Oklahoma, 1990. Law enforcement ranger Valerie arrives at newly formed National Park seeking a quiet place to balance a career and single parenthood. She is faced with a good old boy network. She tries to prove herself chasing a missing Choctaw teen and the remains of children found in a cave.

Oklahoma, 1909. Eleven-year-old Ollie knows that her stepfather doesn’t have good intentions toward the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home as wards. When the older girl disappears, Ollie flees to the woods, taking six-year-old Nessa with her. She picks up numerous other orphans along the way as they try to survive.

The dual timelines come together at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House, for this advance reader’s copy, in exchange for an honest review. “Shelterwood” is scheduled for publication in June 2024.
This review will also appear on my Raised on Reading blog site (www.raisedonreading) on or about February 26.
My introduction to author Lisa Wingate came from reading “Before We Were Yours,” a phenomenal novel that has sold more than one million copies. And therein lies the problem. Everything I read by Wingate I compare to “Before We Were Yours,” which, of course, is not fair. But I’m human.
As such, while I liked aspects of “Shelterwood,” there was much I was disappointed with. The story focuses on the plight of the Choctaw Indians – specifically, the young children who were often orphaned – in Oklahoma 1909, and alternates with a 1990 timeline and the work of Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie Boren-O’Dell, a newly appointed member of the National Park Service and single parent.
At the outset, the skeletal remains of three young girls are found in a cave within the confines of the soon-to-be-opened Horsethief Trail National Park (fictitious). That sets up an interesting premise, especially as the 1909 timeline introduces readers to sisters Olive, age 11, and Nessa, age 7, as they flee into the woods from their malicious stepfather. Do some of the remains found in the cave belong to Olive and Nessa?
The problem, however, is that shortly thereafter the narrative bogs down within both timelines: the search for missing people in 1990; and the growing troop of orphaned children Olive and Nessa encounter while on the run in 1909. Together with some long-winded political speeches over the plight of orphaned children, it’s easy to find oneself wondering, where is this story going? When is it finally going to get there? And, what do these two timelines have to do with one another?
Wingate’s writing is excellent as she depicts the forests and rugged terrain the band of orphans must traverse, but it becomes information overload at some points. While Wingate’s research is thorough as always, there are parts that may be over-researched. It then becomes easy to forget about those skeletal remains found in the cave.
Of course, the two timelines mesh near the end as the crux of the story becomes clearer. But it’s revealed in a retelling by an old Choctaw woman rather than the natural flow of the story, the latter of which (I think) would have made for more interesting reading. It certainly would have given me more of an emotional attachment to the children whose plight is truly tragic.

This is a hard review to write. Lisa Wingate is a phenomenal author and Before We Were Yours has a special place in my heart. I was cautiously optimistic about Shelterwood because I know Wingate’s stories can rip your heart into a million pieces.

Sadly, this one did work for me. The writing is strong and the research was clearly thorough. I just struggled with the pacing. A lot of the book felt like a slog and then an important detail was kind of glossed over or retold in a way that didn’t make sense to me. I’d be waiting for some event or someone to realize something and all of a sudden the character would tell you that conversation happened and now a day had gone by.

I usually love dual POV but the back and forth between timelines here was jarring for me. I would be really invested in the past storyline and then have to get totally reacquainted with what was going on in the chapters set in the 90s.

Overall this was a really interesting, and eye opening, plot but it was too slow for me. I was invested enough in the characters and the mystery to finish but it was a bit of a struggle to get to the end.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader. All opinions are my own!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballentine Books for this ARC OF “Shelterwood” by Lisa Wingate.
Historical fiction has always been a favorite genre of mine and Lisa Wingate is an exceptional author. Her book, “Before We Were Yours” is a great title that I would highly recommend.
This book was focused around the Choctaw Indians in the early 1900’s and the injustices they face especially the young children who became orphaned for various reasons.
I was quickly intrigued by the premise and enjoyed the past to present jump the author used for each chapter. This book started strong and wrapped up well- however I did feel the middle was a little too drawn out especially the “present” time frame.
This is not my favorite book that Wingate has written but I still believe it’s worth the read if historical fiction intrigues you. The author does a lot of research when writing and that’s evident in her author’s notes as well as the included resources and materials mentioned for further reading.

Lisa Wingate has always been a go to reader for me. She comes out with a book I automatically grab it. She always does meticulous research for her novels and it shows. This one is no exception. It was utterly heartbreaking and fascinating to read about the “elf children”. It’s a part of history that is not talked about enough. This book follows a duel timeline of past and present. It follows Ollie Auggie and her life as an elf child and Val a Ranger in the Winding Stair. It’s well worth a read.

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate takes place in Horsethief Trail National Park in Oklahoma. The story goes back and forth between 1909 and 1990. There was a lot of wealth in those mountains in the early 1900’s that belonged to the 5 Indian tribes. Many parents perished, leaving behind orphan children who were suppose to inherit the land. After the supposed death of her father, Olive Radley's mother remarried and she became his ward. He also took in 2 Choctaw sisters and does not have good intentions toward them. One disappears, leaving Nessa and Olive under his care. Since he has been far from fatherly to Olive, she flees to the woods with Nessa. Their story tells of their plight in the woods and how they form a community of orphaned children who have also fled their wards.

In 1990, Horsethief Trail National Park has hired a female ranger. The park is set to open soon however, she is faced with several challenges. Not only being up against men who are not happy to have a women ranger, but also several happenings in the Park. Bones of 3 small children are found in a cave, a teenage hiker is missing, a shell casing is found near a mountain slide, and her newly hired assistant gets seriously hurt in the park, toppling down off a trail on his horse. Valerie feels as though several things that happened were not accidents. She sets out to find out what is happening, why, and what the buried bones have to do with all of this.

The weaving back and forth of the story kept you on edge. You had to feel for these orphan children and you were engrossed in finding out what happened in the past as well as how that was related to 1990. In 1909 the story showed how the women were becoming pioneers for women’s rights, and it continues through to 1990 with the hiring of a women ranger. I loved the suspense as well as the writing. It was fast pasted and I did not want to put it down. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this pre-release.

SHELTERWOOD by Lisa Wingate ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Any book that involves mistreatment of kids always kills me, and this one was no exception. It will tug on your heartstrings from the very first chapter, while at the same time you’ll also be so impressed with what these kids are able to make it through and accomplish. The children were so likable to me and I rooted for them the entire time. I also loved the mystery aspect in this story and waiting to see how the two timelines would come together. Overall I really enjoyed this book, but taking off one star because it did feel a little bit slow moving for me.

Pub. Date: June 4, 2024

Perfect if you like:
•Dual timeline.
•Mystery.
•Resilient characters.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: no 🌶️
Mood: 🍫

Another informative book by this author. At times it was a little dull, but overall it was informative, sad and suspenseful. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I liked this book and it is Wingates usual trope with the just the characters changed . I feel like her writing has gotten in a rut where she writes the same story over and over . The history was more interesting than the actual book .

In this dual-timeline story, we meet Nessa and Ollie, who lived in Oklahoma in the early 1900's, as well as Valerie, who lives in the same area ninety years later. You've seen Killers of the Flower Moon, but do you know about the other tribes that were targeted during the early 20th century for oil and mineral rights? Wingate does a good job of incorporating the history and mystery of this era, getting the reader involved without it being too overwhelming. I must say that I was considerably more intrigued by the past story than by the present-day mystery, but they do all tie together. The historic notes at the end are a must-read, too.

Another moving novel written by Lisa Wingate. The history behind Shelterwood had me captivated as I read about Ollie, Nessa, and Hazel. The struggles these small children endured so early in their childhood really pulled at my heart.
The chapters alternated with viewpoints between Valerie and the children, the years 1990 and 1909, which left me wanting to read more as each chapter ended. A very heartwarming, unexpected ending.
The authors note at the end put so much of the novel and the history into perspective. Make sure to take the time to read that.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC.

Normally I am not a fan of books that alternate between different time periods. Lisa Wingate, however, made this work. I found the book to be well written with enjoyable characters. The subject was well researched. As usual Lisa Wingate knocked it out of the ballpark and brought attention to a little known (at least to me) period of history. Great read!

A few years ago a friend suggested I read a Lisa Wingate Novel, I didn’t really read Historical Fiction…. But ok! After finishing and google searching like an amateur sleuth I decided I needed more.
I wanted to devour this book as fast as I could but also savor all that this book is! It’s hard to be a book lover at times. So I ended up reading slowly so that I could really get a sense of who these people were and are as the time hop of the book plays out.
I want to thank Lisa for always opening my eyes to the injustices that happened in our country that no one talks about, that no one wants to acknowledge. She is truly a remarkable person to read a story about something so sad and spin a tale that enlightens her readers.
I cried for so many reason in this book and at the end. I am grateful for my newest obsession of google searches today.

While I'm a big Lisa Wingate fan, I have to say that this book wasn't my favorite. As expected, she conveys history with such authority and a clear commitment to research. But in this case, I found the history more compelling than the novel. I was far more interested in the historical quotes that opened each chapter, and in the author's note at the end, than in the story. Ollie--the 1909 protagonist--was appealing and endearing, as were the other children. I was horrified by the danger they were in and the abuse described. I found Val, the present-day heroine, less compelling, and the mystery she becomes embroiled in wasn't all that gripping. Still, I thought this was a worthwhile read, particularly as it related to the ways we must do better to protect children.

This is classic Lisa Wingate, and if you're read and joyed her other books, you'll love this one as well. It's beautifully written, with a strong, well-paced plot. It's obvious how much research was done to create a genuine portrait of a historical issue, and she brings attention to a sordid time in American life. It tugs at the heartstring and makes the reader feel angry without being too disturbing that you don't want to read on. As usual, without ignoring the awful details of terrible things that happened, she manages to be uplifting and inspiring.

This is a story about Ollie, who lived in Oklahoma in the early 1900's, and her not-birth sister Nessa, and how they manage to evade the people who would do them wrong. It's also the story about Val, who has dealt with challenges in life and is having trouble moving on. Val learns about Ollie's story, which is intertwined with her own, and the support of new good, friends helps her understand her own story and accept the challenges in her life.

Even though this is a work of dramatic historical fiction, it's full of plot twists and turns that keep you on your toes wondering what's going on. However, I was expecting a bit more drama at the end before it comes to the inevitble conclusion. It was still a wonderful, feel-good ending that ends on a note of hope without going into all the detail about how things played out.

I highly recommend this book. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Lisa Wingate pens a remarkable novel of little known history involving several displaced and robbed Indian tribes in Oklahoma and the orphan Indian elf children left behind to fend for themselves in the forests of the tribal lands. Shelterwood will open your eyes, minds and hearts to the corruption many orphans and families faced at the hands of dishonest money grafters. Crafted with alternating chapters from 1909 and 1990, this book is amazing historical fiction with superb characters that continue the struggle the orphans endured.

Shelterwood by @author_lisa_wingate
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a phenomenally written story with double timelines (1909 & 1990). It follows Ollie and Val, respectively, as they seek to make justice happen for the orphan children (mostly Choctaw) living in the woods while folks who were supposed to be their wards simply stole their land and left them to fend for themselves in the wild. I had never heard of this part of history but truly believe it should be more prevalently known - which makes me grateful for this book.

This book doesn’t release until June, but it was too good not to go ahead and put it on your radar. I’ll share this post again closer to the release date!

Thank you @netgalley, @author_lisa_wingate, and @randomhouse for the ARC ebook of Shelterwood. I didn’t want to put it down! All opinions are honest and my own.

#netgalley #shelterwood #bookstagram #goodreads #literarypearlsof24

I have enjoyed Lisa Wingate’s previous book. This novel was not what I expected, and couldn’t really enjoy it. I was not able to finish it, just could not get into it.
I received a free copy, opinions are my own.

Shelterwood is my favorite book so far this year. It’s a compelling and disturbing fictional account of actual, but little-known events in Oklahoma in the early 20th century, a time of widespread corruption targeting Native Americans for their lands. Many natives were murdered or simply “disappeared” during this era.

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.

Wingate’s extensive research enlightens this narrative, detailing this little-known tragedy and revealing lost stories about women who tried to help. But it’s her storytelling skills that hooked me. It’s a page-turner.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I had never heard of the elf children and the travesty these kids suffered before reading Wingate's book. The book was both interesting and hard to read because of the sadness wrapped around the story. The story goes between 1909 and 1990 where Law Enforcement Ranger, Valerie Boren-Odell, brings the story to light. The way Wingate ties the two time periods and their stories together is well done. I received a free copy with no expectations. My opinions are my own.