Before We Were YoursBefore We Were Yours
Score Modern
What it's about
Memphis, 1939: twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live aboard their family's Mississippi River shantyboat. One stormy night, while their parents are at the hospital, strangers arrive and take the children to a Tennessee Children's Home Society orphanage, where they learn the dark truth. In present-day South Carolina, Avery Stafford, born into wealth and privilege, uncovers a family secret that leads back to them.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 124 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's based on a real scandal, the Tennessee Children's Home Society, which stole and sold children for decades.
You'll love it if you liked
The Nightingale
Where the Crawdads Sing
The Four WindsGood to know
It alternates between 1939 and the present. The real history behind it is heartbreaking; Wingate's author's note explains it.
By the numbers
- Readers73 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller64 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #81 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #351 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #691 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is Before We Were Yours worth reading?
Yes. It spent 124 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #691 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Before We Were Yours about?
Memphis, 1939: twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live aboard their family's Mississippi River shantyboat. One stormy night, while their parents are at the hospital, strangers arrive and take the children to a Tennessee Children's Home Society orphanage, where they learn the dark truth. In present-day South Carolina, Avery Stafford, born into wealth and privilege, uncovers a family secret that leads back to them.
How long does it take to read Before We Were Yours?
About 9 hours (368 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Before We Were Yours?
If you liked it, try The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens or The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah.