Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is a REAL story. It is poignant, sad, unbelievable and a must read to learn about how families were destroyed and children were mistreated in orphanages prior to 1950. The way children were stolen and placed in homes under cruel caretakers is chilling. Children were stolen, warehoused in homes until they could be adopted into "high class" families. The family story centered in Lisa Wingate's book describes five children and their parents who live on a river houseboat on inlet to Mississippi River. They are close to lowest of socio-economic status possible. But,they dearly care for one another, especially the children and their mother. At term with pregnancy for twins when the midwife is unable to deliver the mother, the midwife insists the father take her to a hospital. They are told the twins do not survive, but the mother does. When the mother and father return to their houseboat the other five children have been stolen by the authorities. How the children survive their existence under the ugly supervisor, Miss Tann, their separate adoptions and how they manage to regain contact with each other is an unbelievable story. Andy was not stopped until 1950.