The story was very anticipated, as I love her previous book, before we were yours, however the story fell flat for me. Ollie’s story felt a little far-fetched, but put in for the drama and heartbreaking effect. Valerie’s story about being a new park ranger were more captivating, but still was not great. It didn’t keep my interest enough and the timing felt very slow and drawn out. Thanks to net galley for this e-arc and the chance to read!

A time split read based on historical accounts of Oklahoma and the Indian tribes located there around early 1900s. The author does a wonderful job telling the story from a child's point of view when the main character, Ollie, attempts to run away from her step-father after her adopted Choctaw sister goes missing and the attempted molestation of her younger adopted sister. It is an adventure with many twists and turns.
In present day Oklahoma, Valerie Boren-Odell is beginning a new job as a park at a new state park. She brings her young son with her and her own demons from the past. But when a teenager goes missing along with his grandmother, a drowning victim is found, and another ranger are injured, Valerie sinks her teeth in to discover what the connection is between all these happenings.
Bravo to a great storyline. Underneath is a non-fictional story I did not know about but am glad the author dug into archives to find it.

The book is a nonlinear book with one plot line focusing on orphaned Choctaw Indian children in the early 1900s. The second plot line deals with a National Park ranger in the 1990s. Of course at the end, the 2 stories tie together but getting there was a bit of a chore. Some of the children's story was unbelievable and it took some time for the Rangers story to come in focus. The most interesting part of the book was Ms. Wingate's notes at the end of the book.

I was lucky to read an early copy of Shelterwood from net gallery. I really enjoyed it. I have enjoyed all of Lisa Wingate’s books. This one will not disappoint. Written about a time in history we may have forgotten. Be sure to read when it comes out.

Book Title: Shelterwood
Author: Lisa Wingate
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books
Genre: Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: June 4, 2024
My Rating: 3.6
Pages: 368

Story has two timelines 1909 and 1990. They weave together in the end.

Timeline 1990 – Valerie Boren-O’Dell
Talihina, Oklahoma - Valerie Boren-O’Dell is a Law Enforcement Ranger who has just moved to Horsethief Trail with her seven year old son Charlie and immediately faced with an issue regarding the park trail’s opening. There also is a missing teenager and next thing discovery of children’s bones found in old burial grounds.

Curtis is the head of the Choctaw Tribal Police and end up with Valerie on what is and what has happened there.
When he sees the burial place of where they found the children’s bones; he states the Choctaws wouldn’t bury they own this way. They have respect for the dead and typically buried near their home and placed food, clothing blankets, a toy if the child is young.
He goes on to say this is ‘white people stuff’ dumping the dead in a cave and piling rocks on top.

TIMELINE: 1909 –Olive Augusta Peele
Oklahoma – Olive is only eleven years old but wise enough to suspect that her stepfather Tesco Peele is not a good person and cannot be trusted – she certainly missed her real dad. When Tesco brings home Nessie and Hazel Rusk two Choctaw Indian little girls he tells Ollie (although he calls her Ollie Auggie which was her father’s pet name for her) he brought her somebody to play with and they are going to live with them, The girls have been taken from their home when Tesco got custody of the them as well as their tribal land.
Later when Hazel goes missing, Olive knows something bad has happened to her and that she and Nessie need to leave.

This timeline goes into how the land was stolen for the oil and timber.
This reminded me of " Killers of the Flower Moon" by author, David Grann. That story is about the Osage Indian Nation in
Oklahoma discovering oil beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to
study in Europe. However, one by one, they began to be killed off.


About the Author: Lisa Wingate is a former journalist, an inspirational speaker, and a wonderful writer. Lisa Wingate is a great story teller and her words are poetic. She never disappoints!

This is my eleventh novel; all were wonderful. Although " Before We Were Yours" is probably her most well-known novel. My first was " A Month of Summer" released in 2008. It is the first in the Blue Sky inspirational series and I loved it and became a fan!

There is no doubt this is an emotional read. Have to admit it was slow and although it was good it is not my favorite Wingate story.
I did loved reading the ‘Author’s Note’ as well as her ‘Acknowledgements’. Both are ‘Must Reads’! Also found the 5 pages of Resources interesting.

Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 4, 2024.

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate
Thank you to Random House-Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

This page-turner of an historical novel takes place in the backwoods of southeastern Oklahoma, in two separate time periods, 1909 and 1990. Both revolve around the care of the land and the lack of care of children.

In 1909, 11-year-old Olive Augusta runs away from an abusive stepfather, taking her adopted Choctaw sister, Nessa, with her. Their situation reflects the ways in which oil- and land-rich children, especially Native Americans, were used and abused for control of their wealth. They become part of a small band of children fleeing similar circumstances, and their plight also introduces the heroines of early Oklahoma: the real women who fought to protect children’s welfare and rights.

Jumping ahead to 1990, Valerie Boren-Odell is a widowed mother with one young son. Val has taken the position of Law Enforcement Officer at newly opened (fictional) Horsethief Trail National Park, covering the same area where Olive and her friends once hid. In this timeframe, the focus is also on missing children, as well as the elderly.

Val must deal with on-going issues around women’s capability, especially in the male-dominated National Park Service. As she learns about the history of her new home, she sees as models the women of early statehood who fought for the rights of the powerless.

Both timelines are suspenseful, some chapters ending in “cliffhangers.” Unfortunately, all chapters begin with quotes from historical documents, and rather than add to the gripping story, these form rather pedestrian distractions from a plot already complicated by the two narratives.

Despite this, Shelterwood is an absorbing and even exciting book, rich in characters, action, and history.

A wonderful book about how the white people mistreated the children of OK! So many children were mistreated early on in this country. Well rehearsed book that is about dark time in southwest kinda like 'KILLERS OFMOONFLOWER"

I love how thoroughly nuanced and researched this author’s efforts are in breathing thought-provoking life into historical fiction. This novel sheds new light on the struggles of native children who were betrayed, displaced, and mostly abandoned by much of society in this era.

After the dissolution of the five main Indian tribes from their ancestral homelands, the relocated members were given new lands and many were then taken advantage of by waves of slick profit seekers. Unfortunately, these weren’t the only children of the times who were neglected or disadvantaged. Let’s all hope that we learn from stories like these and commit to solemn remembrance and betterment.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of Shelterwood for my unbiased evaluation.  4 stars

Interesting historical fiction read about something I knew very little about. I enjoyed the dual time lines and alternating narrators as well.

Lisa Wingate does a very good job describing the lives of the characters in both story lines. I think the cliff hangers at the end of each chapter were unnecessary. Always difficult when there are 2 story lines to make them both as interesting to the readers. I very much enjoyed the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Lisa Wingate for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Shelterwood.
This is a beautifully written dual timeline story of strong women fighting to protect children and gain power to control their environment. I love the setting of the Oklahoma mountains and the elaborate descriptions of the scenic landscape. I also enjoyed the two different time periods and how they were markedly different but yet had subtle similarities.
I found myself not deeply attached to the characters which might just have been my problem. I was overwhelmed with the number of people in the 1909 time period. There were multiple stories with some lies intertwined in the truths. I could only become attached to a few characters and had to let go of others which kept me not as invested as I wanted to be. I felt there was more telling about events than showing with emotions and depth. I had more of a handle on the 1990 time frame but it took so long for the two stories to become connected .and help me fully comprehend everything.
Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and I want to read more from this author.

I loved this book! Shelterwood is an amazing, well researched book that gripped my attention from the first page to the last. Lisa Wingate weaves a story set in Oklahoma in 1909, centered on two young girls, stepdaughter Ollie and Choctaw ward Nessa who escape an abusive home to live in the woods near the Winding Stair Mountain. They band together with other abandoned, abused children, as they all struggle to survive. The alternate chapters focus on Valerie, who becomes the sole female ranger on a team in a newly created park in the Winding Stair Mountain area in 1990. She soon finds herself in the midst of an investigation into a local teenager who has disappeared. The book is a heart wrenching story of the abuse, corruption and fraud committed against children in both eras by adults pursuing wealth by destroying precious woodland areas, as well as stealing the lawful rights of the children meant to inherit those rights. But it is also heartwarming story of Ollie, Nessa and Valerie, all of whom face life with courage and tenacity, and carry on despite overwhelming odds. The character development is outstanding, with characters that I will long remember. The author skillfully blends both actual historical writings and characters, as well as the dual story lines into an unforgettable book. The author notes at the end are a must read. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book. The opinions of my review are my own.

What a story! Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for the arc! Lisa Wingate remains one of my favorite authors with her ability to tell stories in an engaging and moving way. This story follows Ollie and Valerie while also highlighting a tragic part of Oklahoma/ American history. Ollie and Valerie are very well developed and their stories overlap very effectively once the connection becomes clear. I will read whatever Lisa Wingate writes but this one will stay with me for a long time.

I absolutely LOVED Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate. My heart ached for the brave Ollie fleeing to the wilderness with six year old Nessa. Ollie will do anything to protect Nessa from their wicked stepfather and begin the many journeys that lie ahead towards Winding Stair Mountains. The story is Ollie's Oklahoma in 1909 and a ranger, Valerie in 1990.
Beautifully written and all of the emotions.
Thank you Net Galley for this AMAZING book.

Amazing book! Huge fan of Lisa Wingate books they leave me speechless & are heartbreaking at the same time, following Ollie & nessa on their journey broke my heart and reading past and present was a great reading experience this book truly broke my heart and makes you stop and think about the little’s in this world that get pushed aside an failed! Such a great read per usual

Lisa Wingate always writes a story that, even though it’s based in truth, feels like fiction. It was at turns heartbreaking and lovely, and I was compelled to find out what happened to the children in the story. The two storylines take place close to 100 years apart and the chapters are alternating timelines. Both of the timelines were interesting and I wanted to find out more. The way they came together at the end was very satisfying. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I read Lisa Wingate's prior books and fell in love. I immediately thought that Shelterwood would be no different.

I am sympathetic to this story and ultimately absolutely loved the connection in the end, but it took a really long time for me to make this connection between the two POVs in the book. It wasn't until I was 80% into the book that I couldn't put it down.

I would definitely recommend it because it is part of our history, and we should all be knowledgeable in our history even through books and Lisa does a great job at explaining. However, it was a bit too slow for me and took me much longer than usual to finish.

I love when I can find historical fiction about a subject I know nothing about. This story was told in a dual timeline format from the turn of the 19th century and also at the end. My favorite part of the story was the one that took place in 1909 and featured Ollie. She is eleven and knows she has to get away from her step-father. She runs away with a younger Choctaw girl, Nessie, who has been a ward along with her sister, Hazel. at her home. Hazel has disappeared and they fear that Ollie's step father was the reason. The two of them have to struggle to survive. Their story was based on real Oklahoma history and even featured an important woman who had a huge impact of the development of the state.

The other story was also interesting as it followed a single mom trying to make a new start for herself and her son. She knows something is not right as she tries to find a missing person and a cave with three sets of children's bones. I loved how her story was tied into the other story. Overall, this was an emotional and compelling look at Oklahoman history involving children, Native Americans, and good triumphing over evil.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Lisa Wingate always writes about interesting historical topics related to children. Her latest book on the "Indian concern" that pervaded some areas of the country in the late 1800s/early 1900s is really well done. The story alternates between Oklahoma in the 1990s and in the early 1900s, with connections between the time frames becoming clearer as the plot progresses. She does a brilliant job of bridging the gap between the two storylines and keeping both engaging and interesting, while providing a lot of insight into what children went through during that time period.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. This was such an important and informative read! I’ve always loved the way Lisa Wingate can weave a story along with history. Thank you again! I enjoyed it