I always enjoy reading books about different parts of history & different parts of the country. Shelterwood was no different. Learning about Oklahoma in 1909 was intriguing. I had not heard of Kate & her story. Nor I had hear of what was being done to children out there. I also liked Vals storyline in 1990 and it was enjoyable to see the two intertwine. Good book!

This story takes place in Oklahoma and goes back and forth between 1909 and 1990.
This is the tale of three little girls who are trying to escape a dangerous man and take care of themselves in the wild in 1909.
In 1990, Valerie, a National Park Ranger, has decided to move and start a new life for herself and her young son. She is now a widow and her son is fatherless. They have transferred near Talihina, Oklahoma. This is of interest to me as I have been there, myself many times.
Valerie is frustrated as it seems they just give her menial tasks to keep her occupied. Then, a call came in for a missing teenage boy. That hunt led Valerie to so much more. She discovers sets of three children's bones in a cave that someone, or someone's doesn't want found or talked about. At one point, the lives of her and her son were threatened and she sent her son back 'home' with relatives until the danger was over.
In 1909, a young girl is trying to keep herself and sister safe from their stepdad. Their mother is no help as she has taken to drink and powders and sleeps most of the day away in a stupor. They end up on the run doing what they can to survive, and taking in other children.
These two very different stories mesh together in a unique way.
It's obvious the author did an extensive amount of research for this story. I learned so much from the book about the native Americans, particularly the children. I, also learned about Kate Barnard, whom I had never before heard of. She was a fighter for orphans in the early 1900's. A small woman with a big voice.
Quite an amazing story.
I was given an advanced ecopy by the publisher, Ballantine Books through Netgalley. I was not obligated to leave a positive review.

Lisa Wingate does it again! Making history accessible and interesting. The focus of this book is the exploitation of Native American children in Oklahoma. I highly recommend reading the author’s note first. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This novel vacillates in time between 1909 and 1990. It opens in 1990 with Val, the new park ranger in Oklahoma as she finds 3 bones--could they be human? Then in 1909 we see 11-year-old Olive who takes her younger sister, Nessa and runs away from evil stepfather, Tesco even after their other sister, Hazel disappeared. It's a fast-paced novel that explores superstitions of elves, hidden treasures, and crazy theories handed down for ages. Kept me on the edge of my seat until the end!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Lisa Wingate shares yet another unknown story about children or young adults who are trying to find their way back to family.
Taking place in 1909 and 1990, "Shelterwood" tells the tale of Olive and her Choctaw "sister" and friends who are fleeing from abusive situations to try to make a home for themselves and other children who are mistreated by adults who are supposed to be taking care of them. In 1990, National Park law Enforcement ranger finds the skeletons of 3 young children in a cave in Horsethief trail National Park. She is determined to find out who they are while also trying to find a missing teen. These stories come together in an enlightening ending.
Each storyline in this novel is interesting and heartbreaking. The protagonists are strong females who are fighting for injustices done to others. The novel brings to light the exploitation children suffered at the hands of white land barons.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this egalley.

This was historical fiction at its finist. This takes place in Oklahoma with dual timelines. One timeline takes place in 1990 and follows a young female park ranger, Valerie. There is so much going on at the park she works at, between the politics, missing persons and a grizzly find, it's a page turner. The second timeline is 1909 and follow a bunch of ragtag orphans trying to survive.
This one had me reading late into the night to see how these stories would come together.
The author did a wonderful job with the history of Oklahoma in its early statehood.
If you are a historical fiction fan, I highly recommend this one.

Like Before We Were Yours, Lisa Wingate has written another moving title about a little known history this one from the early 1900s. Readers will fall in love with Ollie and Nessa and the mystery that surrounds their story in the Winding Stair Mountains of Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Ranger Valerie Boren O’dell arrives at Horsethief Trail National Park in the 1990s seeking to heal her broken heart and forge a new path forward for her young son. Stumbling upon a a local mystery that no one seems interested in solving and fighting for respect as a female ranger, may be dangerous for Val. Did she make the right choice in fleeing her home? Alternating chapters will captivate readers and draw them in to the dual narratives.

Shelterwood is the heartbreaking story of orphaned indigenous children in the early 1900 Oklahoma. The story is told through two points of view in two timelines. In 1909, Olivia's stepfather is a ward to two Choctaw girls. After the oldest disappears, Olivia escapes with the youngest, Nessa. In 1990, Valerie is a ranger who discovers three bodies in a cave. When the bones are quickly disposed off and the case closed, Valerie looks for answers.

If you read Before We Were Yours or enjoy historical fiction, this is a must read. Wingate does a wonderful job of telling the story. The writing is very good. Combined with what had to be extensive research, the entire books gives readers a glimpse into that time and the atrocities. This is one of those books that can be difficult to read given the subject, but worth the time. The pages are filled with a lot of heartbreak, but leaves reader with a sense of hope and resilience. I highly recommend this book.

Lisa Wingate writes historical fiction usually involving the plight of children during trying times in the United States. Her books shine a light on eras past that we have forgotten, a light that often exposes a part of history people choose to forget.
Her newest novel, Shelterwood, is written about the early 1900’s Oklahoma. The Choctaws were being forced out, their children stolen to be raised with a Christian education. Oil was being discovered, often under land that the Indians or poor Americans owned. Through the stealing, kidnapping, and double-crossing, many children became orphans. And as orphans, they had less rights than a farmer’s mule.
The story focuses on Ollie and Nessa, forced to run to avoid a worse fate. Their path takes them through various obstacles and they cross paths with some colorful people, some good, some horrible.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable book to read, even though some parts are difficult to be made aware of. But this story is based on factual history, which makes it so much more interesting to me.
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Wingate is one of those authors that I will read whatever she releases. So I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Wingate's newest release, Shelterwood.

Shelterwood is a dual timeline story told from two different POV.

Oklahoma, 1909. Eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley: Olive known as Ollie, knows that her stepfather is not a good man. She has suspicions about his intentions towards the two Chocktaw girls who are in his care as wards. When the older girl, Hazel, suddenly disappears, Olie and and six-year-old Nessa start a journey that is hard to comprehend.

Oklahoma, 1990. Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie Boren O’dell. Valerie has arrived at Horsethief Trail National Park as a new park ranger. Valerie wants to try to start again after the tragic death of her husband. As a single mother, Valerie is attempting to balance her life and care for their young son.
Valerie is not sure if she is the new token female park ranger or what the other rangers think of her.

When the bones of three young children are discovered in Horsethief Trail National Park, a story unfolds that is hard to comprehend.

Wingate has a talent it weaving true little-known stories with fiction to make great stories. The only reason I did not give this 5 stars was that the end felt a little rushed and farfetched with Valerie's story.

All. thoughts and opinions are my own.

Emotional and riveting book. Though I expected nothing less from this author. Definitely add this to your summer reading list

I ended up listening to this book on Libro.FM and I enjoyed it! It wasn’t my favorite of her novels, but Wingate always tells well-researched and compelling stories. this one takes place in Oklahoma with a then and now story about the kids and orphans of Indian tribes and their struggles to survive. A worthwhile read.

Great story by Lisa Wingate. Every book i have read by her I have loved. Her books are the ones i always reccomend to my friends. Looking forward to whatever her next book is!

I am a big Lisa Wingate fan however this one was a chore for me.. I really struggled getting through this one. I put it down several times to read other books in between but really just felt forced to read due to receiving a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. The historical fiction that this novel centers around was promising as I have no read much about the topic however I just was never captivated by the characters or the alternating timelines. I know many may love this as Lisa Wingate is a rockstar for historical fiction but this one didn't do it for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a digital ARC of Shelterwood.

helterwood is the type story that slowly envelopes you, so trust the author to take you on a great journey. If you enjoyed David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and The Birth of The FBI or Wingate’s Before We Were Yours, this is a book you want to read.

Set on a dual timeline in Oklahoma, this is a story of 3 young girls, one white and two Native American, who flee an abusive situation and try to survive on their own in the mountains. The year is 1909 when children, especially Native American children, had no rights and were often exploited.

In 1990, a female Law Enforcement Ranger stationed at a recently opened and controversial National Park in the same area of Oklahoma. She soon finds herself searching for a lost teenager and discovering 3 set of children’s bones found in a cave. Still battling a male-dominate environment, she begins the quest to discover the truth about these children.

Who were they? Why were they in the cave? Is there any connection between them and the lost teenager? This is a slow-build story that will teach you much about the history and treatment of young Native American children. It reminds of a time in our nation’s history for which we should all be ashamed.

It makes me wonder how greed can take man so far down a road of corruption and abuse, and it makes me wonder why we don’t stand up to the greed and abuse that occurred and still occurs today. The author’s research was extensive not only about the history of the area, time, and circumstances of these children, but of current day Rangers and how these conduct investigations, etc.

Let Wingate take you on the journey. She brings the story to a satisfying conclusion that will make you smile and reminds us of where we’ve been as a nation, where we now, and why advocating for children’s rights is imperative in our society.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of this book in exchange for my review. My opinion is my own.

#shelterwood #lisawingate #nativeamerica #oklahomahistory #netgalley #randomhousepublishing #ballantine #trusttheauthor

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

Lisa Wingate is a master of historical fiction stories that are not mainstream topics (ie: WW1 and WW2). I appreciate that so much because there are so many periods of history that I'd love to read more about! Shelterwood takes place both during the early 1900's and 1990's and the stories are tied together so well.

In the early 1900's we read about Olive, who is running from her stepdad after she realized he didn't have good intentions toward one of the Choctaw girls living with them - and the other one had already disappeared. Olive and Nessa meet up with a band of Choctaw kids and make up their own little community they named Shelterwood.

In the 1990's, Val is a park ranger when the bones of 3 little girls are found in a cave. Who are they and what happened to them?

I flip flopped between which timeline I liked better as I was reading. They were both interesting, but they both got kind of drawn out in the middle. I think this book could have been a bit shorter, but overall it was well researched and well written. It made me research more about what happened to the Choctaw people during this time period, which is always a mark of a good historical fiction read, in my mind!

Not my favorite by this author, but still well done.

I enjoyed Shelterwood. It was a little slower read for me. Not the page turner of her other books. I really got engaged with the story and the characters. Lisa Wingate can really write a good book.

Shelterwood is a dual timeline story of forgotten children, set in both 1909 and 1990.
A roller coaster of emotions as we meet Olive and Nessa, the main characters of our story, who's journey is one that will grip your heart. A well researched tale of abandoned children that merges with more present day story of a widowed ranger.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this arc in return for my honest review.

Pub date: 04 June 2024

I really wanted to like this book, however, I made it to 40% and decided to call it. It was a DNF for me. I appreciate the opportunity to get a copy of the novel in exchange for my honest review.

Very interesting and engrossing book. It had me hooked from the very first chapter with the mystery. I was enthralled through the whole book and very much enjoyed both points of view. But as for the mystery part it seemed a little bit of a let down at the end of the book. And some of the details of what happened next to the children are not crystal clear to me. I want to know what happened next.