I thought this was an amazing book. I love how Wingate takes topics that were socially important in the past and educates us today.

This is a dual timeline story. The first tells the story of children (Native American mostly) in the early 1900's in Oklahoma who have been taken advantage of land, oil and timber greedy white men. The children ended up living and working in horrible conditions trying to survive on their own. It is also about women of the time that tried to change that.

The second timeline follows a female ranger in the 1990's who stumbles across a mystery involving abuse of children and the disappearance of family members in one family. She has to deal with the prejudice of the male rangers as she tries to follow her gut and her heart to solve the mystery.

Wingate's characters were so real and had such real problems that I couldn't help but be drawn deeply into the story. It was awesome!

Thanks to Random House and Ballantine Books as well as NetGalley for this incredible book. All thoughts are my own.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours, Lisa Wingate brings to life her latest powerful and evocative historical fiction, SHELTERWOOD.

The novel is set in the backdrop of early-twentieth-century Oklahoma and inspired by the untold story of women pioneers who fought to protect children caught in the storm of land barons, hungry for power, oil, and wealth.

Themes...
The rights of women and children, family, and justice.

Inspired by...
SHELTERWOOD is inspired by female pioneers like Kate Barnard who fought to protect children's rights and welfare in a time when child labor was unregulated and exploited.

Elf children....
Kate discovered "elf children" living in a hollow tree in Oklahoma in 1909. The children were not elves, but land-wealthy orphans of the Five Tribes. Their court-appointed guardian was living lavishly on the children's oil monies, while the kids fled to the woods to survive.

Topics...
Race, identity, culture, gender, economic status, and discrimination. The conflict over land ownership, power, and wealth is a central theme in the book (which is timely and topical today).

Social issues...
Mistreatment of Indians, child labor, corruption, and poverty.

About ...

SHELTERWOOD is told through two timelines and perspectives
— 1909: Olive Augusta Radley
—1990: Valerie Boren-Odell

PAST: 1909: Set in early-twentieth-century Oklahoma, we meet Olive Augusta Radley (11), aware her stepfather doesn't have good intentions toward the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home as wards.

When the older girl disappears, Ollie flees to the woods, taking six-year-old Nessa. Together, they begin a perilous journey to the rugged Winding Stair Mountains, the notorious territory of outlaws, treasure hunters, and desperate men. Along the way, Ollie and Nessa form an unlikely band with others like themselves, struggling to stay one step ahead of those who seek to exploit them.

PRESENT: Oklahoma, 1990. Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie Boren O'Dell arrives at Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place for her new home, a fresh start, as a single parent for her young son, Charlie.

She is only on the job for a few days when she is faced with controversy over the park trail’s opening, a missing teenager, and the discovery of a long-hidden burial site with the bones of three children. Val's quest to uncover the truth gains an ally among the neighboring Choctaw Tribal Police but soon collides with old secrets and the tragic and deadly history of the land itself.

Both Ollie and Valerie struggle for justice and change. The two powerful timelines converge for a remarkable and significant conclusion.

My Thoughts...

Meticulously researched, SHELTERWOOD is rich in time, place, and character. It is heartbreaking, spellbinding, atmospheric, emotional, and an unforgettable, gripping page-turner by a master storyteller.

Beautifully written, with two timelines and two heroines (Ollie and Val), both past and present, inspired by true events. You will root for Ranger Valerie as she uncovers the spine-chilling story of children displaced by land barons in this atmospheric setting.

I was unfamiliar with the historical events of Oklahoma and the Choctaw Nation prior to reading SHELTERWOOD, and I appreciate the author's research, attention to detail, and storytelling for bringing this to life.

She came across it in an old newspaper mentioning a woman who found "elf children living in a hollow tree" in Oklahoma. They had to beg for food and became malnourished and ragged, so people thought they were elves. Sadly, these children had no choice but to endure their young lives any way they could to survive to adulthood.

This propelled the author on a winding quest to discover the rest of the story, questioning: Who was this woman, Kate? Who were these children, and why were they living in a hollow tree? Why had she never heard of this?

Child labor...
Kate Barnard's deepest passion was evident in her pursuit of laws protecting children. She championed education and child labor laws in Oklahoma and pushed for nationwide regulation to prevent the use of children as low-budget labor in dangerous jobs.

SUPERB! Indeed, the author delivers a poignant voice to the past for the lost children of American history. It is a classic that belongs in everyone's home library and should be read by everyone including our youth.

Absorbing and provoking, SHELTERWOOD is an important tale and an essential piece of hidden history so eloquently brought to life! Highly recommend.

Recs...

For those who enjoyed her Before We Were Yours, fans of William Kent Krueger, Kimi Cunningham Grant, and Patti Callahan Henry, and those who enjoy American history, mysteries, literary fiction, historical fiction, and inspired stories untold and brought to life by one of the best storytellers out today, Lisa Wingate!

Be sure to check out her extensive and fascinating Book Club Kit for more resources and information. It is ideal for book clubs and further discussions.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the honor of a gifted digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: June 4, 2024
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Shelterwood is Historical Fiction told in dual timelines, 1909 and 1990. In 1990, Valerie Boren-Odell is a National Park Ranger newly transferred to Oklahoma, she learns on her first day that there were bones found up in the mountain. Since the land borders what had been Indian Territory, there is concern that it may have been Indian children who had died there.

In 1909 we meet Ollie, a eleven year old girl who lives with her mother, step-father, and two Indian sisters who were brought to live with them by her father before he died. Ollie's step-father is abusive and Ollie is worried about him taking advantage of her sexually. She knows that he was going after Hazel, the oldest Indian "sister".

There is a lot to process in this story, the Indians who were given rights to land in Oklahoma were being taken advantage of by wealthy men and grafters who wanted their land, especially when oil was discovered. Children were orphaned and living on the streets and in the mountains. Then, there is Kate Barnard, a real-life person and the first woman to earn statewide office in Oklahoma. Kate made it her life's work to help the young children who were homeless and being taken advantage of.

Sometimes I really love dual timeline stories, this time I found it rather jarring. I was very involved in each era but there wasn't anything really tying the stories together until the end. It was obvious that the bones in 1990 had to relate to what was happening in 1909 but I would have liked more combined that would have moved each story along together. That being said, I loved the stories and would highly recommend the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Shelterwood, written in two different timelines, 1909 and 1990, tells the story of Native American children of the Choctaw Nation, trying to escape from an abusive home in the first timeline, in Oklahoma. The second timeline tells about a park ranger - Valerie Boren-Odell, who is transplanted to the area of Horsethief National Park, who finds three skeletal remains in a cave and is determined to find out who they were. Lisa Wingate takes us through their lives and trials and through her descriptions, shows us the story of their lives during this era.This is an amazing story. I love reading fictional history as it takes me to that era where I learn so much about the history of the area and people. Thank you to Netgalley for this digital ARC.

Historical fiction readers will enjoy this dual timed book set in Oklahoma. Alternating between the 1900's and 1990 the author tells a fascinating story about the elf children. The mystery between the children of yesteryear and the disappearance of three people in 1990 is slowly untangled. Well researched historical events. Enjoyable although unbelievable at times.

Lisa Wingate does it again! She has written a story that sheds light on a piece of history that is overlooked. I actually would say this piece of history is typically displayed in the different light in history books. In school you read and celebrate men who settled areas of the United States but you do not really know how they acquired that land and made a town prosperous. Shelterwood is a dual timeline story - 1909 and 1990. The chapters flip back and forth between Ollie's story and Val's story. Wingate does a great job painting the picture of how dire the situation in 1909 was for children, Native Americans, and women. And if you were a combo of all three then it could be really terrible. I really enjoyed getting to know about Kate Barnard. Another American leader not mentioned in general US History but she was a true pioneer of women's rights and was also a driving force for the mistreatment of children. Overall, a very strong book that you walk away knowing an important piece of US history.

This dual time line book is heartbreaking and enlightening. In 1909 eleven year old Olive Radley is the narrator. She is feisty and very smart. Her father died and her mom remarried a very bad man who became her stepfather. There were two other girls who lived with them, Hazel and Nessa who is a six year old Choctaw girl. The stepfather took Hazel somewhere and the girls never saw her again, so Olive vowed she would protect Nessa with her life. In 1990 Valerie Bore-O'Dell, is a widowed park ranger. She has her first job in Oklahoma where both time lines take place. During one of her first days on the job there are some bones found hidden in her park and she is on the search to put names to the bones. Back in 1909 Choctaw orphans were put in homes of wealthy people who would then steal their land rights. They would then dispose of the children or put them to work in horrible places. Olive, being the street smart and strong girl that she was took Nessa and ran away from her stepfather. She was a good story teller and could make things up very quickly. She would get food and rig up shelter for herself and Nessa and some other orphans they picked up along their travels. She comes across Kate Barnard who was a member of congress and who was on a mission to help the orphaned, abused children. She was the first female to do this but because of her strong will the men folk got her out of her position of power and was left helpless.
In 1990, Valerie has bones and missing people on her agenda. She meets Sydney who actually reminded me of Olive because of her quickness with the stories. Sydney is the sister of a young man who hasn't been seen in weeks. Only his car was in the park.
This book takes you on two different stories that fit together so perfectly. It is historical fiction at it's best and I highly recommend this book.
Thanks to #netgalley, #ballantinebooks and @author_lisa_wingate for an ARC of this great read.

“Hate is a thief that will steal everything and return nothing if you let it.”

4.5 stars! In this emotional novel, Lisa Wingate traces the story of children abandoned by the law and the battle to see justice done. Told in dual timelines in Oklahoma, 1909 and 1990, the two stories are weaved together expertly and unfold like a present.

But, I will always compare every book by this author to Before We Were Yours, which is one of the best books I’ve ever read. So for that, I am sorry. And although Shelterwood was well written and an utterly memorable story, it was not quite up to the level of the aforementioned title.

The audiobook is read by 3 narrators and they are AWESOME! The narration is so good that you are immediately IN this story with these young girls (1909) and women (1990). I could listen to it again.

“The people you’re close to aren’t guaranteed. They can be gone in an instant.” Never forget this!

Thank you Netgalley, Random House/Ballantine Books, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate is the story of Oklahoma and its natives after oil was discovered in the early 1900s. It was after the Choctaw had been given individual parcels of land instead of a reservation. It was then that land was stolen from these people by marriage, by adoption, by fraud, by death. It takes place in two timeframes: 1990 at a national park now there and 1909 when two little girls ran from a sexual abuser and murderer. Their story, meeting up with other runaways and developing a life and a small society takes up half of the book. It was a time of child labor, rampant racism, and greed. In 1990 Valerie has arrived in Talahina to take up her position as a park police officer Horsethief Trail National Park. She was a woman and it was still an old boys situation. She had come from the Arch in St. Louis and needed a new life for herself and her son. She became obsessed with the search for a young man presumed lost in the wilderness. The only information she had was from his sister, a known liar. Each time she told the story it changed, but Valerie believed the essence of it.

The two timelines met in the middle as greed, of a different sort, reared its ugly head in 1990. As Valerie and her Choctaw police comrade, followed endless leads, others in her office were either too inexperienced or too busy covering their own behinds to worry abut the truth. The situations in modern foster homes once again rears its ugly head, as well. It was a frightening book in so many ways. The plight of these children, who were survivors, brought tears to my eyes as the “good people” of the area sought to solve the problem of homeless children. The mystery was a good one and the outcome even better. This book brought to the attention of the reader both past and present wrongs and, although many see the government as the solution to all ills, the shortcomings of the government in the most vital of times. It was an eye-opening read. Thanks, Lisa Wingate!

I was invited to read Shelterwood by Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine #LisaWingate #Shelterwood

I have loved Lisa Wingate books in the past. This book fell a little flat for me. It just seem to really drag on and I had a hard time getting into a through it

Any story that can keep my interest when it is a historical theme, and have me wondering if there are interesting aspects of the state I live in, is one you should read. This was a story about two women, years apart, that intersect in the most intriguing way.

Olive recounts a harrowing tale about survival, heartbreaking truths, perseverance and hope. She is a young girl, who saves her younger “sister” and does what she has to keep herself and her “sister” alive. Val is starting over after her husband dies. She moved her and her son away from her family and took on a new job as a park ranger. She no sooner starts her job when bones of three bodies are discovered.

The way these two stories connect was interesting and, in some ways, surprising. With the help of a local park ranger and a young girl (is she telling the truth?) Val embarks on a journey to find out who the bodies are where a young man is.

I really enjoyed this book. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.

This historical fiction story takes places in 2 time periods - 1909 and 1990. In 1990 we meet single mom and widow, Valerie, who has just moved here to take a job as a park ranger. As she is trying to prove herself to the men on the force, she meets Sydney who is looking for her brother and her grandmother. They find bones in a cave along with dead bodies and suspicious activity in the park. The other timeline is about Ollie in 1909 Oklahoma. Eleven year old Ollie ran away from an abusive stepdad with 6 year old Nessie. As they make their way in the woods, they meet up with "Elf Children" who are really Choctaw Native Americans whose families have had their land stolen from them. These children work together with other children to work for food and build their own town called Shelterwood. This was an interesting story and I was surprised by how the 2 storylines tied together in the end. Thank you for the advanced copy of this to read!

"Shelterwood" by Lisa Wingate is a captivating 4-star read! The story is told from two perspectives and timelines, both set in Oklahoma. The first timeline is set in 1909 and introduces us to Ollie and Nessa, who run away from their nefarious stepfather, hoping to return to a cabin that Ollie remembers from before her father’s death. Along the way, they meet other kids who are also trying to find a new home. The second timeline is set in 1990, where we meet Park Ranger Valerie Boren-O’Dell, who has started a new assignment after losing her husband and is left alone to raise her son. Val is trying to uncover several mysteries that occurred in Horsethief Trail National Park.

I thought this was a well-written account of what these children endured during this time period. It’s heartbreaking to think that barely 100 years ago, we treated people, especially children, this way. Both timelines were interesting, though I was more drawn to the 1909 storyline. However, the two timelines work well together. A large part of the 1990 timeline focuses on Val and how she copes with being a single mother while trying to succeed in her career. If you are a fan of historical fiction, you will enjoy "Shelterwood"!

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Lisa Wingate, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

I am a huge fan of When We Were Yours by this author, but this one just didn't do it for me and I ended up DNFing at 50%.

Historical fiction gives us a chance to learn about parts of history that we probably didn’t learn about in school. Hooked by a compelling setting- a new park with the National Parks system- with a female ranger who faces doubt and sexism as she debuts on the job. Toggling between a storyline set eighty years prior it highlighted the stories of Oklahoma and the land grabbing get rich schemes levied against Native Americans, children in this case. As a lover of the outdoors and supporter of the national Park system, this book was a delight.

Such an interesting read! Anytime I read a historical novel by Lisa Wingate, I find myself learning things I didn’t know before and researching them myself! Her latest is no exception. I had no idea about Kate Barnard and the ‘elf’ children. I truly enjoyed my time with Olive, Nessa, and Val. And the ending gave me such Fried Green Tomatoes vibes… I loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Lisa Wingate for this ARC.

Heartbreaking untold history of women pioneers who fought to protect children in the early 20th century. Children forgotten. Children taken advantage of in southeastern Oklahoma area of the Winding Stair Mountains and a Choctaw Reservation. The history and plight of these children comes together 90 years later as a newly widowed park ranger recently transferred to a new National Park tries to make her way and prove herself with the “old boys”. A very satisfying read.

Still outraged over Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI? A fan of Lisa Wingate's recent titles contrasting those who help and those who hinder the little ones among us? A fan of exciting tales in the Western states? This is the book for you!
Lisa Wingate takes a page from history regarding an Oklahoma hero named Kate Barnard --Oklahoma Commissioner of Charities and Collections before women could even vote.

The narrative has alternating timelines. One is set in 1909 telling the story of the 'elves of the forest," children who had been displaced and taken advantage of by unscrupulous operators and were homeless. Many found refuge in hollow trees, coming out to ask neighbors for food --trading labor or forest bounty to survive. The longer they had to live in the forest, the more desperate they looked and felt, resulting in a death spiral for some. The second features a female national park ranger in 1990 who finds much more to deal with than a lost hiker or wandering predator. She goes up against a new breed in the greed and exploitation game. Same song, second verse. Both timelines take place in the Winding Stair area of SE Oklahoma. Since reading this book, I am googling and dreaming of making a trip there in the future.

Thank you to Random House-Ballantine and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Wingate can write a heart-breaking orphan story like no other. This book is set in Oklahoma and told in alternating timelines between past (1909) and present (1990 - which is still over 30 years ago). In the past, Olive Augusta Radley has left home with her adopted sister, after their step-father tries to take advantage of them. They run away and end up meeting up with several other runaways and orphans. These children have been lost to the system and had their Native lands stolen from them. In the present day we meet Valerie, a park ranger who is investigating some mysterious happenings in the fictional Winding Stairs National Park. This story is well-written and well-researched. It shares the fate of so many young orphans and Choctaw children in the early 1900s, that sadly was the norm for far too many children. I preferred the chapters set in the past to the current day chapters.

Intense, well written. Historical and not at all a happy tale. Buckle down and take shelter in the beautiful words of this amazing author. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read and review.