Before and After, Judy Christie

Before and After, Judy Christie | 320 Pages

When Lisa Wingate published her novel, "Before We Were Yours," it stirred up lots of emotions and curiosity about the real adoptions and abuses of the Tennessee Children's Home Society in Memphis. Several adoptees and their families decided they wanted to gather together for a reunion - a time to process, share, heal, and grieve with others who could understand. Journalist Judy Christie comes along to record the experience and preserve the stories for future generations.

I like to pair novels with non-fiction to get a better understanding of the time and events portrayed. It was interesting to hear the real stories and follow the reunion, but it wasn't a tightly written book - so much fluff about the author's response to the stories told and the logistics behind the event. I would have preferred a collection of just the adoptee stories without the rest.