Before We Were Yours is a poignant novel that tells the story of two families, generations apart, who are forever changed by a heartbreaking injustice. The novel is inspired by a true story and is recommended for readers of Orphan Train and The Nightingale. The story follows the lives of Rill Foss and her siblings, who are taken from their Mississippi River shantyboat and placed in a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage. The novel also follows the story of Avery Stafford, a successful federal prosecutor who discovers uncomfortable truths about her family's long-hidden history. The novel is based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals, in which poor children were kidnapped and sold to wealthy families all over the country.