I had high hopes for this historical fiction book based on the authors previous books that I've enjoyed. But, this story fell short for me.

First up, this story started out really strong and i was all in! I loved the early 1900's setting and the children involved. I always appreciate the historical plot timelines in these alternating time periods the most. I was unaware of the historical aspect that this book shines a light on and reading the authors notes shone more light on it. Recommend that!

For me, there seemed to be so many holes in these girls and children's misadventures. I just couldn't fathom some of the things they supposedly experienced. Honestly, I started to get bored with the storyline and felt that there wasn't enough plot to push the readers interest along.

The 1990 timeline began with following a female park ranger and I was all in. I'm a lover of national parks and there was a beginning mystery that I was totally in for! Once again, things got kinda crazy and while it may have happened in real life, it just wasn't told in a realistic way for me to accept.

Overall, the historical aspects highlighted were interesting and worth knowing about, but I didn't love the journey that felt slow and I had to push myself through to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the gifted e-ARC

Shelterwood is one of the most beautiful stories I have read in sometime. The story interchanges between Olive Augusta who goes by Ollie and Valerie Boren-Odell. Ollie is a young girl who recently lost her father. Her mother married an evil man who mistreats her and the two Choctaw girls who were under the care of Ollie’s father. Valerie recently transferred to work at a national park and is trying to overcome the sudden death of husband. Lisa Wingale wrote a beautiful, detailed book that I felt like I was with Ollie and Valerie.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and Ballantine Book for sending me an ARC in exchange of an honest review of the e-book received.

I wanted to love this book because I really liked “Before We Were Yours,” but alas it left me wanting. This book has two storylines — one in 1909 and another in 1990. I don’t love this book structure which is so popular right now. I imagine it hard enough to keep one plot line going and keep the story inconsistent, but two must be even harder to pull off. Either storyline would have been a better stand-alone book, but neither ever came together into a compelling story. Unless you have read every book on your TBR list, I can’t recommend this book.

I enjoyed the main character - Val, a single mother and park ranger investigator — who experiences discrimination as a newcomer and a woman. I might read another book with Val as the protagonist but not if it has two storylines in eras.

NetGalley provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A great read on a difficult topic. This book was well researched and showcases injustices in history—in this case in Oklahoma. The pace is a bit slow but the deep perspective and insight make it worthwhile.

This was a very interesting historical novel. After reading Killers of the Flower Moon, this book adds to the history of Oklahoma Native Americans.
In current time we meet Valerie, a National Parks Ranger, transferred to SE Oklahoma, where she is met with a national park mystery that she can't ignore like her fellow rangers are doing.
The book goes back in time to 1909, where we learn about the Oklahoma Federation of Women's Clubs and their crusades against child labor laws. We meet crusaders Kate Barnard and Gertrude Bonnin.
The book includes snippets from history via newspaper articles, which are very interesting.
I do recommend this book, especially if you like the author, Lisa Wingate.

Lisa Wingate is a must read author and Before We Were Yours is such a masterful novel that sometimes I wonder if it is hard to top a book that is full of so much emotion and heartbreak. While reading Shelterwood, I started to feel intrigued by the subject matter and the historical aspect of the orphaned and runaway children of the early 1900's. The book is set in two time periods; early 1900's and 1990. We are guided on the journey of Ollie (Olive) who is running away from home and bringing along her "adopted" sister. There is a lot of unbelievable moments that these two encounter and it's hard for me to imagine how this side of the story actually could have happened. Valerie is a recently widowed mother of a 6 year old boy who has uprooted their lives to move to the middle of nowhere so she can start over. The amount of crap that she goes through as a women in a "man's" world irritates me but it is so typical.
There is a mystery in both timelines and there are a LOT of characters to keep track of. The middle of this story gets bogged down in the weeds of a lot of stuff that doesn't move the story forward quick enough. At times, I wasn't sure if there was enough interest in what these characters were doing for me to care where they ended up. That intangible desire to WANT to care about these people felt lacking in this storytelling.
All that to say this story does cover an unknown part of the Native American's history that hardly ever gets shared. It is a nice read but I think I would have enjoyed some further editing to get to the point faster.

This book took me so long to finish, but Shelterwood was a really great story. I always appreciate how Lisa Wingate tells emotional, historically rich stories about children and people we wouldn’t otherwise know a lot about. I had a hard time following the storyline at times and it seemed rather slow at moments, but I loved the historical richness of the story and the time. I will always read anything by Lisa Wingate.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy. The opinion shared is my own.

I have enjoyed many books by Lisa Wingate and Shelterwood was no exception! This story takes place in southeastern Oklahoma in the Wlnding Stair Mountains.It is told in alternating timelines.The 1990’s are about law enforcement park ranger Val Odell and the 1909 timeline is about Ollie Angie Peele and a band of children.This story very much keeps your interest and is very well researched!Thank you Net Galley and Ballantine Books for allowing me the privelage of reading this ARC!

4.5 ⭐️

This book had me hooked once I got into it. It did take awhile for me to get hooked into Valerie’s side of the story, but once I was, I could not stop.

I love a book that brings something new to my attention and gets me interested in the subject matter. I had no idea about native children being taken ownership of just to get to their land and then being either killed or running for their lives. I definitely want to look into this more now that I know about it.

I really loved the character Olive in the book. I feel like I really had the perspective of a child in the book. One who was intelligent, quick witted, and hopeful. I also enjoyed the perspective of Valerie as a mother and woman in the NPS and navigating her role in both.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Wingate captured me from the first chapter in this dual timeline story that takes place in Oklahoma. One storyline follows a widowed park ranger determined to start fresh and make a life for herself and her son. The other follows Ollie and Nessa, two young girls that have run away from home and the dark future that awaits if they stay.

The author focuses on children and child labor laws and rights in 1909. The book also talks a lot about the Choctaw people and their children and what was done to them in the 1900's. Stolen land, stolen children, and corruption in the local government.

In 1990, things seem to have changed on the outside, but are things really different? When three young bodies are found in a cave, our main character starts digging. Who are these children? Why were they there? What else can we find out about them? If she isn't careful, she might find herself in danger too.

I appreciated that while this story was sad, the author didn't dwell on graphic details as much as the lives of the children overall and the people that fought for children and their rights.

I really enjoyed learning about Kate Bernard, I had never heard anything about her before and appreciated the author note in the back as well.

It felt like there was a subtle romance vibe going on throughout the book and I could have done without that, but maybe I was reading more into it than was there? Either way, I definitely recommend this book from Lisa Wingate. The writing was compelling and easy to get swept up in.


Thank you to netgalley for an ARC to review.

I am so disappointed that i had to abandon this book after 25%. I had a difficult time following the storyline. Ghe chapter headings were confusing to me and really through me off. I really tried to connect to the story and the characters but I found myself putting it down, trying again and just couldn’t get to where I needed to be to get fully immersed. I love Lisa Wingate but for several reasons this story just wasn’t for me . I appreciate NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing the opportunity to read an advanced copy

The characters in "Shelterwood" are beautifully drawn and deeply human, each with their own hopes, fears, and dreams. From Alice's fierce determination to provide for her family to Jessilyn's quest for truth and understanding, readers will find themselves drawn into their journeys and rooting for their success.

At its core, "Shelterwood" is a story about the enduring power of family and community to provide strength and support in times of need. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a reminder that, even in the darkest of times, there is always hope.

In conclusion, "Shelterwood" is a masterfully crafted novel that will linger in the hearts and minds of readers long after they've turned the final page. With its compelling characters, richly drawn setting, and powerful themes, it is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and stories of triumph over adversity.

Shelterwood
by Lisa Wingate
Pub Date: June 4, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a sweeping novel inspired by the untold history of women pioneers who fought to protect children caught in the storm of land barons hungry for power and oil wealth. I have enjoyed many of Wingate's novels and this one was good but not my favorite of hers. I appreciate the research she puts in to make a quality read.
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.
In 1999, Ranger Valerie Boren O’dell, a new hire meets controversy when a teen goes missing on a hike The park opening is causing some worries and then a cave is discovered with the skeletons of three young girls.
Excellent book!
5 stars

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate is a captivating novel that tells the story of two different characters in two different time periods. One storyline follows Olive, a young girl facing difficult circumstances in 1909. The other storyline focuses on Ranger Valerie in 1990, who works for the National Park Service and uncovers buried secrets from the past. Despite the time gap between them, Wingate skillfully merges these two narratives, showing how Olive and Valerie both navigate challenges and strive to bring about justice. Through their experiences, Wingate explores themes of resilience, courage, and the impact of the past on the present. As the story unfolds, readers are drawn into a compelling tale of intrigue, redemption, and the enduring human spirit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read Shelterwood!

I am new to this author and am not familiar with her work. This book weaves modern day with a historic story line about the Choctaw people. While the two plot technique seems pretty common these days, this just didn’t work well for me. I was a lot more interested in the modern day story. Every time the book shifted to the other story line, sone of the momentum was lost. I’m also concerned about white authors culturally appropriating native stories. I didn’t dislike the book, more the structure.

In the early 1900's, guardianship of Native children was often given white settlers. There were supposed to be rules involved in this guardianship, but some crooked settlers took advantage of these situations and basically stole the land from the children at the same time they were being paid by the government to take care of the children. Some of these settlers were found to have 50 or more children they were supposed to be "guarding." Many of these children were abused, neglected, and even murdered. And many ran away and ended up on their own in groups in the woods of Oklahoma and other states. At the time, they were often referred to as "elf children."

"Shelterwood" is the story of Ollie, an 11 year old girl who realizes that her step-father has plans to harm the 2 Choctow girls who he has taken in. When the older of the two disappears, Ollie takes the younger and runs from a dangerous home situation into an even more dangerous situation in the woods of Oklahoma. Eventually, the girls and end up living with a group of other lost children in the forest. These "elf children" must learn how to survive on their own in a most difficult situation.

This is also the story of Val - a female park ranger in. a new job in an Oklahoma national park - at a time when female park rangers were almost nonexistent. During her first weeks on the job, the bones of 3 children are found nestled together in a cave, a teenage hiker goes missing, and Val wonders what is being hidden in the woods of Oklahoma.

The story goes back and fourth between 1909 and 1990 as we learn the two stories and wonder whether they will eventually come together. Who are these children who were discarded in a cave? What happened to the hiker? What other sinister things are going on in this forest region of Oklahoma?

I loved this book! I loved the character development of the main characters so much. Usually when I book goes between two timelines, I enjoy one more than the other and when I'm in the one I don't enjoy as much, I can't wait to get back to the other one. That was not the case with this book. I was connected to the characters in both stories and hoped they would come together in the end. Do they? Well - you will have to read this wonderful book to find out!

Lisa Wingate never disappoints. In this compelling story she brings history to life as she uncovers secrets from the past. I learned so much about life in Oklahoma in the early 1900s and my heart was definitely deeply touched. Outstanding book.

This is a well researched historical fiction book set in Oklahoma. Each chapter alternates between 1909 where we hear from 11 year old Ollie, a child that has run away from an abusive stepfather and a drug and alcohol dependent mother and 1990 told from the perspective of forest ranger Valerie Borden-Odel who, while searching for a missing person, begins investigating the discovery of the bones of three children found in a cave. Lisa Wingate weaves a heartbreaking story of the exploitation of orphan children, corruption, profiteering, Native American injustices and the parallels of past and present day greed. The story blends together in a satisfying conclusion that gives us hope for a better future. This is a part of our country’s history that I was not aware of until now. I will recommend reading this book to my friends and family that want to better understand its importance in America. This ARC was provided by Random House publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate. This book grips you from the beginning and doesn’t let go. Lisa Wingate has a way of tugging at your heart with emotional books and books that bring to light the inequities in history. The book takes place in dual timelines that intertwine. Olive and Nessa leave their home when they realize their step father has bad intentions with the Choctaw girls living with them. They find other children and form a band to protect each other. In 1999, Valerieis a park ranger who is investigating the disappearance of a teen as well as the bones of three children that are found in the park.

Lisa's books are seriously all so wonderfully written. Lisa Wingate weaves a chilling story of young, mostly native, children, known as “elf children,” who must fend for themselves while facing life and death dangers, starvation, abuse, exploitation and racism. The legacy of this graft and corruption resurfaces in a parallel story within the novel involving a young national park ranger’s commitment in 1990 to learning the truth about recent teen’s disappearance. Ultimately, the two timelines help weave the story together.