genre: historical fiction
Rill’s houseboat life on the river in Memphis with her four younger siblings isn’t easy, but it’s full of love. On the night when her mama goes into labor with their newest family member, Rill’s life is completely upended in the most traumatic of ways. In a time when adoptions and the care of orphaned children were completely unregulated, Rill and her brothers and sisters end up in the clutches of a woman whose Tennessee Children’s Home Society treats children like property to be sold.
In the present time, Avery’s life as a lawyer has been put on hold while she helps her father through an illness. Being back at home also puts her closer to her beloved grandma whose dementia makes the past far more real than the present. The way Avery and Rills’s stories will intertwine reminds us of the power of love and the strength of family ties.
I know I’m the last person to finally read this. I found the historical portions of the book riveting - heartbreaking, yes, but well plotted and gave me all the feels. I had no idea about the atrociousness of the TCHS, I had to look it up and tell my family about it. I did like the connection between the two time periods but Avery’s story felt more clunky and required a bit too much stretching of the imagination. Too many coincidences for me. Overall, though, I enjoyed it.
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