Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC! This one took me a bit to read, only because I wanted to slowly devour the story. I always enjoy Lisa Wingate's books because they are so well researched. I did not realize I had an interest in land disputes and oil and minerals and the like until she weaved it into this story. The story of the land and of the children along with that of the female park ranger all come together nicely in the end. I was left satisfied but not wowed.

A #1 New York Times bestselling author with books published in over forty languages: Lisa Wingate lives up to the hype! I’m late to the party reading this novelist, but now I’m a fan for life. Women’s History Month 2024 was a great time to read “Shelterwood,” her latest novel. The pub date, 04 June 2024, is still months away, but I snagged an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. And I honestly love this novel.

Wingate has paid her dues researching Oklahoma history. She brings to life an amazing little woman name Kate Barnard, elected to public office before women had the right to vote, a champion of the underdog, an activist and reformer who should be well known to all American school kids studying U.S. history. Sadly, she is not.

As Jim Logan wrote in “Oklahoma Today” magazine (June 2019), Barnard is “a near-forgotten individual whom historian Joseph Thoburn called ‘the most remarkable woman in Oklahoma.’ From low beginnings and with little formal education, Catherine Ann ‘Kate’ Barnard became a savior to the state’s children, orphans, poor, mentally challenged, hungry, infirm, and imprisoned . . . She improved labor conditions for Oklahomans and brought national attention to orphaned Indian children defrauded of mineral and property rights by court-appointed guardians. Her work paved the way for Oklahoma women’s participation in social reform.”

Barnard is not a main character in this novel, but she has my full attention. So did the actual protagonists, a 1909 runaway named Olive whose chapters alternate with a 1990 park ranger named Valerie. The two storylines are compelling and haunting.

Olive is only eleven, but her widowed mother lives in a haze of whiskey and opium, leaving “Ollie” at the mercy of an evil stepfather. Her beloved daddy had taken in two Choctaw sisters, orphans with no family left. The stepfather has been preying on them. Hazel has disappeared, and Ollie resolves to run away before he makes little Nessa disappear as well. Their escape is fraught with peril. Taking refuge in a hollow tree, they encounter the legendary "elf" children, the homeless orphans who inspired the real-life Kate Barnard. Their story is heart-wrenching.

In the same area 80 years later, the skeletons of three girls are found in a cave. Oh no! Could it be Ollie, Hazel, and Nessa? That kept me turning pages, thinking no, no, surely not. The bones disappear from the cave. The park ranger, Valerie, finds things go from strange to stranger and more macabre as the plot thickens. A local boy has gone missing. His grandma, too. His little sister is in foster care, and her plight parallels that of the orphans in Ollie’s narrative.

Corruption, greed, exploitation, murder, and unidentified bodies keep us turning pages. Valerie, a widowed mother of an endearing seven-year-old boy, meets a handsome Choctaw sheriff. Add a litter of puppies for some levity, bring the two storylines together with a lovely twist, and Wingate draws the historical novel to a satisfying conclusion.

There is so much more substance to this novel than I find in other best sellers. I’d love to talk about the history and themes at length. Book club, anyone?

Lisa Wingate always knows how to get you right where it hurts. I requested this book immediately because I adored Before We Were Yours and this one did not disappoint. I love how when I read her books I learn something that I had zero previous knowledge of. I can honestly say Wingate does immense research and it shows. Great book, heartbreaking but we need these stories brought to light.

This book takes place from two POVs. The 1909 from Olive Augusta Radley, an eleven year old, and her Choctaw sister Nessa meet up with some children in there travels

The 1990 POV of ranger Valerie Boren O’Dell recently relocated from Yosemite with her son Charlie and her case for answers about the remains of three girls found in the park and investigating the disappearance of a teenager.

Through perseverance and a lot of help from compassionate people. The two stories are combined artfully bringing all the stories together.

Thank you Lisa Wingate, Balentine Books, and NetGalley for a copy and the journey it took me on.

I loved Before We Were Yours, so I had to jump on this next book. It did start very slow, and it took me awhile to get into it. But once things started coming together and making sense, I could not put it down! Definitely stick through until the end, you won't regret it!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

Shelterwood is a fascinating historical fiction taking place in Oklahoma in 1909 and 1990. It weaves the two stories of Ollie and Ranger Valerie. Ollie, eleven years old flees her abusive home with Nessa, a young Choctaw girl who boards with her family. They seek shelter in the Wind Stair Mountains where they meet other exploited children, "elf children" living in the woods.
Ranger Val, recently assigned to Horsethief Trail National Park, is tasked with finding a missing teen hiker. Deep in a cave, a long-hidden burial site of three children is discovered. She learns old secrets and the tragic and deadly history of the land as she searches for the hiker.
In this novel, I learned about Kate Barnard, the first woman elected to a state office in 1907. She was the Commissioner of Charities and Correction and one of the few public officials who dared cry out against the abuse of Native American Children.
Thank you Lisa Wingate for another wonderful novel! Thanks also to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this prerelease book!

This story is shared in two timelines in Oklahoma in 1909, as well as in 1990. This is a story of the women who were pioneers fighting for the lives and rights of the children, and the children whose lives were forever changed by those who took advantage of them. It is also a story of resilience, survival, hardship, heartbreak, but there are also moments of kindness and joy.

This is often a heartbreaking story of family, abuse, hardship, survival, but also kindness, resilience, and moments of joy.

In 1909, two young girls, Olive and Nessa leave their home in order to get away from their abusive stepfather. Theirs is a journey that takes them to the Winding Stairs Mountains on the Choctaw Reservation in Oklahoma.

In 1990, a relatively new hire, Valerie Boren-Odell, has just begun her job as a Horsethief National Park Ranger, and it is a somewhat shaky start, when she comes across bones, human bones, in a cave. She’d been sent out to look for a hiker who seems to have disappeared. As one of the few women, she is determined to prove that women are more than capable and her job is not too difficult for women.

A very moving and beautifully shared story, a glimpse into other times, this shares the lengths some went to in order to destroy lives vs. those who chose to offer assistance and friendship.


Pub Date: 04 Jun 2024

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Love Lisa Wingate books but had a hard time following since it has two timelines in the book. Enjoyed that she wrote about native Americans we need more stories highlighting them.

I have enjoyed Lisa Wingate’s books in the past highlighting the plights of orphans throughout history. I enjoyed this one as well.
Shelterwood focuses on two timelines and goes back and forth between them. It is set in the wilderness of Oklahoma in 1909 and 1990. The recent timeline begins with a park ranger named Val attempting to find a missing person and uncover the mystery of a long hidden burial site of three children. The past story focuses on orphans surviving in the wilderness and the strong women who worked to change their circumstances. The author did a good on showing how history repeats itself. I also saw many similarities with the recent film, Flowers of The Killer Moon. All in all a good book highlighting an untold history of women pioneers who fought to protect children taken advantage of.

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate is another good book about the injustice shown to children.
She has written several books dealing with this issue.
This book has two timelines. The one in the present is about Valerie Boren-Odel, a forest ranger who investigates the discovery of the bones of three children. The one in the past, ninety years earlier, tells the story of the three children.
Each chapter alternates between the different times. It was a little difficult to follow – I read it a second time and it made it easier to understand and enjoy.
I love Lisa Wingate’s writing and this one was very good.

This is a great historical fiction book by Lisa Wingate. She tells a heartbreaking story of orphaned Native American children in Oklahoma in the early 20th century. I love how the author weaved in a story many decades later and in the end tied both stories together.

Thanks to Netgalley for this eArc!

Lisa Wingate has a heart for orphans and their untold stories. Once again she pursues a story of the forgotten as she presents a tale of orphaned children that will break your heart as it gives you insight into a shameful part of American history. As a huge fan of Killers of the Flower Moon, any novel that delves into the issues of ‘guardianship’ and land as it relates to indigenous peoples in the early 20th century is a must-read for me. This one doesn’t disappoint.

Wingate’s book is presented in dual POV/dual timeline format drawing you into two worlds--1909 and 1990 Oklahoma. The 1990 timeline follows ranger Valerie Boren-O’Dell as she navigates the world of the National Park Service as one of the few female rangers. She is intrigued by the mystery of bones found in the newly established park, but it is swiftly covered up and brushed aside. The 1909 timeline focuses on a set of orphans who must flee terrible circumstances, but their journey takes them into more danger. They soon realize there is no safe refuge for orphans.

The characters and the settings in both timelines were wonderful. Another fascinating subject and heartwrenching tale by Lisa Wingate.

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.