, and for how their parents must have felt when they ended up missing. This book is apparently based on real events too, right? This children's home (or one like it) really existed and they really took children from their parents like this?

@Sheila Yes, this book was based on true events. The childrens home was called The Tennesse Children's Home Society and it was run by Georgia Tann. She kidnapped kids from poor families. She changed their names and had them "adopted" into rich families. She ran this scheme from 1920 until the 1050's. She died of cancer before she can be charged with anything.

Wow Jayme, that is terrible, shocking.

I also saw that the book was based on true events and had decided that once I had finished it I would read up more about it.

I heard about her from the show Unsolved Mysteries. Oprah Winphrey also did a segment on her show about this too. If you Google Georgia Tann or Tennessee Home Society, you will find stuff

That is horrible!

Chapters 11 to 15

This week’s reading I found really difficult and heart-wrenching, how did you all find it?

I am sure the Home must know what Mr Riggs gets up to, how can they turn a blind eye, what he did to Camelia is beyond words.

Not sure where things are going with regards to Avery and Trent’s discovery, am sure we will find out in the forthcoming chapters.

I found the Home really doesn't care if some of the children get mistreated or *accidents* happen

I agree with Jayme. Of course what happened to Camellia is horrible but there is nothing about the home that would lead you to believe anyone cared about the children. They were only a commodity. What I’m getting nervous about is twofold; what will happen to Rill since she is older and pretty, and what if Avery and Trent turn out to be related? What if Trent’s grandfather is actually Gabion?

I have finished the book and I am going to keep you guys guessing what the connection is between Avery and Trent.

I am horrified at the lack of compassion and care that the women running this home have for the children. The children are just a money making commodity for them, with the pretty blonde ones and babies earning them the most money, and the older or plainer ones just rubbish to be disposed of. I am sickened that this really happened.

If Trent's grandfather is Gabion, then Avery and Trent would be second cousins, and second cousins can legally marry. LOL Also, Trent could be adopted, since his grandfather had a deep caring for adopted children, or Trent's father could have been adopted. So Trent and Avery might not be biologically related at all.

I want so badly to say but you will find out Shelia. :) about Trent I mean

Chapters 16 to 21

I agree with you Sheila, it is absolutely sickening and as I read this book I get more and more upset for these poor families and children.

I have been listening to a Podcast called “Something’s Not Right� there was an episode on Georgia Tann � they go into a lot more detail about how she started the Home and how she would go about ‘stealing� children, they even spoke of how parents would drop their children at what they thought was a day care and when they came to fetch them were told their children had been adopted!! Because of her father being a Judge she was able to get away with so much.

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I understand now why they turn a blind eye to Mr Riggs and what he does to the children � he’s Georgia Tann’s cousin!

Even the people who worked for the Tennesse Children's Home Society weren’t safe, as we see with Miss Dobbs, who only wanted to try and help, she became a target and lost her own children.

Does anyone have any idea what has happened to Camellia? Has she really died? May didn’t speak of her to Aviary and Trent when she was reminiscing, plus she is definitely holding something back about Grandma Judy.

My whole body had goosebumps as I was reading about who Trent Sr was originally � Stevie, wow!!

This book is becoming quite a page-turner!! My thoughts go to Silas now, who has lost them again, so sad.

@Juliette, yes Camila did die

I finished, and am looking forward to discussing this book in whole!

I have also finished Sheila, I have to admit it was a very powerful read, very eye-opening, will definitely stay with me for a long time. I am so glad we were able to all read it together.

Some final thoughts...

Did you guys guess that Trent and Avril would be together in the end? I had really hoped they would, I saw she wasn’t really that happy in her current relationship. I think it kind of speaks for some people in very unhappy marriages, they stay because it seems the right thing to do.

How did you find the ending? I found it so beautiful that the May and Grandma Judy could finally be together and reminisce.

Thank you to all of you for reading this book with me. It was a lot of fun being leader, quite daunting, but fun!

I was happy to see Judy and May reunited at the end. At least something good came out of it.

I suspected that Trent and Avery would end up together. The author seemed to be leading us to that romance.

I loved it that the old sisters got to be together in the end. And I have to give them a lot of credit for thee sister-Thursdays, for being able to get together secretly for all those years. It is too bad that they never found Gabion though.

We can only hope that Gabion had a good life.

@Sheila, it is sad that they were never able to find Gabion and I also hope @Jayme that he did have a good life, but I feel we are led to believe he did, because the couple did not want to let him go when they met him at the viewing.

I found it sad too that they were never able to find out if Judy's twin died or whether they were also adopted like she was.

This book truly brought to life the devastation of families that Georgia Tann caused by taking babies/children, look at Queenie and Briny their lives ruined completely when they found out what happened to their own children. The children themselves being separated from one another and emotionally destroyed, even if they did have 'good' lives in the end.

I felt it was a book that needed to be written and read because it is not a well known event. I think Georgia Tann would be considered the first baby broker.

Yes, this book was all the more heartbreaking because it was based on real events.

I agree Juliette, that it was horrible how Queenie and Briny were completely ruined by this.