"Before We Were Yours," by Lisa Wingate

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate takes place in two separate narratives: the first follows the harrowing tale of May (aka Rill), a "river gypsy," who is spirited away from her birth parents and put up for adoption in the now-infamous Tennessee Children's Home Society.  The second timeline follows Avery Stafford, a woman two generations younger, as she works to uncover and understand May's story, and how it intertwines with her own.

Pros:

• May's narrative is a riveting piece of historical fiction that is at once heart-breaking and heart-warming; I was on the verge of tears by the end.
• May's appearance in both narratives means that Wingate is free to explore life and its challenges from many different angles (e.g. how young May had to "let Rill stay with the river," and conversely how elder May copes with the challenges of old age).
• I appreciate that two voice actresses were used for the two main POV characters (May and Avery).  This helped further differentiate their characters and stories.

Cons:

• Watching Avery's story unfold is considerably less interesting in my opinion.  Critiques of this part of the book, as well as major spoilers, can be found below the final score.
• Wingate's final prologue can be ham-fisted at times, both repeating some of the facts that were better spelled out in the story and uttering the infamous words, "if there is a moral to this story..."
• (nit-pick) The plot unfolds predictably; I can't say that there was anything that really surprised me about the book.  In my mind, it was more about seeing how the puzzle would fit together than what the next twist would be.
• (nit-pick) I almost turned off the book due to the creaky voice in the opening monologue.  I am glad that particular voice only makes sparring appearances throughout the book.

Conclusion:
The book was a wild ride from start to finish, and certainly one that tugs at the heart.  Some threads are left hanging by the end of the book, but this parallels the stories of those lost to history due to the Tennessee Children's Home Society.  Though the book is far from perfect, what it lacks in surprise, it makes up for in heart.  If the premise sounds interesting to you (and you can stomach some horrible things happening to children, even if they are never described graphically), this book is worth a look.

Final Score: 
7/10

---

Critique of Avery's narrative (warning: major spoilers)

• The "will-they won't-they" between Avery and Trent is banal.  Moreover, the fact that she ends her long-time relationship with Elliot to pursue a new relationship with Trent lacks impact because the relationship with Elliot is so sparsely characterized.  Finally, it is not clear what Avery's family, and especially her father, decides to do with the truth of their origins, other than move May into the same retirement home as "Grandma Judy," (one of May's sisters that was spirited away for adoption).  This could have been one of the most interesting lines of inquiry, in my opinion.  Lastly, with regards to Avery: I get that an "interloper" of some kind was needed to bring May and Judy back together, but I think Avery's role in the story could've been streamlined.