Shelterwood is another exceptional novel by Lisa Wingate! I came to know of this author by reading “Before We Were Yours”, and was transfixed by the stories written about the devastating effects of injustices upon children. Wingate is an adept and meticulous researcher in her writings, drawing upon many resources of factual information for the subjects she writes on, and the amount of learning and education I receive while reading her stories is astounding! In her newest novel, Shelterwood, Wingate tells the story of the corruption of Native American lands in Oklahoma, and the injustices that occurred against children. The story is told from two time periods, 1909 and 1990, and takes place in southeastern Oklahoma, in the Winding Stair Mountains. We learn about the main characters of Ollie (age 11) and her friends, as well as a current widowed park ranger, Valerie who recently moves to Oklahoma for work, after the death of her husband. The story focuses on the orphaned Native American children, and the atrocities they endured, as well as current social injustices continuing to unfold in the Winding Stair Mountain region. Wingate does a wonderful job shedding light to social injustices, both past and present, and educates the reader on history that most likely was never known before reading this book. You will not want to put this book down! It will leave your heart broken, yearning for redemption for the children orphaned in Oklahoma back in 1909, and awaken you to the greed, dishonesty, and injustice of current day society. Wingate sheds light on history that was buried and gives hope to the future, making sure that injustices are never forgotten. Thank you for NetGalley and Ballantine books for this advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

This book is amazing on so many levels. First, it sheds light on some history that I wasn't aware of. The author's note about this is not to be missed. Second, the story drew me in from the beginning, rooting for a child who fights to survive in creative and ingenious ways and for a woman who struggles with grief and wants to prove that she is capable of doing her job. Third, the dual time periods were equally engaging, which is not something that is often done successfully.

Read full review May 16 here: https://novelpastimes.com/2024/05/16/review-shelterwood-by-lisa-wingate/

I was really looking forward to this book because I loved Before We Were Yours.
Shelterwood was just okay. The writing was great, and the plot line was interesting, but the pacing was way too slow for me. And then it abruptly ended. I felt like I missed parts and had to go back to find information, but there were definite holes in the story. This was not a terrible story, but it certainly wasn’t great.

The background story is very powerful. It is criminal to see what our nation has done to our children and Native Americans. The characters are likable and the writing is very emotional provoking.

Lisa Wingate does it again! If you are a fan of her books, you will not be disappointed in this new one. The book sucks you in from the get-go and you will find yourself thinking about the characters long after you finish it. Do yourself a favor and get this book!!

A dual timeline novel based on historical fact, Shelterwood takes place in Oklahoma’s Native American land. Ollie, who lived in the early 20th century, is a precocious girl set on saving her “sisters” from their predatory stepfather. In today’s world Valerie is a forest ranger specializing in law enforcement, who not only has to see that the law is upheld but also has to fight the prejudice against females holding that position.

Lisa Wingate has been thorough in her research (note: be sure to read the Author’s Note and the Acknowledgments), and we are treated to the sights and sounds of both time periods. But I must say that reading about how young Native American children were preyed upon for the land they would inherit is truly chilling. Ollie and her crew try to save themselves from capture by learning to hunt and fish, while at the same time figuring out where to sleep. People in their area knew about them and called them “elves” because they were so skinny.

Valerie is new to her position, and being widowed, she must tread carefully since she is the sole support for her son Charlie. But she has a yen for the truth and feels she must follow all leads, even when discouraged by her superiors and colleagues. The result is a layered mystery in a fast-moving story that is quite exciting.

sigh...i should have read the description closer. This level of abuse and harm to kids is a hard no for me. I am too susceptible to bad dreams.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and Lisa Wingate for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Shelterwood!

This captivating book is set to release on June 4th, 2024, and I'm giving it a solid 4-star rating!

True to Lisa Wingate's style, Shelterwood begins slowly, allowing the intricacies of the storyline to unfold. It's narrated through the perspectives of two women: Olive Augusta Peele in 1909 and Valerie Boren-Odell in 1990, both situated in Oklahoma.

Olive, also known as Ollie Auggie or Hazel, is a runaway who understands the danger posed by her stepfather, particularly after the disappearance of her Choctaw "adopted sister," Hazel. Determined to escape with her companion Nessa, Olive embarks on a journey to the old homestead in the Winding Stair Mountains. Along the way, they gather other vulnerable children, forming a makeshift community in hopes of reaching safety, all while evading capture.

Meanwhile, Valerie Boren-Odell starts anew as a Ranger at Horsethief Trail National Park, facing local opposition to the park's opening, a mysterious burial site, a missing teenager, and family secrets tied to Grandma Budgie's land.

The connection between these two narratives is nothing short of fascinating, weaving a tale you never knew you needed.

One of the highlights of this historical fiction is the wealth of knowledge it imparts. Through Shelterwood, I discovered the remarkable story of Miss Kate Barnard, the first female politician who campaigned tirelessly for women and children's rights, particularly Native American children, and fought against unsafe labor conditions. Despite her groundbreaking achievements, she faced opposition and was eventually forced out of office, but her legacy endures.

The portrayal of female resilience and strength in this novel is truly commendable, making for a compelling and enlightening read!

Lisa Wingate has a way of touching our hearts. This dual timeline story of Olive (1909) and Val (1990) tell of the injustices done to children especially Native American children in Oklahoma over land rights. The story makes your heart break and at the same time so proud of these children who fought and struggled against the evil that men do. The 1909 story line follows Ollie and her plan to escape her evil stepdad along with Nessa. The 1990 storyline follows Val, a park ranger new to the Oklahoma mountain range investigating a missing teen and several mishaps in the park. Love when the storylines come together. Love that Lisa Wingate teaches us history while touching our hearts. Amazing! Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books.

The first thing you need to know is that I love this author. I've recommended her to *so* many readers. Every time I pick up one of her books I go into it knowing that by the time I put the book down, I will be newly aware of a shocking part of American history that I hadn't known previously. This book is no exception.

As author Lisa Wingate often does, she's created here a story in dual timelines. The 1990 story is about a female National Park Ranger freshly assigned to a new national park in southeast Oklahoma, where the bones of three young children have been found in a cave.

The 1909 story follows three children who are on the run from abusive guardians, part of a horrible practice where oil barons took guardianship of young native American children and their property, then discarded the children and snatched up their valuable assets. This portion of the book introduces the reader to real-life power-house Kate Barnard, elected to the Oklahoma statehouse before women even had the right to vote, fearlessly dedicated to protecting these children. In fact, this book is full of strong women, and there's nothing I love more.

That being said, I do have one small... complaint? That might be too strong of a word. Wingate is a beautifully non-offensive author. Characters develope feelings for each other, but these are only hinted at in the most vague way. Young girls are abused, but readers never know how. A chapter will end with a cliffhanger, but when the next chapter opens, that situation has inexplicably resolved. I'm not out for gory details, but this book is *so* clean that it almost felt like it lacked something. YMMV.

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate was such an amazing story. I had forgotten how much i loved historical fiction in general and realized that I had not read much in this particular era. I really enjoyed the chapters that lived in the past as the story of these brave children really stood out. This book really puts things in perspective when you think about all that is going on the world right now and especially how it affects children.

Lisa Wingate is always worth the read, interspersing time periods and perspectives to shed light on lesser known issues in history and driving home the humanity to those who had atrocities committed against them.

Shelterwood focuses on a young girl surviving on her own in the early 1900s with her made family of Native American children and a park ranger confronting continued injustices in the 1990s.

I always appreciate Wingate’s research and passion in her projects. Shelterwood is another well written novel. I didn’t find myself as lost in the story as in her other writings but would still recommend it for her fans or any reader of historical fiction.

Dual time-line story about a female law enforcement ranger in the 1990s investigating the disappearance of a teen, and a young girl in the early 1900s a young girl fleeing with her adopted sister from her their abusive stepfather. The two stories carry the common theme of exploitation of Native Americans and their lands. The history behind the story was interesting, but the plots seemed to bog down for me in too much detail. Still a worthwhile read.

Slow and draggy for at least two thirds of the book, it became an effort to finish reading, which I would not have done had I not promised to write a review. I expected more from Lisa Wingate, an author whose previous books I’ve enjoyed and whose future books I will read.
Set in Oklahoma in two timelines, the very dawn of the 20th century and again in 1990, the two separate stories felt extremely disjointed and made for difficult reading. Eventually , far into the book, things came together but I had already tired of working so hard to finish and found myself merely speed reading until the end.
The topic is an important one, revealing the lives of Native American children, and the greedy land grabbers around them. When remains of three young children are unearthed in 1990, an investigation into the past uncovers a horrifying history. Sounds important. Sounds compelling. Yet it was a chore to read. . I so wanted to like this better but I promised an honest review. Two measly stars for a book I plodded through with no enthusiasm. My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for gifting me an advance readers copy. Publication date is April 10, 2024.

I’ve enjoyed Lisa’s previous “Before We Were Yours”, but I just couldn’t get into this one. It was a bit slow and I found myself only wanting to read the present chapters and skim over the past ones. Definitely interesting subject, but unfortunately I couldn’t get into it enough to hold my attention.

So disappointed because I loved her last book, but this one never held my attention. It was very slow and the characters were one dimensional. The parts set in the present were a bit better than the historical flashbacks, but overall, a disappointing read.

I started Shelterwood on a trip and I was immediately hooked!! Like other Lisa Wingate books there were dual story lines in this book, with Ollie's part set in 1909 and Ranger Val in 1900 all in the Winding Stair Mountains. In this case, the book and dual narratives started to get a bit confusing after the first half of the book but did come together in the end.
Ollie's story focused on escaping her terrible stepfather with her adopted Choctaw "sister" after her older adopted sister goes missing. She bands together with other abandoned kids and orphans to try to escape the harsh realities of their lives to create a child-run idyllic town Shelterwood. The shelterwood trees protect the smaller younger trees, and you saw that in the group of kids with the older kids helping to support the youngest.
Ranger Val is new to the Winding Stair area, after being widowed at a young age with a young child. She struggles but is excited for the opportunity to regrow and have adventures in the National Park where she is a ranger. Val's storyline in the second half of the book until before the end started to get a bit confusing to see how it related to Ollie, which is why I deducted 1 star.

Another wonderful story from Lisa Wingate! I love how she always seamlessly blends past and present, showing how they are intertwined. I would like to say I loved this story, but that’s hard to say when something breaks your heart. But it was a terrific read and brings attention to many things that happened in American history. I will forever remember Ollie, Nessa, and the other “elf children.”

Shelterwood is one of the best dual-timeline historical fiction novels I've read in a long time. Wingate's storytelling hooked me from the start, and I became heavily invested in the little girls' plight in the historical timeline. I also loved the modern (1990s) National Park Service Ranger storyline. So, who will enjoy this novel?
-If Killers of the Flower Moon absorbed you, Shelterwood will take you back to that horrific period in Oklahoma history.
-If you love National Parks and the rangers who support them, you'll enjoy the modern storyline. For a short while, I was trying to figure out if I missed the designation of a new park. Nope, it's fictitious—but just as impressive as our real-life parks.
-If you enjoy historical fiction and you're seeking stories from underrepresented eras, you'll enjoy this book.
-If you are looking for good book club discussion fodder, you'll find it in this book.
-If you are already a fan of Lisa Wingate (Before We Were Yours), you will surely like this book - I predict even more.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for a review.

Trigger warnings: child neglect and abuse - pervasive.

I really enjoyed Lisa Wingate's other novels, but this one was a struggle for me. It felt very predictable and I could tell where the story was going to go. Typically, her work teaches me about an aspect of American history that I am not familiar with. This felt like it was drifting so much between the two storylines with characters and subplots being lost in the wind. I do appreciate the ARC from NetGalley and Random House but this was definitely not the book for me.