Before We Were Yours

An incredible fiction based on true accounts

by Carol Low

Before We Were Yours (available for rent here) is another historical fiction that I recently read. The night that I finished the book, I went to sleep thinking about it, and woke up still thinking about it. The story is fictional, but it’s based on a true, horrific crime of a ruthless woman.

This is the story of five siblings who were taken (more aptly stolen) from their home while their parents were at the hospital. They were put in a children’s home and then separately adopted by families.

The cruelty of those who cared for the children were unspeakable and the children stood no chance to escape.

When you read this with a knowing that it is based on true accounts, it makes you wonder how so many parties could be a part of such wrong-doing against children.


Anyway, the story is told across different timelines, in the narrative of different characters. It’s intriguing, infuriating, heart-breaking, yet there’s hopefulness, love and beauty in it all. There’s even a little twist to it as you come to the end of the book.

The writing is quite good. If you’re interested to learn the true story underlying this work of fiction, you can read the author’s notes to this book.

I was hesitant to start at first, but couldn’t wait to get to the end when I was halfway through.

My first time reading Lisa Wingate. I guess it’s worth exploring her other books.

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