Shelterwood is not one I’m necessarily eager for my friends to read upon its release, but it was a solid read and I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for proving the advanced reader copy. I love national parks and history, so there was plenty to enjoy. While I love dual timelines, I sometimes felt we stayed too long in either 1909 or 1990 and I became a bit bored. I was also somewhat disappointed in how the two timelines intersected in the end.

Love dual time lines? Shelterwood will be right up your alley. Featuring 1909 and 1990, this is the story of the Choctaw Indian tribe then and now. Wingate delves into the past of the Choctaw Indians and the children taken from them and boarded with white families. Wingate mixes history and mystery into this moving tale which leaves you turning pages deep into the night .

Shelterwood, by Lisa Wingate, will be released on June 4. This story is set in two-time periods, with the alternating stories of Valerie and Olive. In the early 1900’s, Olive is a neglected child who leaves her home and befriends other children with difficult lives. Living in the woods near the Winding Stair Mountain, these children learn to survive in the wild and deal with outlaws and untrustworthy men. Valerie’s story is set in 1990. Her arrival at a national park as a law enforcement ranger is fraught with difficulty. A missing teenager and a hidden cave with bones of three children makes her first weeks on the job difficult and eye-opening to the injustices surrounding the land once inhabited by Native Americans. The two stories will intertwine and reveal a period of history that is sad and unknown to most Americans. This is the first book I have read by this author, so I can’t make any comparisons to her other novels. I did enjoy the subject matter, but at times the story was a bit slow for me. For me, this was a 3.5-star book. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC for an honest review.

This book is told from a dual point of view, one from 1909 and the other from 1990. In 1909 Olive Radley runs away from home alongside a younger Choctaw girl that’s staying at their home after concerns for their well-being. They meet other runaways along the way to form a tribe of sorts as they journey towards the Winding Stair Mountains. In 1990 a new state Ranger Valerie becomes tangled up in a controversy when handling a missing teenager case and finds the skeletons of three young girls.

I love how Lisa Wingate navigates such a hard part of history that I had no idea about. This story is written in a very engaging way and I was always looking for how the two POVs were going to meet up. My only wish is that there was more to the story once it did so, as it seemed somewhat abrupt and then the story was over.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A story of orphans and their plight in 1909. A very educational read for me as I was not aware of this time in history! I however struggled to get through it as it was not an easy seamless read for me.

However, I did still give 4 stars because the story came together quite well at the end and the historical education was appreciated.

Lisa Wingate does it again with a wonderfully woven story of survival and family. Written in a dual time line with 11 year old Olive in 1909 in Oklahoma and National Park Ranger Valerie in 1990. Both scenarios are filled with descriptive nature of the Winding Stair Mountain area. Both stories are of survival and mystery. Keep reading to see how Olive and Valerie intersect decades apart. This historical fiction is filled with interesting characters and what it means to be family. Thank goodness for strong women looking out for homeless children. The reader gets caught up in how unscrupulous land barons exploit Native American Choctaw Indian children. This is an exciting read and one that will stay with the reader for a long time.

This story was compelling and kept my interest through all the twists and turns of the dual timeline. The stories paralleled each other, showing women's empowerment and the desire to right injustices, especially those perpetrated on the Choctaw Native Americans that populated the area. Wingate used actual historical events and characters, then populated her story with "elf-children" and diligent park rangers that made them come to life and made me care about their circumstances. I could not put it down.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Read Copy of Shelterwood.

The book is a well-woven story of children living very rough in the early 20th century, and the similar evils at the end of the century. It alternates between the two times and shows how they are tied together.

However, I read it with an undercurrent of anger. One of the main characters thinks that being a mom makes her compassionate to all children. It's an often heard idea, and is very insulting to childless people. Ironically, the book is full of bad parents, including the character with the mistaken ideas.

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate tells the story of Olivia Augusta Radley growing up in the early 1900’s in the forests of Winding Hill Staircase along with other children that were cheated out of their land.

In the present time is Valerie a park ranger that recently accepted the job and begins investigating the bones discovered.

An exciting mystery but very sad that children had to grow up this way. It is good this story was told.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my 2nd Lisa Wingate book and it absolutely did not disappoint. Lisa knows how to write about the hard ugly topics that occurred in history. Some that are hard to swallow and if you are like me, some of these "fictional stories"/real-life historical events may be new to you.

Right out the gate this book had me hooked. The dual time line had me invested in how Ollie Auggie of 1909 and Valerie Boren-Odell of 1990 were connected. Lisa does not shy away from detail that is needed for you to understand what the connection is. This is definitely a slow burn after the first few chapters, but after a bit you can't put it down.
Thank you Ballantine Books & NetGalley for my ebook of this amazing ARC.

The book alternates story lines in 1909 and 1990. In 1909, Ollie Augie Radley is a preteen girl living in rural Oklahoma with a lecherous stepfather, a mother who has become a victim of drugs and alcohol after pregnancy loss, and a 6 year old orphan Choctaw child, Nessa. In Oklahoma at that time, men would do almost anything for land, oil, mineral rights and money. The US government had taken land from American Indian tribes, put Indian children in schools to force them to leave behind their language and customs, and many iunscrupulous men blatantly stole children to gain their portion of land, and then abandoned them to die.
In 1990, Val Boren-O’dell, a National Park Ranger, and widowed single parent, and her young son Charlie, are assigned to the Winding Stair Mountain area of Oklahoma, where she is the only female employee. She arrives just as 3 long-dead skeletons are found in a cave nearby. She is determined to succeed as a professional, not the token female, despite the discrimination she experiences. She also plans to solve the mystery of who the skeletons were before the investigation is swept under the rug.
How the two stories 8 decades apart are woven together is the beauty of the novel. Lisa Wingate has always been a champion of children, those who are at risk due to status in life, or ethnicity, those who are trafficked for adoption, for work as servants or for sexual exploitation. It’s a shameful part of American history, and this book focuses on indigenous children who were robbed of their lifestyle and their monetary and cultural heritage.
The author is also a champion of equality of women, and this book also focuses on the knowledge, strength, persistence and fearlessness of both the female protagonists.
It was a time in American history I didn’t know a lot about, and I enjoyed reading about the customs and traditions of the Choctaw people. It was also interesting to read about the National Park Service.
The story line was fascinating, character development skillfully done. The transitions back and forth, and the way the two story lines blended was seamless and satisfying.
I loved everything about the book and I must say Lisa Wingate has authored another historical novel with great attention to detail and a sometimes sad, sometimes frightening, sometimes satisfying path to justice.
My review is entirely my own perspective and opinion after receiving an ARC of Shelterwood from NetGalley.

The story takes place in Oklahoma in two time frames 1909 and 1999. The earlier story tells of Olive Augusta Radley, an eleven year old, and her concern for two Choctaw children who are boarding in their home. Olive flees with the younger girl, Nessa, after the older girl disappears. They run to the outlaw ridden Winding Stair Mountains, and while along the way meet up with other exploited children and they form a band.

Lisa Wingate has been a favorite author of mine since “Before We Were Yours”, which lead me down a rabbit hole to check on the details of that story. I even read other books about the victims described in that book. This story was just the same. Wingate does detailed research on each subject she chooses to write about, and she always does these lost stories justice. In “Shelterwood”, she puts a spotlight on the corruption in Oklahoma regarding Native lands, Information that all Americans should read about. Native peoples and orphans at the turn of the 20th century. Ollie and Nessa are the main characters and their flight to escape a lecherous stepfather, but being on their own at 11 and 6 years old, respectively, puts them squarely in the path of other dangerous people. The timelines go back and forth between the girls in 1909 and a female park ranger’s investigation of three small sets of skeletons found recently in a cave in 1990. Who are the three children? And why are the higher-ups so against truly investigating what happened? This part of the story kept me reading until deep in the night one night because I just had to know.

These characters are undeniably deserving of compassion. Once again, Lisa Wingate brings buried history to life and ensures that these wrongdoings are never forgotten. Again a tale we all need to read. Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC.

Shelterwood is a heartbreaking yet hopeful novel ab0ut found family and the many ways you can find them.

If you like a story that happens in two timelines (1890 and 1990), has several plucky, determined children who are running from some really bad people set on doing them harm (both physically and financially), has some other determined people who are just as determined to help them and prevent further harm, all of which is told by a talented author who based her novel on some little known facts of Oklahoma history, this is the book for you.
The 1990 timeline has to do with a female park ranger and the connection she finds to the 1890
actions.
Lisa Wingate uses her plot to shine a light on the Oklahoma history that was never taught during her school years. It involves stolen Native American land and land rights, especially the effect on the minors and orphans. On this backdrop she showcases the determination and struggles of Kate Bernard, the commissioner of charities and corrections who was determined to put a stop to those practices.
I think Shelterwood is the quintessential definition of a good read: one that pulls you into the story, makes you care about the characters and highlights a part of history too.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

Shelterwood was a wonderful delve into an aspect of history I didn't know a lot about. It is obvious that this book is well-researched and, as a historical fiction fan, that is always something I admire and appreciate. This story is told in dual timelines: 1909 (with Ollie, Nessie, and Hazel) and 1990 (with Val and Curtis). In 1909, we follow the story of orphan kids (including 11 year old Ollie and a Choctaw child named Nessie) who are trying to escape a dangerous man (Ollie's stepfather) that face many adversities in their journey. Wingate helps us not only see but feel their struggles, desperation, and resilience as they seek to find refuge and a better life. In the setting of early 1900s in Oklahoma, readers learn about the Choctaw Nation and the abuse of Native people from those who would steal their land and violate their people. In the other part of the story timeline, set in 1990, a park ranger in the Winding Stair Mountains (Valerie) is investigating some suspicious activity in Horsethief Trail National Park, including a missing teen, and has discovered some children's bones that were definitely not buried in the tradition of the Choctaw people. Wingate alternates between the gripping story of survival of the children and the investigation of the strange activities near Winding Stair Mountain.

As with many good historical fiction works, I am motivated to learn more about this aspect of history and to visit Oklahoma to see a state I hadn't previously thought much about. A book that moves you to feel anger and sadness and motivates you to want to take action is the sign of a great author. All Americans should read this to see more about those untold parts of our history that need to be brought to the light.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this amazing book!

Shelterwood is Lisa Wingate’s latest book, again about children in trouble. Told in dual timelines, both stories take place in eastern Oklahoma, in the Winding Stair Mountains.
In 1909, an eleven year old girl and her family’s six year old Choctaw ward run away from her stepfather, a man who had evil intentions. Trying to get to her parents' old cabin, they encounter other children living wild and form a community.
In 1990, a new female park ranger arrives looking to start her life over. Her husband is dead and she’s looking for somewhere quiet for her and her young son. But she’s immediately immersed in the search for a missing teenager and a coverup of the long hidden burial site of three children in a cave.
It took me a while to become invested in the book. The older story was initially more of a cliche and took awhile to get to the meat of the story, which was the stealing of land from Indian orphans. Part of the problem is that the story is told from the perspective of a young white girl so there’s no easy way to introduce the “issue”. The book is half over before Wingate uses a political rally to even begin to discuss the problem of the Indian children.
I always wonder when an historical fiction handles a political topic whether the author is also casting a light on the present day. “It is an abomination, Hazel, that our society can muster the wit and will to create such magnificence, yet not resolve to do right by a child, don’t you think?”
The more contemporary storyline is more of a standard “police procedural”, with a kind of Nevada Barr feel. This story moved at a faster pace. I did become more invested in both stories for the second half. And Wingate does a good job of bringing the stories together.
My personal preference is to have historical fiction that teaches me something. That means I wanted more facts than this story provides, but Wingate does provide those details in her Author’s Note.
My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an advance copy of this book.

Shelterwood was another great, historically significant story that the author brought to life. It took me a bit longer to get into than I thought it would but once I got into it, I was hooked. These young kids, called elf children, that lived alone in the woods of Oklahoma broke my heart. They endured hardship beyond measure and became little families of their own. This book is told in two timelines which worked so well!
Another notch in Wingate's belt of excellent historical fiction!

Thank you NetGalley & Random House for early access to this book. It publishes on 6/4.

If you’ve read Wingate’s ‘Before We Were Yours,’ this book is setup in a very similar way: past/present POVs revolving around a glossed over part of history with an eventual tie-in. However, this book didn’t quite work for me the way BWWY did.
 
We have chapters in early 1900s Oklahoma, following children struggling to live off the land on their own to escape the ruthless adults taking advantage of them. Then, we have chapters in 1990 Oklahoma that follow a park ranger new to the area investigating a missing kid which turns out to be a much bigger scandal.
 
Although I believe that the historical aspects of this story were both enlightening and important, the execution fell flat for me. I don’t think there was enough plot to push the story forward, and so, it ended up being really slow-going.
 
My favorite part was probably the author’s note and learning how much of the story was true. Wingate is phenomenal at researching and shining a light on historical issues, but this one may have been better off as a non-fiction book. At times, it often felt like one.