The narrative begins with the teenage protagonist being sent to an abusive maternity home, where she faces shame and manipulation, ultimately being deceived into signing adoption papers. This traumatic experience shapes her life and echoes throughout the years.

In contemporary times, we meet Allison Garrett, who serves as a “search angel.” She utilizes DNA tests to assist individuals in locating lost relatives. However, her most compelling search revolves around her own mother, who was abandoned as a baby. As Allison delves deeper into her family history, she uncovers revelations that extend beyond mere origins; these discoveries threaten to disrupt the harmony of her close-knit community.

It is a heartfelt exploration of connections between friends and family across generations, highlighting the enduring impact of choices made in moments of crisis.

This was a really well done novel, it had that realistic charm that I was looking for and enjoyed how well the characters were written. Elizabeth Langston is able to create a strong story and characters and was glad I was able to read this.

This was such a heartwrenching and touching story about a mother having to give her baby up for adoption. I loved the dual timelines as that worked really well for this story. I also love that Search Angels is an actual organization.

This novel explores complex and complicated relationships as it reveals changing social mores and contemporary issues related to genealogy. It is a deeply emotional read that is both heart-wrenching and heart-affirming.

In 1968 Molly Mitchell, a seventeen-year-old girl, discovers she is pregnant, and is shipped off to a “maternity home” where she endures abuse and coercion to relinquish her child. The long-lasting effects of her trauma are chronicled as she slowly pieces together a life vastly different from her adolescent dream. Her resilience is inspiring and her story a compelling condemnation of the attitudes and behaviors prevalent in that period.

In a second timeline, Allison is a “search angel,” supporting others in their quest to understand their family trees. Her mother, who was adopted, is bitter over her abandonment and has no desire to seek out her birth mother. When Allison submits her own DNA for testing, she discovers unknown familial links between herself and her best friend. The deeper she goes as she pursues her research the more secrets are revealed that unravel relationships that eventually lead to back to Molly and the opportunity to correct misperceptions and heal old wounds.

The writing is well-paced and kept me engaged with the characters between the alternating timelines. My only issue was the sheer number of characters became a bit confusing as the two timelines converged in the present. Overall, the book was illuminating and informative about the benefits and pitfalls of genealogical research. It was interesting to discover that “Search Angels” is an actual organization.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Stggling with this review. Was looking forward to reading it but found it very easy to get confused as to who was who at the beginning. Very tempted to stop but kept on and I did actually enjoy it!

I really liked this book! It followed 2 timelines and they do intervene. It goes over the traumatic experience a young mother endured when she had to give up her child. It follow through to that daughter and we see the daughter learn about what her own mother went through when giving her up. It was emotional and touching, and I liked reading it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

A great read. I did enjoy the storyline that was in the past a great deal more than the present one, but overall a good book.

This was a heartbreaking book but with happy endings. I don't want to say so much or I will give it away. You get the backstory of the seventeen-year-old girl who had to give her child up for adoption and stay at an abusive "maternity home". You follow along as Allison figures out the details of her mother being abandoned as a baby. There is lots of emotions and drama in this book. I recommend.

An emotional and gripping story about a young unwed mother in the past and the repercussions she faced. It follows her through physical and mental abuse she endured in an unwed mother’s home. It tells of the success she achieved in life. It follows the future generations affected by her decisions and the decisions made for her. I highly recommend this story that grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t let go till the end.