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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
Child abduction — the taking of children from their families; some period violence
Language
Barely any
Period language; minimal strong words
Sexual Content
Barely any
No significant sexual content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
Child abduction — the Tennessee Children's Home Society's real crimes; Children separated from their families — depicted across years; Poverty and abuse in the orphanage; Period racism and class exploitation; The historical truth — this happened to real children
What this book is about
Rill Foss is twelve years old and living on a Mississippi River shantyboat when she and her siblings are taken by Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children's Home Society—a real adoption ring that stole and sold poor children for decades. In the present day, Avery Stafford discovers a photograph that connects her family to Rill's story. Before We Were Yours is based on the real historical crimes of the Tennessee Children's Home Society.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Child abduction — based on real crimes; the Tennessee Children's Home Society
Children separated from families — depicted across years
Poverty, abuse, and exploitation — the orphanage depicted honestly
Based on true events — real children were stolen and sold
Reader Verification
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