Shelterwood

· Ballantine Books
4.4
5 reviews
Ebook
384
Pages
Eligible
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About this ebook

USA TODAY AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER • “Wingate’s stellar latest explores a centuries-long legacy of missing child cases. . . . Her portrayal of the region’s history, culture, and landscape enthralls. Wingate is at the top of her game.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes “a sweeping tale about little known history” (People): the women pioneers who fought to protect children caught in the storm of land barons hungry for power and oil wealth.


1990. Law enforcement ranger Valerie Boren-Odell arrives at Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place to raise her son. But no sooner has Valerie reported for duty than a teenage hiker goes missing and the long-hidden burial site of three children is discovered in a cave. Val’s quest to uncover the truth wins an ally among the Choctaw Nation’s Tribal Police but soon collides with the deadly legacy of the land itself.

1909. Eleven-year-old Olive Radley knows that her stepfather is a threat to the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home. When the older girl disappears, Ollie flees, taking six-year-old Nessa with her. Together they begin a perilous journey to the remote Winding Stair Mountains, the territory of outlaws, treasure hunters, and desperate men. Along the way, they form an unlikely band with other children struggling to get by on their own.

In this gripping novel, Lisa Wingate traces the story of children abandoned by the law and the battle to see justice done. Amid times of deep conflict over who owns the land and its riches, Ollie and Val each leave behind one life in search of another.

Ratings and reviews

4.4
5 reviews
Toby A. Smith
June 4, 2024
Two stories (80 yrs apart), two narrators, and two timelines, with origins in United States government policies surrounding the treatment of indigenous people and their lands. Add in skeletal remains, lucrative oil leases, accidental death, and murder and there should have been plenty of drama. But overall, the pace felt slow, the story felt long, and picking the book up too often felt like a task.
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Paula Pugh
June 5, 2024
An interesting story with two timelines-one of runaway children in 1909 Oklahoma and one of a female park ranger in the same area in 1990. The hardships are different but point to the hard won rights to be seen as value to society and work. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Lynnette&Jon Esse
July 13, 2024
In addition to being entertained, I am always thoroughly educated by Lisa Wingate's books, and this one is no exception! Well done!
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About the author

Lisa Wingate is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Before We Were Yours, which has sold more than three million copies and been translated into over forty languages worldwide. The co-author, with Judy Christie, of the nonfiction book Before and After, Wingate is an Oklahoma Book Award finalist and a Southern Book Prize winner. She was named a 2023 Distinguished Alumni of Oklahoma State University. She lives with her husband in Texas and Colorado.

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