A heartbreaking story of a little known fact how children in Oklahoma in the year 1909 was victimized by greedy men for their land. It is a dual timeline when Oklahoma was in the beginnings of statehood and men took advantage of Indian orphans and no one was there to protect the children.
Also set in the year 1990 when the lands once owned by Indians is now a new state park. As the new ranger at the park, Valerie is the outsider, plus the only female in a male dominant world. She is called to investigate three small skeletons found in a cave, which is the beginnings of many usual circumstances surrounding the small town and park.
I always love learning something new in history and the research and story was intriguing. I was on vacation so didn’t have time, but definitely if I read it at home I would have devoured it. Will reread again! Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are mine own. #Shelterwood

Lisa Wingate does it again. This was the perfect book club read! I highly recommend to all. The cover is also beautiful which is always a bonus!

There seems to be a trend this year in historical novels of using dual timelines in 2024. No, it is not new, but I have been reading it more often lately. This one included. Shelterwood bounces back and forth over a hundred years. And the author doesn't dive into a well-known area. She takes us to the backwoods of Oklahoma where one decided the law by their own hands. It is also a time when no other race could stand against a white man who was seeking riches in the land of oil. Who was there to care if children went missing.
In the 1990s the bodies are discovered, leading to secrets being unearthed, cruel people exposed, and justice finally served.
This author once again has a bestseller on her hands from her well researched, emotional read, of children who have lost their places in history.

A fine example of historical fiction, Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate consists of two seemingly individual stories told in alternating chapters from two time periods. Both plots were strong enough to be written separately and both touched on important but not widely familiar topics and individuals from American history. Unfortunately, putting them together just didn’t work for me until late in the book. At times, the plot/pace seemed slow throughout much of the book due, in part, to passages that were seemingly repetitive and longer than necessary. I had to push to keep reading but was motivated to complete it by my interest in the developing mystery which came to a satisfactory ending.

One of the strengths of Wingate’s books is her extensive research. Shelterwood is no exception as evidenced by the author’s detailed list of primary sources. Often overlooked, but not to be missed, are the author’s notes. Not only does she reveal that she grew up in Oklahoma so has firsthand knowledge of the setting but also includes additional perspective and background to the origins and history of this novel.

My hands-down favorite by Lisa Wingate is The Book of Lost Friends which I would highly recommend to those readers new to this author.

Really good historical fiction of a time period I've read little about. Wingate has a way of painting real characters you care deeply about while educating you on so much important and little told history. Well researched and gripping, this is a can't miss.

Shelterwood was just okay for me. I loved Valerie’s chapters, but Ollie’s tended to drag and bore me. I feel like this story, although beautifully written with great interesting characters, was almost the same basic storyline as several of her other books. I feel like it was missing something at the end, the twist that tied the two women’s stories together was weak and wrapped up too quick for me.

Shelterwood reminds me of an earlier of Lisa Wingate’s book, Before We Were Yours. Both books deal with unwanted and unprotected children. In Before We Were Yours, children are stolen from their parents and sold as available for adoption from a questionable children’s home. In Shelterwood, Oklahoma native children are stripped of their property rights in land and oil, then locked away and forgotten. Both books are page turners. Recommended.

Lisa Wingate writes beautiful fictional stories set in nonfiction backgrounds populated with characters that will either pull your heart strings or make you grit your teeth with their vile actions. Ever since I read Before We Were Yours, I've know to prepare for an emotional pull from Wingate's books. Her extensive research for each book shines through in the characters and their challenges to just get through another day. Without a doubt, you'll learn something new from each book that will cause you to do a little research yourself.

SHELTERWOOD is told in two timelines, 1909 and 1990. The stories will come together as readers are taken into some of the most troubled times in Oklahoma history. We see the early days of Oklahoma's statehood through the eyes of the children as their health and welfare is not a priority to anyone except those who would use them to build wealth. We watch as the women of Oklahoma join together to change the future for every citizen. But not every citizen thinks the newer ways are better. They use history to base their current day abuse and actions. The end gives the readers the emotional lift of feeling as the "good guys" win.

The book Killers of the Flower Moon has received the attention of so many people who have been outraged at the treatment of the tribal citizens, as it should. SHELTERWOOD talks of the same era, but centers on the lifes of the tribal children, who did not have any way to protect themselves and the women who would step forward to stop their abuse. It's a really good "must read" for anyone who enjoyed Flower Moon.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group (Ballantine Books) for an advanced read copy of this wonderful book!

Lisa Wingate once again captivates readers in this new historical fiction book! In a similar fashion to Before We We’re Yours, Wingate touches on an infrequently navigated topic in American history. The book is well researched and I love the flow of the multiple timelines. The character development was strong for both Olive and Valerie. The timelines tied together beautifully and illustrated the significance and impact of strong women who advocate for the oppressed. The book also has elements of suspense woven throughout.

If you loved Before We Were Yours you’ll most likely enjoy this read as well!

I thought this book would be right up my alley, given how much I love historical fiction and the description of this book sounded fantastic. Unfortunately, the book itself was a huge letdown.

Individually, I liked the two timelines. Together, however, it was a mess. Which surprised me, since I've read countless dual-timeline (or more) books and never had a single problem with them. The difference between those and this one, however, was that almost every chapter ended abruptly with a cliffhanger (it honestly felt like the author just discovered them and was being super aggressive fitting on in every short chapter) and it was so jarring and obnoxious, instead of starting the next chapter, I'd set the entire book down and go do something else for awhile.

So many of the interactions the characters had felt like just parodies and over exaggerations of "the bad guys" or "the good guys" that it was just eye rolling at times. While I liked parts of some of them, the "overacting" just took away from all the characters and my ability to feel something - anything for them.

And then we get to the end. After so much slogging through the book, I haven't seen such a rushed ending in quite a few reads. It felt like the author had missed their deadline and was just phoning it in. The pacing was all over the place, perhaps which felt worse because of the cliff hangers. And while we finally get a half answer to the first "mystery," it was so much of nothing that it was really slightly infuriating.

I will be honest - a lot of the people who loved this one loved "Before We Were Yours." I gave that one a 3 stars and thought it was also a whole lot of over the top drama with some of the same character issues found in this. I did like it better than this one, however, but I'm willing to admit that Wingate just may not be an author who writes historical fiction in a away that I enjoy.

This was a DNF for me. I picked it up twice and put it down both times. I appreciate the thorough research but the story was so boring to me. Such a shame because I loved Before We Were Yours. I may try to come back at a later date and read it again.

History is filled with horror stories of children abandoned, abused and taken advantage of by the adults who should be responsible for their well-being. Wingate highlights just such a time. It’s 1909 Oklahoma and many ruthless people were prone to take advantage of vulnerable children. Some were used for sex, were put to work, institutionalized or forced into situations where their inheritance could be stolen. The Native children were especially targeted because of the land that was designated to them.

In this tale Olive Radley is eleven and lives with her stepfather, her incapacitated mother and two Choctaw girls that her family had taken in. The older of the two Native girls has already fled the house and Olive sees that the 6-year-old Nessa is now in danger and she will need to remove the child from the house in order to protect her. Olive has a plan to find a safe haven, away from adults and the authorities as the two run away. Along the way the two girls meet other homeless children who are similarly struggling to survive.

Another timeline is set in the same area in 1990. Valerie O’dell is a National Park Ranger who has moved to Oklahoma, following the death of her husband. She brings her son with her as she tries to establish a new life. Not only is she dealing with the emotional struggle of losing the man she loved, but she must deal with the prejudices and hostilities of being a woman in a male dominated occupation. Her job quickly becomes challenging when she is made aware of newly discovered decayed corpses of children found in a cave. She also learns there’s a missing camper whose car has been found abandoned. These discoveries haunt Valerie and she wants answers, but her orders are to not pursue either mystery.

Olive and the other children demonstrate tremendous resiliency. They show spunk and determination. Valerie’s story is one of a woman struggling to get respect for doing her job. She loves working for the Park Service but is frustrated with being denied a chance to investigate the two important cases. She’s smart, intuitive and wants answers to her serious concerns. Her suspicions are warranted and corporate lawlessness, like the greed to steal from the Native children, becomes the real enemy.

Like in David Grann’s book Killers of the Flower Moon, abuse of indigenous Americans by greedy Whites is part of Wingate’s story. But the children who are victims here are not limited to Native Americans. The scope is broader and the rising voice of women to protect children is central to the plot. The author’s note at the end gives critical historical background to the fictional story.

The beginning of the book is slow but Olive and little Nessa’s story gains momentum as they meet other children, plot how to get food and secure their safety. Valerie’s story was altogether interesting, and showcases a personal tale of coping, combined with the story of corporate greed. Some aspects of the novel are not fully fleshed out, leaving readers wanting more details. In general, the book covers important themes and presents interesting characters who live in harrowing times. But Wingate tried to tie in a few too many threads that were not completely resolved. Even though this is not quite as strong as her earlier books, it’s a welcome addition to historical fiction and addresses important topics.
3.5*

This book goes is about families pushed out of there homes for their land. Kids living in the woods doing everything they can toget along day to day. They’re called elves. Many years later they get there land back and some of those bad people go to jail.

SHELTERWOOD by Lisa Wingate was an immersive trip into 1909 Oklahoma, looking specifically at the children lost, left, and used in westward expansion.

The 1909 timeline has 11-year-old Ollie who escapes her dysfunctional home with one of the Choctaw girls her stepfather brought home. They collect a crew of young ones while Ollie dreams of creating a safe haven for them, all while avoiding detection.

In 1990, we have Val, a forest ranger whose job brings her into a missing hiker and a cave that seems to have been a burial site. To find the answers she needs, she works with the Choctaw Tribal leaders and discovers so much more than she expected.

I know now that Wingate is going to go to emotional lengths to connect the reader to the characters. I loved Ollie and her Choctaw sister, Nessa. When I thought it couldn't have possibly been based on truth, the author's note corrected me and added to my amazement of the children who survived such neglect and abuse. It continues to make me aghast at how unscrupulous people take such advantage of others, and when it is put into story form like this, it wrenches my heart.

There are a lot of issues tackled and a hero brought to light that history conveniently forgot.

I really enjoyed how historical issues were brought to light in this story. I had not heard about this level of exploitation and while I am not that surprised, it still gives me a sense of sadness to learn. Sometimes historical fiction can be hard for me, but I believe it is so important to know the truth of history.

Thank you @randomhouse Ballantine & @netgalley for this moving story out June 4th.

Lisa Wingate finds stories in history that grab you and don't let go! Shelterwood is a dual timeline that takes place in Oklahoma in the early 1900's and in 1999. Native Americans were given parcels of land and then often were cheated out of them - especially children. They had nowhere to go and were left on their own often begging or stealing food to get by. This is how we are introduced to Ollie. She has a stepfather that she doesn't trust especially after he takes in two Choctaw girls and one of them mysteriously disappears. She needs to get away from him any way she can. She finds other children in the same situation and they band together to survive. In 1999 we meet Valerie who is a park ranger and on her first day on the job someone discovers bones in a cave. This is just the start of a mystery that unfolds in this novel! Loved it!

I liked this book so much! It goes back and forth between Olive's story in 1909 and Valerie's in 1990. Almost every time the story switched back, it would leave either Olive or Valerie's story on a cliffhanger. Lisa Wingate has a way with words, and I could really imagine what the woods felt like for both Olive and Valerie. I didn't realize, until the afterword, that Kate Barnard was a real person! That's why I love historical fiction, you learn so much.

A well written story about a part of American history that is not taught or well known to most. This book will be enjoyable to anyone who like historical fiction.

Shelterwood (Hardcover)
by Lisa Wingate
The book speaks to the past events of the turn of the century. Showing the nature of exploitation and greed in the context of the western movement. The Indian lands were open to sale and consumption at the turn of the century. As one of the last areas of economic exploitation, the land grabs of whites against Native Americans is highlighted here. Children, and orphans were exploited for their land rights, striped of their inheritance, dignity, and self determination. These children were the outcasts of society because of the wealth their land rights represented. Its a mark against American Idealism, and Manifest destiny, but also against society. That even in the women's rights movements this exploitation was not brought to the attention of the public. These children were left in the most dire of situations. The book splits between this time and a modern exploitation of the land. The resources of timber and land protection are at logger heads, both conflicting sides cause conflict. The exploitation of resources still happens today. The book shows the conspiracy and the greed of man has not changed in the last century.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This had a dual timeline, and both pull you into the story. The past (1900s) surrounds the story of young girls trying to survive and escape from an abusive situation. The current timeline (1990) centers on a female park ranger and the discovery of bodies. Part mystery, part historical fiction...twists and turns and emotional storytelling that grabs hold of you and doesn't let go. The connection between the two narratives is complex, clever and will keep you thinking long after the last page is turned!

4 stars

✨NetGalley BookReviw✨
📚Shelterwood
✏️Lisa Wingate
📌Publication Date June 4
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my review.

Set in the mountains, you feel as if you’re walking among the tall evergreen trees filled with the scent of pine, hiking trails, and the many secrets that begin to unfold.

This is a split time novel that takes you back to early 1900’s and 1990. Back in 1909 you have Olive and Nessa who are desperately wanting to escape abuse at the hands of their stepfather. They are left wandering through the woods, trying to stay alive as they encounter others who may turn them back to the hands of their abuser. In 1990 You meet Valerie Odell who is a recent widow and mother of a 7 year old son. Valeria has began a new job at a National Park Law Enforcement and some newfound bones discovered in the national park have her with one goal in mind, to find how they got there and who they belong to.

As Valerie settles into her new role, a pick up truck belonging to an orphaned teenage boy is found unoccupied. The investigation begins and more town folk seem a little off put with Valerie’s snooping around. Why does this bother them and how will these people’s lives be intertwined?

I feel the novel is very well written and easy to follow.