Lisa Wingate

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From the bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a dramatic historical novel of three young women searching for family amid the destruction of the post-Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who learns of their story and its vital connection to her students' lives. "An absorbing historical . . . enthralling."--Library Journal Bestselling author Lisa Wingate brings to life startling stories from actual "Lost Friends" advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as newly freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold away. Louisiana, 1875: In the tumultuous era of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Hannie, a freed slave; Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now destitute plantation; and Juneau Jane, Lavinia's Creole half sister. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following roads rife with vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of stolen inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and siblings before slavery's end, the pilgrimage west reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope. Louisiana, 1987: For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt--until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, is suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled live oaks and run-down plantation homes lie the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.

The heartbreaking true stories of victims of a notorious adoption scandal - some of whom learned the truth from Lisa Wingate's No.1 bestselling novel Before We Were Yours

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

Louisiana 1875: I den turbulente tiden etter borgerkrigen legger den unge slavejenta Hannie ut på en farefull ferd mot Texas for å finne moren og de åtte søsknene som alle i sin tid ble bortført av slavehandlere og solgt videre. Hannie har tre blå glassperler fra bestemorens halskjede som hun vokter som en skatt. Perlene ble fordelt til søsken og søskenbarn sånn at de skulle ha et kjennetegn hvis det gikk mange år før de ble gjenforent. Målet er at en dag skal alle samles og perlekjedet bli komplett igjen. Louisiana 1987: Den nyutdannede læreren Benny Silva takker ja til å jobbe på en skole i en fattig, avsidesliggende by for å få nedbetalt studielånet. Hun er rystet over boforholdene til elevene, samtidig som hun med sin akademiske bakgrunn blir møtt med skepsis fra foreldrene. Men en dag finner hun en helt spesiell og over hundre år gammel bok som skal komme til å forandre alt.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a new novel inspired by little-known historical events: a dramatic story of three young women on a journey in search of family amidst the destruction of the post-Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who rediscovers their story and its vital connection to her own students' lives. In her distinctive voice, Lisa Wingate brings to life startling stories from actual "Lost Friends" advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold off. Louisiana, 1875: In the tumultuous aftermath of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now-destitute plantation; Juneau Jane, her illegitimate free-born Creole half-sister; and Hannie, Lavinia's former slave. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following dangerous roads rife with ruthless vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and eight siblings before slavery's end, the pilgrimage westward reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the seemingly limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope. Louisiana, 1987: For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt--until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, seems suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled live oaks and run-down plantation homes lies the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.

From the million-copy bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a beautiful novel which will make you want to laugh and cry.All her life, Epiphany Salerno has been tossed like a dandelion seed on the wind. Now, at sixteen, she must move to the low-rent side of Blue Sky Hill and work where she's not wanted: in an upscale home on The Hill.J. Norman Alvord's daughter has hired a teenager to stay with him in the afternoons. Widowed and suffering from heart trouble, Norman wants to be left alone. But in Epie's presence, Norman discovers a mystery. Deep in his mind lie memories of another house, another life, and a woman who saved him.As summer comes to Blue Sky Hill, two residents from different worlds will journey through a turbulent past, find that an unexpected road trip can bring a life-changing friendship ... and discover clues to a family secret hidden for a lifetime.Perfect for fans of Kathryn Hughes and Santa Montefiore.

From the million-copy bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes an inspiring novel about one woman's effect on a struggling Dallas neighbourhood.Sometimes hope springs up in unlikely places. Sandra Kaye Darden certainly never expects to find it in the little pink house left by her uncle Poppy. With her adopted son, Jake, missing thousands of miles away, and her family life disintegrating, Sandra feels as if her life is falling apart. A decaying house in a struggling Dallas neighbourhood just adds to her burden. But what begins for Sandra as a simple painting project to help sell the house for sale becomes a secret venture that starts to change everythingCass Blue is having trouble keeping food on the table since she left her foster care. When Sandra Kaye shows up with lunch one day, Cass has no way of knowing that the meeting will lead to the creation of the Summer Kitchen, a place of refuge that could reunite a divided community.In this moving story of second chances, two unlikely allies realize their ability to make a difference... and the power of their Summer Kitchen to nourish the soul.Perfect for fans of Kathryn Hughes and Santa Montefiore.

From the million-copy bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a novel about one summer like no other.When Rebecca Macklin receives a long-distance call from the Dallas police to explain her aging father has been found repeatedly wandering the city streets alone, and his wife has suffered a serious illness and landed in a nursing home, it is not what she is expecting. Despite the demands of the busy LA legal practice Rebecca shares with her husband, she must put aside old resentments and return to her childhood home.When Hanna Beth Parker hears about the arrival of her stepdaughter, Rebecca, who has stayed away for decades, she knows something is terribly wrong. Suddenly, the last person she'd ever turn to for help is the only one she can count on. But forging a relationship with Rebecca will require awakening old ghosts. In this moving story of separation and forgiveness, two women will unravel the betrayals of the past, examine the yearnings of the heart, and discover the truest meaning of family.Perfect for fans of Kathryn Hughes and Santa Montefiore.

From the million-copy bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes an uplifting novel where unexpected challenges and new friendships reveal what 'home' really means. When Tam Lambert learns that her family are about to be evicted from their lovely home, the privileged life she's known is forever changed. Tam and her family must move to a changing Dallas neighbourhood called Blue Sky Hill...New resident Shasta Williams knows nothing of real estate schemes when she and her husband purchase a home in Blue Sky Hill. To her it's the perfect place to raise her children. Better yet is getting to know Tam, who lives next door. When neighbours realize that a corrupt deal could force them from their homes, friendships and loyalties are tested. Over the span of one summer, two young women discover the strength and maturity to do the impossible. They find that in Blue Sky Hill, life-altering relationships and amazing possibilities can begin to blossom...Perfect for fans of Kathryn Hughes and Santa Montefiore.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From the bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a dramatic historical novel of three young women searching for family amid the destruction of the post-Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who learns of their story and its vital connection to her students' lives. "An absorbing historical . . . enthralling."--Library Journal Bestselling author Lisa Wingate brings to life startling stories from actual "Lost Friends" advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as newly freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold away. Louisiana, 1875: In the tumultuous era of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Hannie, a freed slave; Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now destitute plantation; and Juneau Jane, Lavinia's Creole half sister. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following roads rife with vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of stolen inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and siblings before slavery's end, the pilgrimage west reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope. Louisiana, 1987: For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt--until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, is suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled live oaks and run-down plantation homes lie the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From the bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a dramatic historical novel of three young women searching for family amid the destruction of the post-Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who learns of their story and its vital connection to her students' lives. "An absorbing historical . . . enthralling."--Library Journal Bestselling author Lisa Wingate brings to life startling stories from actual "Lost Friends" advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as newly freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold away. Louisiana, 1875: In the tumultuous era of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Hannie, a freed slave; Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now destitute plantation; and Juneau Jane, Lavinia's Creole half sister. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following roads rife with vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of stolen inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and siblings before slavery's end, the pilgrimage west reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope. Louisiana, 1987: For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt--until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, is suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled live oaks and run-down plantation homes lie the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.

2015 Christy Award winner 2015 Carol award winner When successful New York editor Jen Gibbs discovers a decaying slush-pile manuscript on her desk, she has no idea that the story of Sarra, a young mixed-race woman trapped in Appalachia at the turn of the twentieth century, will both take her on a journey and change her forever. Happy with her life in the city, and at the top of her career with a new job at Vida House Publishing, Jen has left her Appalachian past and twisted family ties far behind. But the search for the rest of the manuscript, and Jen's suspicions about the identity of its unnamed author, will draw her into a mystery that leads back to the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains . . . and quite possibly through the doors she thought she had closed forever.

Gennem tredive år kidnappede børnehjemslederen Georgia Tann fattige børn fra Sydstaterne og solgte dem til rige familier i hele USA. Inden vi blev jeres er en gribende roman baseret på denne skæbnesvangre og virkelige historie og er en bog til alle, der elskede Sarahs nøgle og Pigen uden navn. En stormfuld aften i 1939 efterlades den tolvårige Rill Foss og hendes fire små søskende alene på familiens husbåd på Mississippi-floden, da deres mor i al hast må fragtes til hospitalet. Næste morgen dukker et par politibetjente op og tvinger børnene til at tage med sig. De forsikrer dem om, at de nok skal blive genforenet med deres forældre, men i stedet for havner de på et usselt børnehjem, hvor Rill må kæmpe for at holde søskendeflokken samlet. Godt 75 år senere kaldes Avery Stafford hjem til South Carolina, da hendes far har brug for at have hende ved sin side, mens han fører valgkamp som senator. Under et besøg på et lokalt plejehjem møder Avery en ældre dame, der er fast overbevist om, at hun kender hende, og Avery tvinges til at grave i sin egen families fortid for at finde ud af, om der virkelig er en forbindelse eller ej. Pressen skriver: »... spændende og gribende slægtshistorie ...« **** – Nordjyske »… en pageturner.« **** – Bogrummet.dk »Læs den – en roman der går ind under huden.« – Ugeavisen Ringkøbing »Lisa Wingate har begået en brutal og hjerteskærende roman …« – Litfix

THE BLOCKBUSTER HIT--Over two million copies sold A New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller "Poignant, engrossing."--People - "Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation's history and weaves a tale of enduring power."--Paula McLainMemphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family's Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge--until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children's Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents--but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility's cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty. Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fianc , and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family's long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption. Based on one of America's most notorious real-life scandals--in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country--Lisa Wingate's riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong. Publishers Weekly's #3 Longest-Running Bestseller of 2017 - Winner of the Southern Book Prize - If All Arkansas Read the Same Book Selection This edition includes a new essay by the author about shantyboat life.

A sudden shift in a hurricane's course cancels senior citizen Donetta's cruise at the last minute. Thrown together with a young woman named Kai, Donetta leads a group of evacuees back to Daily, Texas, where the charm of the town--and the high school coach--has Kai rethinking her drifter existence. Donetta, on the other hand, is contemplating moving on from her floundering marriage. As more people seek refuge in the small town, can they transition from merely surviving to truly thriving?

A tragedy chased Lauren Eldridge from her hometown of Daily, Texas, two years ago, but she can't say no to helping her father after a risky film investment. She returns to train a skittish racehorse for the big screen and runs into the movie's handsome screenwriter, Nate. Both doubt the project can get off the ground, but does the attraction between them stand a chance? It would force Lauren to face the pain and guilt of her past, and learn not only how to accept forgiveness but also to forgive herself.

When a woman's whole life falls apart, she finds refuge in the home she left behind in this touching novel in the Tending Roses series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Friends and Before We Were Yours. Karen Sommerfield has been hiding from the big questions of her life--the emotional distance in her marriage, her inability to have children, and her bout with cancer. Getting lost in her high-powered career provides the sense of purpose she yearns for. Until the day she's downsized out of her job and the doctor tells her the cancer may be back. It's a double blow that would send anyone reeling. It sends Karen to Grandma Rose's old farm, where her sister has made a seemingly perfect life. Opening herself to the unexpected, Karen finds a lonely child in need of nurturing and insights into her family's past. In the quiet of the Missouri Ozarks, where the sycamore leaves whisper their soft, secret language, she begins to discover answers--and a joy to make her life complete.