This book is about two little girls in the wilds of southeastern Oklahoma in the early 1900's. They are on the run from a a mean and ruthless stepfather who has ulterior motives for them. To be honest is was a hard book for me to read at first. After the first couple of chapters, I was hooked. These two little girls banded together with other children who were on a plight of their own. Kudos to Ms. Wingate for writing a story that most likely is true history for some of the real children of that era.

“Shelterwood” is written in true Wingate fashion – superb. The book grabbed my attention from the first page, and I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend this book. It will not disappoint!

The chapters alternate between 1909 and 1990. In 1909, the protagonist, Olive, and Choctaw girl, Nessa, are running from an abusive stepfather. The story evolves with the challenges they encounter to survive. As more children join their group, a community structure, “Shelterwood,” begins to form. Wingate does an outstanding job researching and presenting information about the Choctaw people in the early 1900s. In the 1990 chapters, Val is a Ranger with law enforcement experience. She works to solve crimes and the mystery of children’s bones. Each thread carries very interesting stories which come together very well with the 1909 chapters.

Wingate introduces numerous historical people and situations, such as Kate Barnard who was the first woman elected to office who would take on land grafters and worked to help homeless children in the early 1900s and the “corrupt probate courts of the statehood era and the children whose land and mineral rights were stolen.” Severe grafting occurred where people were “seeking to build their fortunes through leases and guardianships.” Factual information presented in a very interesting approach.

Wingate presents this history in an easy, readable fashion. I learned so much about these topics that I did not know anything about! This is a well-written, researched book that will not disappoint.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Thanks to the publisher, Ballantine Books, an Imprint of Random House, and the author for the privilege to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This review will be posted on Goodreads under “Deb” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6267079481) on February 29, 2024.

This is a fascinating story that takes place in dual timelines between 1909 and 1990. During this earlier time, indigenous children, known as “elf children”, were facing abuse and starvation while their land was being stolen.

In the later time period, a new national park was being opened and the bones of some of these elf children were discovered. A female park ranger must do some digging to find out the history of these bones.

The two timelines come together beautifully in an emotional yet suspenseful story. Lisa Wingate has put in a remarkable amount of research to tell this little known bit of history. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this 4-star book.

A fictional look at southeast Oklahoma in the early 1900s alternating with a story set in 1990. A bittersweet look at what can happen to children without loving adults both then and now. Wonderful!

Oklahoma, 1909

Eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley's stepfather is not a good man. She knows that his intentions toward the two Choctaw girls staying in their home are not good. When the older of the girls disappears, Ollie flees with six-year-old Nessa. Together they brave the wild, surrounded by outlaws, nature, crooks, and dangerous individuals.

Oklahoma, 1990

Valerie Boren O’dell, a law enforcement Ranger, has arrived at Horsethief Trail National Park to begin a new job. She is hoping for a quiet, laid-back job, but when a teenage hiker goes missing and the skeletal bodies of three young children are found in a hidden burial site, things get interesting fast.

This book is told through the past and present storylines. The past story line was my favorite. This book depicts the harsh realities of life that children have had to endure. In both times there are issues over land, land rights, and ownership. Shelterwood showcases how power corrupted(corrupts) individuals and how they are willing to do whatever it takes, no matter who gets hurt, in the pursuit of wealth and power.

I enjoyed Ollie's gumption and drive to protect Nessa. She was determined, brave, strong and had a strong desire to survive. She was young when she took on the role of protector and provider. I admired her character for that. I enjoy books that not only entertain me but teach me something new and evoke feelings. I did not know about this time in my country’s history. How Native children were robbed of their land, their basic rights and were often put out, orphaned, or worse.

I can't imagine having to survive in the wild and that is just what many of these children had to do. I can't imagine how scary and hard this must have been, hoping for help from strangers yet not knowing who to trust. The injustice of it all is hard to stomach.

I found this book to be gripping, well written, well thought out, and evoking emotions. The author's note at the end is a must read as well. Although this was not my favorite book by Lisa Wingate, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Wingate's book The Book of Lost Friends remains my favorite of her books.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lisa Wingate is one of my favorite authors and her latest did not disappoint! I loved the fast paced storyline, and absolutely loved the bond with the characters. This one held my attention from the very beginning until the very end. Highly recommend!

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

Lisa Wingate has written another amazing historical fiction book. Set in a fictional national park in Oklahoma based on an actual park, the book reveals Indian children who became orphans and left to fend for themselves. Their guardians in turn took land that rightfully belonged to the children. This book was very intense and I had to stop reading it about halfway through and then come back to it. The book is very well written and clearly a lot of research went into the telling of this little known part of history. If you like historical fiction I hope you will read this book. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have been a fan of Lisa Wingate since her release of the book Before We Were Yours. Her ability to weave a story with multiple characters using different time periods is expertly done. Shelterwood did not disappoint. I could not put this book down. From the very beginning we are introduced to the main characters of Valerie, who has recently relocated to be a law enforcement ranger at the Horsethief Trail National Park, and Olive, a young 11 year old girl living in less than ideal conditions with a drug addict mother and a shady stepfather. As the story unfolds we learn of the young Choctaw girl that Olive tries to protect as they embark on a journey to find a safe place where their stepfather can't find them. Valerie, being a widowed single mother, trying to settle into her new position is thrown into an investigation where children's bones were found in a cave, people come up missing and the local population is less than happy that the park is opening. We are introduced to multiple characters who have stories of their own to discover from the people Olive and Nessa meet to the characters Valerie comes across as she tries to unravel the mysteries she has found herself in the middle of! It's truly a thrilling, exciting and emotionally charged experience! I love this book.

This book combines all the elements that I love in a good historical fiction. Olive lives in 1909, things are very different in her world as they are for Valerie in the present day. It contains strong characters that are uniquely crafted. The research this author does is amazing and the details she weaves into her stories pull you into the world she has created. I found myself emotionally invested in the lives of Olive, Nessa and Valerie. I loved the character of Sydney as well, she is a unique young girl with a personality you can't help but love, who was orphaned and now is living in a group home waiting for her brother to come and take her out of there after her grandmother had health issues.

Each character in this book has a story of their own. I absolutely loved this book!

Incredibly powerful novel! Told in two different time periods, from two perspectives, Shelterwood is the story of Native American children exploited, abused and even murdered for their land and their heritage, often by so-called pillars of the community.

In 1909 young Olive "Ollie" Augusta runs away with Nessa, a native child. Nessa and her sister Olive had been wards of the family, but when Hazel disappears, Ollie decides that she and Nessa are not safe from her stepfather, and therefore must run away. Taking only a pack pony and food supplies, the two girls head for a hunting cabin that Ollie's father used to take her to. Along the way they encounter many obstacles, both natural and man made, and ultimately Ollie ends up staying with a Mrs. Grube to earn some money that will aid in their escape, while Nessa hides nearby. Mrs. Grube is passionate about helping native orphans, and takes Ollie, now using the name Hazel, to a meeting with a woman who's a leader in addressing issues of abuse and theft of native property, and the enslavement of native children.

Valerie "Val" Boren-Odell is a park ranger in a new national park in 1990's Oklahoma, at a time where female park rangers are few and far between. There are rumors about a cave in the park with the bodies of possibly native children. In an effort to learn about who they might be, and how they happened to end up there, Val begins an investigation, but it's clear that someone doesn't want that information to be known. Along the way she encounters Sydney, a precious 12 year old who's ended up in the care of a somewhat shady woman, and who's brother has gone missing. With the help of Curtis, an officer of the local Choctaw policy, Val works hard to untangle the years of lies, deceit and corruption, while managing to stay alive in spite of the efforts of unknown bad actors.

Laden with solid historical information, Shelterwood is a fascinating look at the lives, politics and dangers facing women and children, both among the native community and the larger community of women as they fight to help these children. It's one of those stories you won't be able to put down. A great read!

I loved Before We Were Yours, so I was thrilled when I received this ARC. I also thought the timing was great because the movie Killers of the Flower Moon just came out and my interest was peaked in this there of historical fiction topic.
Lisa Wingate is such a talented author and she brings out so much emotion, this story was heartbreaking.
I also love dual timelines, and this one bounces between 1909 and 1999.
I would recommend this book. 5 ⭐️

I received an early edition and I loved it. Not my first Lisa Wingate reading definitely not the last!

The characters are very well-developed, I appreciate the straight from the hip shooting about our American history and treatment of the Native Tribes that lived here

The way she ties all that was happening in the book into an ending was phenomenal.

I love author Lisa Wingate, author of Before We Were Yours. Her new historical fiction book, Shelterwood, based on true events of the orphaned children(mainly Chowtaw Indians) in Oklahoma during the early 1900's was a very good book to read. I never knew this happened in history. As land was stolen from the Indians, many Choctaw children were left in the woods to fend for themselves, were abused, and many starved.

The book was a dual timeline and the other timeline was 1990 when a National Park (not real) opened and some strange things begin to happen. Val, a new park ranger and Curtis, a police officer investigate and so history is uncovered. As Val seeks out truth, the two timelines merge together. The tragedies of these children pulled at my heartstrings. It was enlightening to learn about the women in history that sought to help these children and the difference they made.

So much research went into this book and Lisa Wingate brought this story to life! I always look forward to her new books because her storytelling is so beautiful!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy in exchange for a review.

Shelterwood is the latest novel by one of my favorite historical fiction authors, Lisa Wingate. As with her previous novels, it's apparent that Shelterwood was deeply researched. Many of the author's novels shine a light on an otherwise unknown bit of untold history. From the first chapter the reader is pulled into a creatively crafted intriguing story with heart wrenching results.
Set in a dual timeline of early 1900's and 1990's in remote Talihina, Oklahoma. At the turn of the century children Ollie and Nessa are faced with a horrible situation and must flee from their stepfather. Their journey for survival is gripping. In the 1990's timeline, Valerie, takes a job as a park ranger and finds herself entrenched in an investigation of a suspicious discovery in a cave system within the "Horsethief Trail National Park" and Choctaw Nation land.
Shelterwood calls attention to the tragic injustices of the treatment of children at the turn of the century where society has turned their backs on the less fortunate. Additionally, the reader learns of the shocking failures of the politically charged, tenuous relationship between the federal government officials, tribal authorities, and those that will look away where there is financial opportunity.
I found the novel to be brilliantly written, full of eye-opening historical facts, and overall socially compelling. Not to be missed, the authors note at the end!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Such a lovely story - Ollie and Nessie are on the run - Ollie is 11 and Nessie is younger (can't remember how old). Their stepfather is cruel and they really have no choice but to run. This story is in 1909.
There's another story in 1990 (just shift some numbers around for the change of dates) with Valerie and her son Charlie. She's a park ranger and is uncovering a host of illegal activities on the park grounds.
These two stories interweave and sometimes it's really annoying. I'm desperate to see what happens to Ollie and Nessie but it switches back to Valerie. Grr! I know the author is weaving this together, but it's a little frustrating...until....Valerie has happened on some bodies (whose are they anyway?)
So it's actually a darned good telling of two stories that come together in the end. The characters are ALIVE and the trail descriptions are spot on.
I am unfamiliar with this author so I've gotta find her other book and have a peek.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the honor of reading this book.

Lisa Wingate tells the stories of those, especially children, whose lives have been lost or forgotten in our history. In this dual timeline story Lisa reveals the shameful history of her home state of Oklahoma as timber and oil barons stole the land and livelihood from Native Americans and their families. Ollie and Nessa leave their home escaping from Ollie’s abusive stepfather after Nessa’s sister Hazel, both Choctaw, disappears and Ollie becomes concerned for Nessa’s safety. Their goal is to reach Shelterwood, a refuge Ollie’s father built up on Winding Stair mountain. Along the way they meet a number of other children fleeing work and family abuse.
Valerie is a present day ranger who takes an assignment in the new Winding Stair park to start over with her young son after her husband died in a tragic mountain accident. Facing discrimination bordering harassment, she is determined to find a young man who’s gone missing and, in the process, discovers hidden secrets of the mountains.
The two storylines converge at the end.
Shelterwood is beautifully written and well-researched drawing heavily on archival texts.
The characters are well-formed and the plot weaves together perfectly. Descriptions of the mountains were stunning.
Highly recommend, especially for those who want to understand the personal stories of our American history—the stories of those abused and with no voice and those who gave voice when no one else would.
This stands alongside Before We Were Yours as a portal into a time and period little known to most.

Shelterwood was another amazing book by Lisa Wingate. I appreciate all the research she puts in to her books. This was another story by her that I won't soon forget.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.
I was attracted to this book right off the bat because of the author. I had read a beautiful book of hers a few years back, "Before We Were Yours" and was excited to give this new one a try. The synopsis looked interesting.
The book switches back and forth from 1909 to 1990 with two different viewpoints; one from a child, Ollie and the other from an adult, Val, a park ranger. I typically enjoy historical fiction and this fit the bill perfectly with the two alternating time frames, one very historic and the other more recent, but still over thirty years ago.
There is adventure along with mystery between both storylines and I kept wanting to turn the page to get to the next part. Set in a fictional national park, the imagery and description from the author made it feel like I was right there, along for the ride in the forest. While the story was fast paced, had crime elements, as well as a little mystery, I felt at ease and peaceful reading the book because how the authors words made me feel. I never felt nervous or on edge trying to figure out the "who-done-it", I just wanted more of the story and was so pleased when the two stories started to connect. It only took me short time to finish this book, it was a great read!
I would recommend this book, and especially to anyone who enjoyed Lisa Wingate's other novel "Before We Were Yours."

As with her other books, Lisa Wingate has done a great job with her research into this interesting & heart wrenching part of American history that I’m sure most people do not know about. It’s a dual timeline of 1909 & 1990, the links are not confusing and it’s all well told. It’s a fast moving story in both parts, with a bit of thriller vibes to it. It is also a hard read, like others of her books, as it covers hard topics. Content warnings will be helpful for some readers (child abuse, drug use, racism). Overall though, a well written book that I would recommend to anyone interested in this part of history/can handle the subject matter.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy of Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate. As a fan, I couldn’t wait to read this book on a topic in which I knew little. The treatment of indigenous people in order to steal their lands away from them is a topic of boos and movies such as Killer of the Flower Moon. Oklahoma lands were where indigenous people were forced to move, then once the value of the lands became evident, a new track was taken to pull the land out from under them.
Told in dual timelines, we see a group of children called elf children, trying to get by and the white folks trying to “save them”, when in reality they want to control their land. 80 years later we meet a park ranger, new in the job and a rare female in the position, trying to raise her son alone, adjust to the new home and position, and stumbling into a possible murder mystery.
This is not a page turner for me. In fact I loved the last 20%, epilogue, and authors notes the best. The beginning of the books as very good but I soon found myself wanting more and we were in a cycle of getting in and out of trouble with the kids, and trying to follow dead ends in a case while the locals were covering up their tracks. It was hard to keep interest in the middle, for me.
Over all though, Lisa Wingate knows how to write books about orphans, stolen children, and kids done wrong. This is an unusual historical fiction in a sea of WWII books, so give credit where due. While I might (ok would) suggest Before We Were Yours first, this book would be a grab for folks wanting more after “flower moon” written in a historical fiction fashion.
3.5 stars but no more.

Lisa Wingate has another great book in her latest Shelterwood. This book has a dual timeline plot that is woven together seamlessly. I definitely recommend this book. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC. This is my unbiased review.