I enjoyed this book by Lisa Wingate. Having read Before We Were Yours, I was prepared for her writing style and ways of developing characters. I had never heard of something like this in history, so I am glad that she brought it to light.

I definitely enjoyed the characters and found myself crying for them. I look forward to her next read!

I had no idea what to expect when requesting this book to read. I really enjoyed it. It taps a similar theme as the Netflix movie and earlier book by David Grann "Killers of the Flower Moon" That book was non-fiction and related a specific tribe and families being fleeced by greedy white men. Shelterwood is fiction though based on facts. Ms. Wingate has chosen to given us two eras separated by 80 years.. It works perfectly and leads up to a lovely ending--lovely in the sense that the two stories merge. Not lovely because nothing has changed from what we learned from Mr. Grann. The reader gets, yet again, an eye-opening view of the horrors levelled on Native Americans by creepy con men and evil men lusting after financial gain.

The first story follows a young girl of eleven, Olive Augusta Radley, who, along with her adopted Choctaw baby sister, escape the clutches of their mother's second husband who is a pedifile and one of the greedy people willing to do just about anything to satisfy his lust for money. The two girls keep going against all odds. They are headed for the Winding Stairs mountain-site of the . There the two girls lived along with an older Choctaw sister who has disappeared. Along the way, the gather a family of children who are trying to stay alive under impossible conditions. We meet people who want to help them and those that want to hurt them. Olive has learned many tricks for staying alive and escaping capture from her real father who has died. She is a wonderful and compelling heroine.

The second story follows Val, a park ranger who is brand new at Horsethief Trail National Park. She immediately becomes a pariah due to her bluntness, honesty, and questioning about the disappearance of a hiker and questions about a cave where three skeletons of young girls have been found. She, too, is a compelling character. Even until close to the end of both stories, the reader isn't sure how these two women's lives are going to intersect.

Ms. Wingate did a lot of research to make these stories factual and once again, as with Killers of the Flower Moon, the reader is stunned by the malevolence of the white man whose arrogance leads him to destroy the lives of sentient beings all around him. And it still goes on today.
This book is a great way to tell these stories and to highlight the deeds, work, and character of many women who fought for the rights of children when many considered them nothing more than work horses.

The years 1909 and 1990 are brought together by the masterful pen of Lisa Wingate who showcases the injustice perpetrated on the Native American children of Oklahoma.

Shelterwood, 1909, is the destination for 11 year old Olive and her foster sister Nessa 6 as they set out on their own to escape their abusive stepfather. Against all odds, they make their way to the Winding Stairs Mountains on the Choctaw Reservation, Oklahoma where Olive grew up and remembers a better life with her father before his death. Their journey is one of hardship, resilience heartbreak but also joy, survival and kindness.

Horsethief Trail National Park Ranger Valerie Boren-Odell, 1990, has a rocky start to her new job which isn’t made any easier when she discovers human bones in a cave on a little known trail when on patrol looking for a missing hiker. Her persistence to find the answers and solve the mystery threatens her career, her family and her life.

The dual timelines come together in a rich and rewarding ending to a less than stellar time in America’s history.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Shelterwood was a raw, heart wrenching but amazing read that will stick with me for awhile! This story has duel timelines that come together for an emotional ending. From 1909 with Ollie and Nessa, two young girls surviving in the woods on their own after fleeing from a bad home situation with their stepfather to 1990 with Val a park ranger new to town running from her own past looking to start fresh with her young son. This is a page turner that won’t let you down! Thank you NetGalley and Random House- Ballantine for the arc copy of this book.

I loved Lisa Wingate's Sheltereood. The story of the 'elf children' of Oklahoma is told in two timestreams - by one of the children in 1909 and by a female natioonal park ranger looking for a missing teenager in 1990.

5 stars, Searching for Freedom in Oklahoma

SHELTERWOOD
by Lisa Wingate

This is a dual timelines book about three little girls who are desperately trying to escape from a dangerous man and find love and freedom in Oklahoma in 1909 and some mysterious children's skeletons found in a cave in 1990.

There is a lot of mystery in this book, it leaves you wondering if the children's skeletons belong to the three little girls. That part made it harder for me to read and really get into the story.

I really liked the Ollie and Valerie characters.

Quotable Quote: "I'm female, which in general does you no favors in the NPS system. If you're harassed, hazed, ogled, propositioned, whatever, you're expected to tough it out, deal with it yourself, grow a thicker skin, and move on." A lot of women have had to deal with things like this in our history.

Highly recommend to any mystery lover.

I received a complimentary copy of #shelterwood from #ballentinebooks #lisawingate I was not obligated to post a review.

#christian #inspirational #historicalfiction #diverse #dualtimelines #adultfiction #mystery #nps #nationalparkservice #abandonedchildren #hope #escape #horsethieftrailnationalpark #choctawnation #oklahoma #triggerwarning #OklahomaLandRun

Lisa Wingate knows how to grip your heart so tightly that you set a book down and you can never forget the story told. A couple years ago I read her book Before We Were Yours and I always recommend it. It was absolutely incredible. I went into her new book thinking, “I don’t know how you get better than that”, but reading friends, she did. She has pure talent with her writing and placing the reader in the setting, and attaching them to the characters so well. This story is soooo gripping and pulls all the heartstrings you didn’t know you had reading. It’s a story of the untold woman pioneers who fought with all they had to protect children caught in the land of hunger with the oil wealth. It’s set in Oklahoma in 1909, of the story of a woman with these poor girls trying to make ends meet, drugs coming into play, their mom remarrying a bad man, and an escape to survive. Flash forward to Oklahoma 1990 where Valerie, who is a law enforcement ranger arrives on Horsetheif Trail National Park trying to find a quiet place to parent and start over with her son after the loss of her husband. Little did she know bones have been found, and she’s realizing things are being full told and she’s trying to discover the truth. Lisa Wingate does a fantastic job telling this beautifully sad story of children abandoned by the law and the battle years later to truly see justice done for them.

Add this to your TBR for June 3💛

Thank you @netgalley @author_lisa_wingate @randomhouse for the pleasure to read and review this advance copy! #netgalley #lisawingate #randomhouse

My thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher Random House Publishing Group for an advance copy of this novel dealing with crimes in the past steal casting a shadow on the future, the exploitation of children, and the resilience of this same children to survive, and help others.

America has fought many a culture battle using the standard of "What about the children,". Children have been used to roll up rights, infringe on the reading habits of others, to add more ways to control people under government means than anything else. Children today have last rights than their grandparents did in many states. And still children are being exploited to make money. This has been going on for a long time, and most people find it easier to look away than think about it. Or do anything about it. Lisa Wingate on the other hand, shines a light at the dark corners of history no one wants to talk about, or even know ever happened. Shelterwood, is a a novel that not only deals with children, but American growth, how it deals with the sins of the past especially to the indigenous peoples, and how there are still some people who will fight for what is right.

The novel takes place about 80 years apart in the state of Oklahoma, in land that was once part of the Choctaw nation. Olive Augusta Radley is eleven-years-old in the year 1909, but is far wiser than her age. Ollie, as she is called, does not trust her stepfather, for a variety of reasons, nor is she sure why he has taken in two girls, indigenous girls, into the household. However she suspects the worst. One night the oldest girl is taken away, and Ollie fears for the youngest, which makes flee into the night with the girl, Nessa. Ollie has a plan, to get far away into bandit country, and maybe find a haven. Ollie soon encounters other lost souls in the woods, but something is also looking for them. In 1990 Valerie Boren-Odell is a investigative ranger with the National Parks Service sent to Horsethief Trail National Park. Val has heard it all, the sexist cracks, the how did she get her job, but this seems like a good new start for her family. Until the search for a lost hiker finds something from the past that few want to deal with today. Three bodies long dead, with a strong push from people in power not to ask why. Val however, cares more about finding out, than letting something go. And soon powerful forces are aimed at Val.

A fascinating book about a time that not many people knew about, but is slowing making its way into the public conscience. The destruction of the Chotaw tribes, all in efforts to get their valuable land. The book is set up with alternating chapters dealing with different time periods. I found this easy to follow, as well the fact that Wingate used chapters headers with headlines from various newspapers of the time. Wingate is a very good writer and is able to balance out the different time periods and attitudes perfectly. This is even more difficult as one is writing about the early twentieth century and the 1990's. The characters are of course very interesting, and well written, and I thought the indigenous characters were given quite a bit to do, which was good to see. The story unfolds carefully, and never loses a step in the narrative.

Lisa Wingate is a writer who cares and it shows in her words and in her ideas. This book is not just a beach read fiction book, this a book that informs and should make us all question why events from our history are never talked about, or taught. And that children, as well as woman should be treated as something more than making money, or scoring political points.

3.5 stars. Although I love Lisa Wingate and her past novels, this was not a page turner for me. I found myself rushing through it.

Lisa Wingate has a heart for children who are orphaned or disadvantaged. In Shelterwood, she brings to light an unbelievable, and almost forgotten, story of Southeastern Oklahoma during the early 1900s. It is a tale of graft, callousness, greed, and total disregard for the old and the young native Americans who had no advocate to speak for them. Through it all, shines the story of children who survived in the forests by their own wits and some who later took up the cause to right some of these wrongs.

This dual timeline novel is not an easy read, but it is worth reading. It is a reminder that we are told to care for the “fatherless and widows”. It is also a reminder that the “love of money is the root of all evil.” I was allowed to read an ARC on #NetGalley.

Beautiful, heartbreaking story. Lisa Wingate’s ability to tell the stories of the vioceless never disappoints.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Random House Publishing for an early copy of Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate

The years 1909 and 1990 are the parallel time frames in eastern Oklahoma as author Lisa Wingate weaves a multi-generational story of goodness and trust against the forces of greed and injustice. Told through alternating chapters that feature real newspaper headlines of the time, readers will quickly become immersed in the little-known facts of crimes against Native American children who were to be rewarded lands in Oklahoma.due to new land laws and settlement with local tribal nations. In 1990, newly-arrived forest ranger Valerie Boren-Odell will become part of an investigation into the discovery of the bones of three children long dead. It is at the intersection of the lives of these children and the present discovery that the connections begin forming.

Readers will find the inclusion of Kate Barnard, the elected commissioner of charities and corrections for the state of Oklahoma and crusader for the rights of these ill-treated and abused children, to be inspiring in the way Francesca Cabrini is a warrior for children in the slums of New York circa 1889. as portrayed in the movie currently playing Cabrini. The similarities in these women's stories is astounding: neither woman would give up on her mission, both involved newspapermen to tell of the plight of the children, and both have been largely ignored in history. Thank you to Lisa Wingate for her exhaustive and inclusive research on the travesty in Oklahoma.

I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of this book. I loved Lisa Wingate's last book and I live in Oklahoma. The research she puts Into her books is amazing. The story started out well and I loved the children, but I had a hard time finishing this book. The transition between the different time periods didn't flow well at times, and made parts of the story hard to follow. At the end it picked up and I really enjoyed the ending. I still love Lisa Wingate and look forward to more of her books! #Shelterwood #NetGalley.

I couldn’t put down this book! I loved the alternating stories. Both were compelling. Two strong female protagonists drove the action.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This book has two timelines that weave/come together in the end. The first timeline takes place in 1909 and follows Ollie and a group of Choctaw children. And the other timeline takes place in 1990 and follows Val and other fellow rangers of Horsethief Trail National Park. Val is new to the area and several suspicious incidences occur that she starts to investigate. The book was well researched. I struggled to finish the book and wanted to give up reading it several times…I did finish it completely though. It was very slow moving for me and I felt a lack of connection to any of the characters in the book.

Wow! I'm blown away by this book. It is difficult to read, but despite the moments of sadness, there is hope.

I already have high respect for those who work to make others safe. This book made my appreciation for them all grow by leaps and bounds.

The elf children's story broke my heart. Ollie, Nessa, Tula, and the others are such strong children. They are inventive and creative. They form their own little family and make a home.

I appreciate the amount of research that Lisa Wingate does for her books. She inspires me to investigate historical facts. Her author's note is very interesting!

I was provided a copy of the book from Ballantine Books, Random House via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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 fan our park system I really enjoyed how the land/park became a character in the book and enjoyed seeing how these interwoven stories revealed their secret connections.
Thank you to NetGalley & RandomHouse Ballantine books for the advanced reader copy.

This captivating story masterfully unfolds across dual timelines (1909 & 1990), chronicling the journeys of Ollie and Val as they strive to right the wrongs done to orphaned children, predominantly of Choctaw descent. These children, abandoned in the woods by those meant to protect them, had their lands unjustly taken. The narrative sheds light on a lesser-known, yet significant, historical injustice, emphasizing the need for broader awareness. This book serves as an important medium for bringing this overlooked chapter of history to the forefront, and for that, it is highly commendable.

Lisa Wingate’s books are always must reads for me. “Shelterwood” was no different. I had to take a day or two, and get my thoughts in order before I decided to review. It was an emotional journey dealing with a very real historical tarnish on America. The mistreatment of Native American children in order to gain land rights and oil access. The research was phenomenal, and the writing beautiful. I enjoyed the dual timelines, although sometimes it got a bit confusing. Olive in 1909 Oklahoma and Valerie in 1990 Oklahoma were amazing characters and I am sad that the book is over. 5/5 ⭐️ Thank you Lisa Wingate, Netgalley, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books.

Shelterwood is the story of the lost children of the Oklahoma Choctaw tribe in 1909. Left to fend for themselves in the forest, the children represent the atrocities Native Americans faced. Told in two perspectives in two time periods (1909 and 1990) by eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley, whose father took in two Chocktaw girls and Law enforcement ranger Valerie Boren-Odell, who is trying to make a new life for her eight-year-old son, this story is emotional. Lisa Wingate provides a voice to the "lost" children in Oklahoma and of their fierce advocates.