I received a copy of the book "Shelterwood" by Lisa Wingate, from NetGalley. I would rate this book a 3l5. I have been a fan of Lisa Wingate so was happy to read her recent book. Sheltewood takes place in Oklahoma. The times are set in two different years. 1909 and 1990. In 1909 the book follows three young girls. Olive or "Ollie" Hazel and Nessa. Ollie is 11, Hazel 13, and Nessa is six. Hazel and her sister Nessa are Native american from the Choctaw tribe. the girls who are orphans come to live with Ollie and her mother and stepmother. Hazel disappears and now Ollie and Nessa are on their own and have to escape to the woods and find a way to survive. Fast forward to 1990 Valerie narrates her story. She is in law enforcement and is trying to locate a missing teenager. when they come to a cave they find the skeletons of three children who have been there for years. now the book goes back and forth from 1909 following the children and other kids who are in the woods trying to survive.and 1990 with Valerie trying to piece together the mystery of the three skeletons and finding the missing teen. Since this book focuses on two certain years the readers find out eventually how these years come together. In my opinion I preferred the year 1909, I found the parts in 1990 with Valerie dragging in parts and wanting to go back to 1909. The author explains at the end of the book the history of indigenous people and how they were treated in Oklahoma in 1909.

This is a dual timeline story about the elf children and the women who fought to protect them and their rights.
1909 Olive is living with her mom and stepdad along with 2 orphaned Choctaw girls., Hazel and Nessie. When Hazel goes missing, Olive and Nessie leave to find her and get away from their mean stepdad. The story follows them as they are on the run trying to get to the Winding Stairs.

1990 Valerie and her 8 year old son move to Oklahoma because she takes the job as the park ranger law enforcement for the Horsethief Trail National Park. Soon after she arrives bones of three children are found in a cave and a teenage hiker goes missing.

I am a fan of Lisa Wingate since she wrote “ Before We Were Yours”. She does a wonderful job with all her research in her books and this book as well. This is a fast moving story with historical history aspects and a thriller as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House- Ballantine for the arc copy of this book.

Once again Lisa Wingate has reminded us of the treatment children endured during periods of our past history in the U.S.
Shelterwood has a dual story timeline in both 1909 and 1990. The story is based on real events that took place in Oklahoma. The various tribes of the Indian nations of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole were forced to leave their lands throughout the Midwest and south and head west. Many of them settling in Oklahoma. This story begins with Olive Augusta Radley, a young child who runs away from a brutal stepfather with two young Choctaw girls. They survive in the woods and mountains on whatever they can find and meet up with other abandoned and abused children also on the run. Many of these Indian children were owners of land after their parents either died or lost touch. But so called guardians, men with little to no true relationship to them, were able to illegally obtain ownership of these lands leaving the children with nothing and to fend for themselves.

A new park ranger and recent hire in Oklahoma with the National Park Service, Valerie Boren-O’Dell, becomes involved in the cases of missing bones of three children found in a cave as well as two missing teens believed to be lost or hiding in the Winding Stair Mountains.

How all these events are intertwined becomes a story that is both heart wrenching to read and yet such an interesting part of history. Lisa Wingate provides extraordinary research into the events of the past that many probably know nothing about.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely heartwrenching historical fiction novel split in time between fin-de-siecle Oklahoma and the late 1990s. It centers on the stories of a group of children called the elves, who are orphaned, neglected, and taken advantage of, and the modern-day park ranger who tries to figure out what happened to them. It's hard to say I recommend this one - it's fascinating and historically nuanced but the child abuse is incredibly hard to read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

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. Olive flees with the younger girl, Nessa, after the older girl disappears. They run to the outlaw ridden Winding Stair Mountains, and while along the way meet up with other exploited children and they form a band.

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.

The story is all tied up with the land, the oil, and other minerals, and the ownership of such land is the cause of the children's plight.

Once again, Lisa Wingate explores deeply a topic that I was not aware of. I always like that her concern is and has been the children and this story is proof that in times past children were a target of the worst kind.

Thank you to Lisa Wingate, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this amazing story.

I enjoyed this next Lisa Wingate novel. The Oklahoma history was new to me so I definitely learned something and recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about how children and native Americans were treated at the turn of the century. I loved the back and forth in time and the wrapping up of the story connections at the end. Mostly I enjoyed the character Ollie, who was a true pioneer and feminist at an early age. A very quick read because it will be hard to put down..
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

I have enjoyed all of this authors books, and this one is no exception, even though I am not a big historical fiction fan. The story she tells here is important because it is based on fact.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When I came across this book, I was really excited, because I loved Lisa Wingate’s,” Before We Were Yours”.
Even though the author has shined a light on a very sad part of Oklahoma, US and Indian history, I have to say I was extremely disappointed in the book. There were two main characters, and she switched each chapter, highlighting, one of the characters. I’ve read many books like this before and usually it doesn’t bother me, but just as I was getting into the character, the chapter ended and she switched to another character. I found this very disconcerting. I also felt that when she would finally get back a chapter about the former character, she didn’t pick up where she left off. It seemed like there were parts missing, and therefore hard to follow. I certainly enjoyed the last two chapters, and she did a very clever way of pulling it all together, but prior to that it was a long slog .

Lisa Wingate never fails to please with her writing. Wonderful historical fiction about the forgotten indigenous children from Oklahoma. This story weaves together the tail from 1909 and 1990 to bring to a close a story that needed to end. Very well written. I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

I absolutely loved Before We Were Yours, so I was incredibly excited to read Shelterwood. It did not disappoint!

The story begins uncertainly for both main characters and follows them through hardships and the sadness of loss. Valerie is looking to solve a mystery (plus heal her heart & start living) and Ollie is looking to survive and make something of herself.

The story follows these two as we watch their stories unfold and it’s a delight as they do.

Provided by NetGalley + Ballantine Books, but all opinions are my own.

Four plus stars on another amazing historic novel from Lisa Wingate.

Alternating timelines (not my favorite) between 1909 and 1990 Oklahoma outline greed, graft, the plight of natives at the end of the Trail of Tears, and the abuses experienced by those impoverished by the rich and greedy. Another story that certainly wasn’t taught when I was in school, a dark time in American and Oklahoman history that’s been hidden.

I am so grateful for authors like Wingate who uncover stories like this, make them readable and real, and remind us that we really must be vigilant to keep history from repeating itself.

This book took me on a heartbreaking journey through a time in our nation's history that should have never been ignored. The monstrosities that Native American children and their families endured were truly appalling and despicable. The story takes place in Oklahoma, alternating POVs between Ollie in 1909 and Valerie in 1990. Ollie is eleven years old, and she took me on a fairy tale adventure into the forest with her band of wayward kids. Her story was so vivid and rich in the history of that time period that I felt like I had travelled back there myself. Back to a time before women's rights when books were only distributed by library wagons and children were abandoned to fend for themselves. I learned so many things that I had never known. Despite this tale being hard to stomach, it was educational, interesting and extremely well written. I would have liked to know more about the history of Joel and Val, but it wasn't necessary. Just a personal preference. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend!  

Thank you to the author, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

Lisa Wingate’s Shelterwood is a Historical novel which alternates in time between 1909 and 1990. The 1990 sections feature Valerie, a newly appointed Park Ranger who becomes involved in the discovery of three sets of bones in a cave in Oklahoma. The 1909 sections follows the fates of Ollie and a small group of orphans, some of whom are Choctaw Indians in the same Oklahoma mountains. In the end, the two timelines meet and mesh, which should feel more satisfying than it does - possibly because the pieces are revealed in a retelling by an old Choctaw woman instead of coming from one of the characters, which feels clinical and emotionless. Wingate’s ability to capture the landscape is skilled - in both timelines the reader is immersed in the lush beauty of the mountains, the woods and the surrounding areas become like secondary characters. This is a captivating novel about history and politics, what it means to leave behind a life you have loved for something new, and how it feels to push through uncertainty to trust and happiness.

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate wasn't all I thought it would be. It was so much more.
The novel toggles between 1909 and 1990 in Oklahoma in a fictional National Park. 1909 focuses mostly on eleven-year old Ollie along with two orphaned children from the Choctaw tribe, all living in the same house as Ollie's abusive step-father. 1990 focuses on the same park that is dealing with its own problems, including a dead body, mysterious injuries and a large corporation that will do whatever it takes to get what it wants.
Integral to this story is the shameful treatment of Native American tribes by the U.S. government. Guardians were appointed to oversee the "safety" of their wards and their land holdings (land rich with oil and othe resources). Many indigenous people disappeared or were forced to go into hiding. What better place to disappear to than in a forest park with trees and caves. But along with that comes the constant threat of hunger and fear of being discovered.
Though there were a few chapters that seemed somewhat slow, in the end, the author did a masterful job of weaving the storylines together. If you want a book rich in history, not about WWII and good character development, this one is for you.
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley. I would give it a very solid 4 stars.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

I have been a fan of Lisa Wingate for many years and I feel that her writing just keeps getting better. This book takes place in Oklahoma during two time periods of 1909 and 1990. The novel goes back and forth between the two timelines uncovering the story of Indian children who were often exploited and whose land rights were taken away, forcing them to try to survive on their own. The characters from both time periods were so well developed that I feel that they will stay with me long afterward. I loved how the two timelines came together and how everything resolved for all of the characters in the end. Much research was put into this book and the author's note at the end was very informative. If you are an historical fiction reader and enjoy learning about parts of our history that are not well known and are often covered up, you will love this book.

Greed and persistence. This story made me think about how greed impacts so many people, showing their true colors by putting material goods ahead of everything. I also thought about persistence, wondering how some people become so persistent that nothing gets in their way.
Two timelines eighty years apart follow two stories in the same area of Oklahoma, telling the tales of orphaned children, dysfunctional families, and the people that take advantage of them. Shelterwood is also the story of people who never give up, who look for the truth, and who will do whatever they need to survive.
It’s difficult to imagine the lives of orphaned children living in the forests of Oklahoma a hundred years ago. These kids were on their own, fending for themselves, working day jobs if they could or foraging for food to stay fed. Then, fast forward to the 1990s as a mystery unfolds. A curious newcomer asks the right questions and ultimately links these two stories.

I came into my DRC knowing that I love Lisa Wingate's historical fiction but this blew me away. Every word of this is masterfully crafted and weaves the two timelines seamlessly. The amount of detail that went into this novel is astounding. Pick up a copy for yourself because it is worth it.

I loved Lisa Wingate's novel, "Before We Were Yours", and could not wait to read her newest novel, "Shelterwood". This book is mainly about the Indian children who were robbed of their ancestral land close to the time Oklahoma became a state. It is a story of the strong women who fought to save them and have their land rights returned to them. I loved this book so much! It is a fascinating story that I know I will want to do more research about. Thanks to @Net Galley for the ARC of this book!

This book shows a part of history that isn’t talked about. I love how the author weaves the story from 1909 with a more modern story from 1990. It’s heartbreaking and hopeful all at the same time. I didn’t want to put this book down.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

A different writing style from Lisa Wingate but just as enjoyable. Set in a dual time line I was kept guessing as how the story would come together. Set in the early 1900's and then flash to 1990. At the end there is a surprise twist. I feel that there could be another book from these characters.