Publication
New York : Ballantine Books, [2019]
Collection
Call number
Non-Fiction C
Physical description
292 p.; 22 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
Family & Relationships. History. True Crime. Nonfiction. HTML: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… (more)
Subjects
User reviews
LibraryThing member CoverLoverBookReview
Every now and then I like to take a break from emotional fiction books, so I’ll switch to something non-fiction to put my heart on reset. Well, that wasn’t the case with Before and After. The real-life stories in this book are incredibly moving, memorable, and emotional.
I can’t fathom how
Her heartlessness and carelessness, and authorities turning a blind eye to her money-making horrendous “business” resulted in broken families, shattered parents, many children dying and being mistreated before finding a home, and others suffering awful upbringings once they did. Despite her evil schemes, some of the adoptees were raised by loving families.
* If you’ve read Lisa Wingate’s Before We Were Yours, I highly recommend this non-fiction addition. It tells the real-life survival stories of victims of Georgia Tann and her Tennessee Children’s Home Society.
** If you haven’t read Lisa Wingate’s Before We Were Yours, it would be highly beneficial to read it first. You won’t regret it. It caused every nerve ending in my body to prickle, and gave my soul the major f-e-e-l-s. With vivid scenes, remarkable characters, a momentous historical scandal, and lessons of faith, family, friendship, and freedom, it’s on my list of the most memorable, heart-searing books I’ve read.
Source: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley.
I can’t fathom how
Show More
Georgia Tann’s soul and heart was hardened so bristly that she dispassionately and mechanically stole and traded babies. I truly can’t fathom it. And I can only imagine the fear of the children as they were snatched away, and the desperation, pain, and lifelong heartbreak of the birth parents.Her heartlessness and carelessness, and authorities turning a blind eye to her money-making horrendous “business” resulted in broken families, shattered parents, many children dying and being mistreated before finding a home, and others suffering awful upbringings once they did. Despite her evil schemes, some of the adoptees were raised by loving families.
* If you’ve read Lisa Wingate’s Before We Were Yours, I highly recommend this non-fiction addition. It tells the real-life survival stories of victims of Georgia Tann and her Tennessee Children’s Home Society.
** If you haven’t read Lisa Wingate’s Before We Were Yours, it would be highly beneficial to read it first. You won’t regret it. It caused every nerve ending in my body to prickle, and gave my soul the major f-e-e-l-s. With vivid scenes, remarkable characters, a momentous historical scandal, and lessons of faith, family, friendship, and freedom, it’s on my list of the most memorable, heart-searing books I’ve read.
Source: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley.
Show Less
LibraryThing member tamidale
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate opened a Pandora’s box of emotions for many families that had an adoption touch their lives in some way. After publishing Before We were Yours, Wingate began to hear from adoptees or their family members who believed they were adopted out of the Tennessee
Reading each individual’s account of their lives and the families involved was often bittersweet. While many of the adoptees felt that they did have a better or easier life because of the adoption, they also mourned for the parents they never got to know and the siblings they didn’t have growing up. Some of the sweetest stories were those of siblings who were reunited in their later life and kept their connection until they died.
Most heartbreaking was reading about the babies and children that died under Tann’s care that are not named or recognized in any way. It was also sad to read about the few adoptees that have not been able to find anything about their family history.
One thing I found fascinating was the role book clubs played in helping these stories come about and how a simple mention of Before We Were Yours moved an adoptee or a family member to read it and become encouraged to find out more.
Before & After is a wonderful follow-up to Before We Were Yours and I’m happy to recommend it to readers who love genealogy, history and family relationships.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy and offer an honest review.
Show More
Children’s Home Society in Memphis. Some of the adoptees, young as they were, even remember Georgia Tann. Feeling that the stories were important, Wingate enlisted the help of an author and friend, Judy Christie, and together they put together a collection of stories from several adoptees.Reading each individual’s account of their lives and the families involved was often bittersweet. While many of the adoptees felt that they did have a better or easier life because of the adoption, they also mourned for the parents they never got to know and the siblings they didn’t have growing up. Some of the sweetest stories were those of siblings who were reunited in their later life and kept their connection until they died.
Most heartbreaking was reading about the babies and children that died under Tann’s care that are not named or recognized in any way. It was also sad to read about the few adoptees that have not been able to find anything about their family history.
One thing I found fascinating was the role book clubs played in helping these stories come about and how a simple mention of Before We Were Yours moved an adoptee or a family member to read it and become encouraged to find out more.
Before & After is a wonderful follow-up to Before We Were Yours and I’m happy to recommend it to readers who love genealogy, history and family relationships.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy and offer an honest review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Mrs.DuBois
This book tells the true stories of several now-adult adoptees from Georgia Tann’s years at the Tennessee children’s Home Society. The “story behind the story,” it will pull at your heart. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
LibraryThing member alekee
Truth is better than fiction, and alas fiction is about to come true, and these wonderful authors share their experiences and lives with us.
Yes, I read “Before We Were Yours, along with a million other readers, and the feeling that book evoked are magnified here as we put names to the people that
Now we know why the first book was written, the power it held to let people go forward with their lives. With some it has opened doors to lost family, with others a method of closure, and others a type of healing with others of similar experiences.
Is justice served? That is unanswered, the main instigator died years ago, and I believe she got what she deserved, but we know many more were involved, and they had to live with what they did no matter how they tried to justify their actions.
A great addition to the first book, and yes, fiction meets fact.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Random House, and was not required to give a positive review.
Yes, I read “Before We Were Yours, along with a million other readers, and the feeling that book evoked are magnified here as we put names to the people that
Show More
lives were forever changes. The evil perpetrated by Georgian Tann, and others all in the name of greed, and the shattered lives she left in her wake.Now we know why the first book was written, the power it held to let people go forward with their lives. With some it has opened doors to lost family, with others a method of closure, and others a type of healing with others of similar experiences.
Is justice served? That is unanswered, the main instigator died years ago, and I believe she got what she deserved, but we know many more were involved, and they had to live with what they did no matter how they tried to justify their actions.
A great addition to the first book, and yes, fiction meets fact.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Random House, and was not required to give a positive review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member beckyhaase
BEFORE AND AFTER by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate
BEFORE AND AFTER gives the real stories of the children that were the impetus and inspiration for the bestselling novel BEFORE WE WERE YOURS by Wingate. The stories of the children – what happened to them then and where they are now – are
The stories are heartrending. It is easy to identify which children were the prototype for each of incidents in the novel. It is reassuring to hear positive stories and sad to read of children further victimized by Georgia Tann, Tenneessee and cruel adoption laws.
An essential read if you read BEFORE WE WERE YOURS.
5 of 5 stars
BEFORE AND AFTER gives the real stories of the children that were the impetus and inspiration for the bestselling novel BEFORE WE WERE YOURS by Wingate. The stories of the children – what happened to them then and where they are now – are
Show More
interspersed with comments by Christie and Wingate, pictures provided by the families of the now grown children and the “reunion” of the children and their families that was organized by Christie and Wingate. The stories are heartrending. It is easy to identify which children were the prototype for each of incidents in the novel. It is reassuring to hear positive stories and sad to read of children further victimized by Georgia Tann, Tenneessee and cruel adoption laws.
An essential read if you read BEFORE WE WERE YOURS.
5 of 5 stars
Show Less
LibraryThing member brangwinn
If you read BEFORE WE WERE YOURS, you’ll want to read this book. After publication of the novel, many people came forward with their stories of experiences at the Tennessee Children’s Home. The stories of these adoptees help flesh out the reality of the horrors of The Tennessee Children’s
Show More
Home. (Net Galley Review Copy) Show Less
LibraryThing member CandyH
This book is the true stories of people involved in Lisa Wingate’s book Before We Were Yours. This is such an interesting read. A well told account of survivors of of the corruption involved in adoptions orchestrated by Georgia Tann of the Tennessee Children’s Home. Both books are well worth
Show More
reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member JoyceMG3
Amazing and heartfelt stories of those children who were part of the Tennessee Children's Home Society.
LibraryThing member EllenH
This is the stories of some of the Orphans who survived Georgia Tann's Tennessee Children's home. Well done in her compiling and sharing the stories of these resilient people. I read Before We were Yours, the fictionalized version of this as well as The Baby Thief, the nonfiction version. All 3
Show More
different versions of this corruption in the adoption world. The one that stays with me the most is The Baby Thief, because it told more of Georgia's terrible, incredible, influence over families and many of the politicians in Tennessee and the world for years. Show Less
LibraryThing member pdebolt
This is the absorbing true story of the children who were sold from the 1920s to 1950 by Georgia Tann and her accomplishes at the Tennessee Children's Home Society. Thanks to the efforts of the authors, Lisa Wingate and Judy Christie, a reunion was planned for the now-elderly adoptees to reunite
The mothers of the babies brought to the TCHS were often desperate to keep their children, but circumstances made it impossible. Some of the babies were kidnapped or brought to Georgia Tann under the impression that it was temporary. Georgia Tann sold these children in a sophisticated child trafficking scheme that ensured the children would never their birth families. Their stories are heartbreaking to read, and to know that many died without knowing anything about their origins. Their adoptive parents were also unaware of the illegal practices, and paid handsomely. It is particularly sad that Georgia Tann escaped the consequences of her actions by dying before she could be brought to justice.
Show More
with what siblings were still alive and to share their stories. The mothers of the babies brought to the TCHS were often desperate to keep their children, but circumstances made it impossible. Some of the babies were kidnapped or brought to Georgia Tann under the impression that it was temporary. Georgia Tann sold these children in a sophisticated child trafficking scheme that ensured the children would never their birth families. Their stories are heartbreaking to read, and to know that many died without knowing anything about their origins. Their adoptive parents were also unaware of the illegal practices, and paid handsomely. It is particularly sad that Georgia Tann escaped the consequences of her actions by dying before she could be brought to justice.
Show Less
LibraryThing member delphimo
The tragic fictional account of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society, Before We Were Yours, resonates better than the non-fictional account of Before and After. Yes, the stories of these babies and children evoke the reader’s emotions, but the first book captures the truer sympathy. Before and
Show More
After reads like a newspaper article which lacks the human element. The stories and characters portray flat objects. In this non-fiction work we learn more about the despicable Georgia Tann who dealt in exploiting poor girls, women, and families. But many of the children went to a better life. Show Less
LibraryThing member mapg.genie
After reading "Before We Were Yours" by Lisa Wingate, it was both heartwarming and sad to read some of the real-life stories of survivors of the Tennessee Children's Home Society. Christie did a great job of formatting her "interviews" with the people into a coherent, readable collection without
Show More
seeming like separate segments, bundled together. This book is a "must read" after reading Wingate's novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member dara85
If you have read the fictional book Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, this is the non-fiction story of the actual children who came from the Tennessee Home for Children in Memphis. The authors arranged a reunion for adoptees who were placed in the home in the 1930's and 1940's. Most of the
Show More
adopted children were age 70 or above and were still looking for news of parents or siblings. Most of them were adopted as infants, but a few remember being in the Tennessee Home and tell the story of being separated from their families. Their stories are hopeful and heartbreaking, but most leave the reunion knowing they are not alone and others have the same feelings as they do. Show Less
LibraryThing member LibraryCin
Lisa Wingate’s “Before We Were Yours” is a fictional account of Georgia Tann and her illegally obtaining kids and babies to illegally adopt out. With the popularity of that book, she and Judy Christie decided to reach out to many of those “kids” (now adults, of course) to hear their
I listened to the audio and that may have been my downfall. Because there were multiple individual stories to this one, it was more similar to a book of essays or short stories, so (because – audio) when I missed parts, it was hard to “catch up” on what I’d missed before we moved on to the next story. It did seem like many of the adopted kids had good lives, in the end.
There was some talk at the end about one of the reunion attendees not having a great home life post-adoption and that she was heartened to find others out there with a similar story – that is, she wasn’t alone in that. But if those stories were told in this book, I missed them. The entire story (Georgia Tann) is sad, but I suspect I might have liked this more if I’d actually read it. In any case, I’m still rating it ok.
Show More
stories and to set up a reunion. I listened to the audio and that may have been my downfall. Because there were multiple individual stories to this one, it was more similar to a book of essays or short stories, so (because – audio) when I missed parts, it was hard to “catch up” on what I’d missed before we moved on to the next story. It did seem like many of the adopted kids had good lives, in the end.
There was some talk at the end about one of the reunion attendees not having a great home life post-adoption and that she was heartened to find others out there with a similar story – that is, she wasn’t alone in that. But if those stories were told in this book, I missed them. The entire story (Georgia Tann) is sad, but I suspect I might have liked this more if I’d actually read it. In any case, I’m still rating it ok.
Show Less
Language
Original publication date
2019
ISBN
9780593130148