Dunn Brother's Book Club - Little Fires Everywhere and Before We Were Yours

My goal this year is to read more adult fiction and so after talking with some people that felt the same, a book club was organized.  We meet at a local coffee shop once a month. Except in December, when we picked a book and decided to discuss both our December and January pick in January. 

Little did we know how much in common these books would have. Both were best books of the year on Good Reads for 2017. LIttle Fires Everywhere was voted best fiction book and Before We Were Yours was voted best historical fiction book. Both books have adoption and a desperation to have a family theme running through their stories.  I really liked the pairing. Following are some of my thoughts on each book. 

Little Fires Everywhere

Podcast Interview with Celeste Ng about book LIttle Fires Everywhere

Little Fires Everywhere is set in Shaker Heights, Ohio during the 90's. Shaker Heights is a real life planned community with lots of rules on keeping it a pristine and perfect town. The opening of the book starts with a fire where a teen has set fire to every bedroom in her home. We go back in time to find out why. 

One family in the community has spent much emotionally and financially trying to have a family. Finally, they adopt a Chinese baby as an infant. The baby had been abandoned on a step in their town. However, the birth mother comes back onto the scene and goes through the legal process to get her baby back. A woman and artist named Mia helps the young mother fight for her child. We learn that Mia has also dealt with keeping her own baby through some interesting circumstances. 

I found this book to move a little slower than I had anticipated with such a dramatic beginning.  It had a lot of focus on the teenagers in the book and several have commented that it could have been a YA book.  Overall, it was a good book but I was underwhelmed and expected more of the best book of the year!  There is some language in this book. 

Before We Were Yours

Podcast Interview with LIsa Wingate about book Before We Were Yours

When We Were Yours is based on a true story of a women named Georgia Tann who ran the Tennessee Children's Home Society and helped people to want to adopt children instead of letting them live in an orphanage until they were adults.  However, her dark side operated a black market and bought and sold and even stole children for profit.  Abuse and murder were also part of her schemes. 

The story goes back and forth between 1939 and current day. The historical story tells about a family of 5 children who  were taken away from their parents and sent to the Tennessee Children's Home where they were eventually separated and sold to couples who wanted a child.  The contemporary story is from the point of view of Avery Stafford, a female lawyer, who meets a woman at a nursing home who thinks she knows her. Avery begins to investigate and uncovers a secret her grandmother has kept all her life. 

I loved this book and once I got started, did not want to put it down.  It is a dramatic story which will drive you to the internet to see how much is true. And sadly, you will find out that this scandal of adoption really did happen.  There is some romance in the book and mystery and adventure.  There is little language and the violence that occurs is not graphically written.  You can give this book to your grandmother to read. (It is about grandmothers!)

Rumplestiltskin and Cruella DeVille

When I was reading these titles I thought about how they reminded me of some famous children's story characters. Rumpelstiltskin was the little man who made a deal with the miller's daughter to give up her daughter so she could save her life. I think the Chinese mother who gave up her baby was  in such a position. She and her daughter would have died if she hadn't given her up and she really had no choice. However, later, like the Queen, she fought to get her child back.  

Cruella Deville was the puppy stealer and seller of dalmation puppies in 101 Dalmations. The puppies themselves were able to overcome the evil woman and eventually find their way home. Georgia Tann was certainly Cruella. Unfortunately most children were never reunited with their families. But in the book When We Were Yours, May or Rill proved that she had fight to find her way back to her home as well. 

I rate Little Fires Everywhere a 3 out of 4 for a good book.
I rate Before We Were Yours a 4 out of 4 for a great book.  I will be recommending this book!