The Real Story Behind the Book Before We Were Yours
It is no secret that I love nonfiction. I find the real story fascinating. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy a good fiction read as well.
A good historical fiction book leaves you wanting to know more. It gives you a longing to know the whole story or the real version.
Over the last few months I have read a couple of fiction books that have left me wanting for more, so I researched the nonfiction version of the same story.
Reading the nonfiction version gave me a better insight to the whole story. Instead of learning about fictitious people, I got to learn about the real people behind the story.
I now have a goal of reading and sharing more fiction and nonfiction book pairings. I want to learn the facts and read the fiction.
A few months ago we talked about the real story behind The Spymistress. Today I have another book pairing for you. This book pairing is the real story behind the novel Before We Were Yours.
Before and After and Before We Were Yours both cover the story of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage. And both books are by one of my favorite authors, Lisa Wingate.
Before We Were Yours is a book that I almost didn’t read because it got so much attention. But after reading another book by Lisa Wingate, I knew that I wanted to read more books by her. I decided to give Before We Were Yours a try.
I now understand why this book has so many four and five star reviews. This book is one that I can’t stop thinking about.
I kept telling my daughter that it was so good that I didn’t want to put it down, but at the same time it was so sad that I wasn’t sure I could keep reading it.
And after you read Before We Were Yours, the book Before and After is a must read!
Maybe saying it is a must read is a bit strong, but if you love knowing the facts behind the fiction, I think you will love Before and After by Lisa Wingate. It contains the real life stories behind the kids who survived the Tennessee Children’s Home.
I recently read a review from a blogger recently that loved Before We Were Yours, but didn’t like Before and After.
Not all books are for all people, I get that, but this reviewer wanted Before and After to be more of a narrative nonfiction. They were looking for a you can’t put it down type of book.
Before and After is not that kind of book. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great book.
Before and After contains some of the stories from the real victims of the Tennessee Children’s Home. It shares their story of adoption. It shares the good and the bad. It shares how many of them found out their were adopted and how that impacted their lives.
It also shares some of the reunions with their siblings, years after they were at the Tennessee Children’s Home.
Before and After is not an easy book to read. It is full of shocking and sad stories of what children went through, but they are important stories.
If you read and loved Before We Were Yours, give Before and After a try.
If you have not read either book I encourage you to read them. Read the fiction version, Before We Were Yours first. Then pick up the nonfiction version and read the real story behind the book Before We Were Yours.
Have you read either of these books? I would love to hear your thoughts!