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clgreads's review against another edition
4.0
Heartbreaking and heartwarming. If you've read Before We Were Yours, you need to read this.
laurajunejockisch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
dswhite's review against another edition
3.0
This was a informative addition to the book Before We Were Yours. It was nice to hear real life stories like the characters in the book. It is also eye opening to the immoral things that happened in the past. The corruption and horror of people. This will be one I will remember when people try to say how much better things used to be.
chrreireads's review against another edition
1.0
Could not get past all of the oddly written self promotion in the third person. Could have spent 1 chapter talking about organizing the reunion and spent the rest of the book on adoptees stories. Felt the book was about the authors instead.
judascomplex's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent addendum to BEFORE WE WERE YOURS, and a fascinating in-depth view on Georgia Tann's hellscape. It's so hard to believe that all of this went on under the noses of so many, and no one knew. Though non-fiction is not my usual genre, it was good to read all of this, and get a feel for not only the reality of the situation, but also the reality of those who survived it--and those who did not.
marshasue22's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
madi_mairee's review against another edition
2.0
I received an ARC of this book via @netgalley. Thank you for that.
I was interested in this book once I saw it dealt with the same subject matter as Before We Were Yours, Before We Were Yours absolutely wrecked me in all of the best ways and left me thinking about it weeks later. So when I saw this was real life stories of children who went through Georgia Tann's system I knew I had to read it. Unfortunately, I think I had too high of expectations.
I found this book to be lacking emotion. This is a highly sensitive subject matter and I was expecting to need to grab the tissues. So it was surprising to me that I couldn't connect with any of the people in this book. It felt like we were kept at a distance, I was seeing them from afar rather than really getting to know their stories. Part of this might be the amount of stories being told. Rather than focusing on a select few, we are introduced to a multitude of families effected by Tann. To me this wasn't a smart choice. I understand thousands went through those doors, but by introducing so many people we only get a teaser to their story. I wanted so much more!
The only redeeming quality for me here was getting a glimpse into my own family. My mother found out she was adopted and had step siblings in her thirties. So I was able to connect with some of the children that were interviewed here as well as understand my mother a bit more. If you had family members that were adopted, I think you might enjoy this book. But otherwise, I would probably pass.
I was interested in this book once I saw it dealt with the same subject matter as Before We Were Yours, Before We Were Yours absolutely wrecked me in all of the best ways and left me thinking about it weeks later. So when I saw this was real life stories of children who went through Georgia Tann's system I knew I had to read it. Unfortunately, I think I had too high of expectations.
I found this book to be lacking emotion. This is a highly sensitive subject matter and I was expecting to need to grab the tissues. So it was surprising to me that I couldn't connect with any of the people in this book. It felt like we were kept at a distance, I was seeing them from afar rather than really getting to know their stories. Part of this might be the amount of stories being told. Rather than focusing on a select few, we are introduced to a multitude of families effected by Tann. To me this wasn't a smart choice. I understand thousands went through those doors, but by introducing so many people we only get a teaser to their story. I wanted so much more!
The only redeeming quality for me here was getting a glimpse into my own family. My mother found out she was adopted and had step siblings in her thirties. So I was able to connect with some of the children that were interviewed here as well as understand my mother a bit more. If you had family members that were adopted, I think you might enjoy this book. But otherwise, I would probably pass.
acarolinabelle's review against another edition
3.0
A bit choppy but emotional
More like 3.5 stars. This was a very moving book, but the writing style was a bit choppy. I would have loved more stories from the adopters and less from the authors. Don't get me wrong, they did a wonderful thing in telling/compiling these stories and holding the reunion, but I felt like there was a bit more...not quite bragging but almost about it. I still enjoyed the book.
More like 3.5 stars. This was a very moving book, but the writing style was a bit choppy. I would have loved more stories from the adopters and less from the authors. Don't get me wrong, they did a wonderful thing in telling/compiling these stories and holding the reunion, but I felt like there was a bit more...not quite bragging but almost about it. I still enjoyed the book.
sarebot's review against another edition
4.0
The perfect companion to Before We Were Yours, Before and After puts faces to the families ripped apart by the TCHS. I appreciate the fact that these stories were gathered and believe that everyone should learn about the corruption involved in these adoptions.
meldav4's review against another edition
4.0
I read and loved “Before We Were Yours” and was anxious to read “Before and After” when I heard about it. It is definitely a follow up to “Before We Were Yours” as it explains what happened once the novel was published; the people who came forward who had direct ties to the Tennessee Children’s Home Society, the reunion that was planned, the relationships that were reconnected, and the answers that were finally found. It truly is amazing to read all that was uncovered, discovered, and shared - it is a captivating topic, and as achingly shocking and sad as the stories told are, it is wonderful that a novel helped pave the path for survivors and their families to unite, share their past and stories, and form new relationships with others who also went through the same horrible times.