A Not-So-Ordinary Book Discussion
BY TIFFANY KILLOREN
A DEEP DIVE INTO ONE READ Most of these little Bookish columns provide a list of books that fall into certain categories to provide readers options for those next trips to the bookstore, library, or virtual walk through the e-book aisles. But I’ve decided to devote this column to a single book for a few reasons. First, I had no idea until I was finished with the book that any portion of it was true, which left me a bit gobsmacked and eager to learn more. I get that way with some stories; I finish and then research as much about the true events as possible. I did that with this one, which made the story itself all the more captivating (and horrifying!). The second reason I chose to devote this column to the following book is because one of my favorite people in the world recommended it—my mom. There are few books that she insists I read, so when she loaned this one to me and kept following up, I knew it was something special. Before We Were Yours (Lisa Wingate, 2017) Set among the
beauty, mystery, and isolation of a Mississippi River community near Memphis, Tennessee, this story is one that weaves themes of love and family throughout. The book is about a family—five kids living with their parents on a boat in a way of life they loved despite the judgment of society. The children neither knew, nor would have cared, that they were lacking in the niceties of the day, the family one that floated through life accompanied by the stars and sounds of nature. Referred to as “river rats” by some, it was a family—a family who desperately loved one another. Without giving too much of the story away, an opportunity arose for the children to be taken from their river home and transferred to a children’s home in Memphis. It was there that they struggled to survive in ways they couldn’t have imagined, clinging to one another for the physical, emotional, and mental strength they would need to confront the unimaginable. In the most simple of concepts, Before We Were Yours is a story about the love for one’s family and the invisible ties we
have to those who contribute to our intricate fabric and the soul’s way of remembering. On a broader scale, this book is about the viciousness that some are capable of and how economic status was—and is—so often the measure of one’s worth. The book itself is beautifully written and a gripping story that brings so many emotions to the surface as you long desperately to reach into its pages and help this family. The true story, however, has so many more layers. It wasn’t until the Author’s Notes at the end that I realized one of the book’s villains was a true person who did real and horrible things that forever impacted loving families. Georgia Tann, the woman who literally stole children from their families for personal gain, actually existed. Look her up online and you’ll see her photo, a prim and proper woman with dainty glasses in a pristine dress, smiling proudly for the camera. Evil, it seems, comes in all shapes and forms, and this particular figure thought nothing of ripping children from their parents’ arms and building her fortune on the heartache of others. When I closed the book for the last time, I realized why my mom had so desperately wanted me to read it. This is a story about good versus evil, the strength of family, and how love can survive all.
Tiffany Killorenis a local author and lover of the written word. Her novel, GOOD WILL, was released in 2020 and she is always thinking of new stories to tell. Follow her at @readandthreads on Instagram for book and life musings as she tries to balance career, family and her passion for writing one step - or word - at a time. PHOTO BY MOLLY KUPLEN
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SIMPLYkc MAGAZINE
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JUNE 2022
