Shelterwood: A Novel
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).
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.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes “a sweeping tale about little known history” (People).
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.
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Community Reviews
Amazon's review: "Oklahoma, 1909. Eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley knows that her stepfather doesn’t have good intentions toward the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home as wards. When the older girl disappears, Ollie flees to the woods, taking six-year-old Nessa with her. Together they begin a perilous journey to the rugged Winding Stair Mountains. Oklahoma, 1990. Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie Boren O’dell arrives at Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place to balance a career and single parenthood. But no sooner has Valerie reported for duty than she’s faced with local controversy over the park’s opening, a teenage hiker gone missing from one of the trails, and the long-hidden burial site of three children deep in a cave. Val’s quest to uncover the truth wins an ally among the neighboring Choctaw Tribal Police but soon collides with old secrets and the tragic and deadly history of the land itself. In this emotional and enveloping 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 traverse the wild and beautiful terrain, each leaving behind one life in search of another."
An intriguing story about the children of Oklahoma and how many of them were tricked out of their land by unscrupulous guardians and then exploited the land for its minerals, oil, and lumber. It is based on the real life of women such as Kate Barnard, Gertrude Bonnin, and Angie Debo, who advocated for the end of child labor and protection of orphans in the early 1900s.
The story goes back and forth between 1909 and 1990 and tells the tale of three girls: Olive (Ollie), Hazel, and Nessa. The later two are Choctaw girls taken in by Olive's mother and stepfather. Once Ollie realizes that her stepfather, Tesco is taking advantage of the two foster girls, she and Nessa run away. Nessa's older sister, Hazel, has already run off and her whereabouts are unknown. As they travel through the woods they encounter other orphan girls who had been starving and living in the woods. They band together to try to stay alive and evade capture.
In 1990 Valerie Boren-Odell starts her work as a park ranger in Oklahoma. Val is recently widowed and has a young son, Charlie. She hears news about the skeletal remains of children found in a cave and is intrigued. A car is found with the keys in the ignition and the young driver, Braden is missing. His young sister, Sydney, meets Valerie and begs her to help to find her brother. Sydney is now living in foster care since she was told her grandmother was taken ill and gone to live in a nursing home. A lot goes on in this book, the retrieval of a drowning victim, a shooting, and some suspicious activity (illegal logging) in the area. Val befriends Curtis Enhoe, the local tribal police and together they try to find clues and put all the pieces of the story together. Where is Braden? What really happened to Grandma Budgie?
Spoilers: The two stories begin to intersect and the tale told by Ollie, Hazel, and Nessa emerges and helps explain things happening to Braden, Sydney, and their grandmother. This is a story about child abuse in many forms. I have read another book by this author which also focused on abused children - not the most pleasant topic. However, this little known story in history did need to be told. Children were abused and forced to work in coal mines, laundries, and factories, leading to injuries that stunted their growth. Orphaned children were abused by foster parents and in orphanages. Young children ran away from their abusers and begged for food or starved trying to live in the woods. It is a sad statement about our society. We have come a long way but there are still many poor and hungry children in this world, some of them homeless.
The story goes back and forth between 1909 and 1990 and tells the tale of three girls: Olive (Ollie), Hazel, and Nessa. The later two are Choctaw girls taken in by Olive's mother and stepfather. Once Ollie realizes that her stepfather, Tesco is taking advantage of the two foster girls, she and Nessa run away. Nessa's older sister, Hazel, has already run off and her whereabouts are unknown. As they travel through the woods they encounter other orphan girls who had been starving and living in the woods. They band together to try to stay alive and evade capture.
In 1990 Valerie Boren-Odell starts her work as a park ranger in Oklahoma. Val is recently widowed and has a young son, Charlie. She hears news about the skeletal remains of children found in a cave and is intrigued. A car is found with the keys in the ignition and the young driver, Braden is missing. His young sister, Sydney, meets Valerie and begs her to help to find her brother. Sydney is now living in foster care since she was told her grandmother was taken ill and gone to live in a nursing home. A lot goes on in this book, the retrieval of a drowning victim, a shooting, and some suspicious activity (illegal logging) in the area. Val befriends Curtis Enhoe, the local tribal police and together they try to find clues and put all the pieces of the story together. Where is Braden? What really happened to Grandma Budgie?
Spoilers: The two stories begin to intersect and the tale told by Ollie, Hazel, and Nessa emerges and helps explain things happening to Braden, Sydney, and their grandmother. This is a story about child abuse in many forms. I have read another book by this author which also focused on abused children - not the most pleasant topic. However, this little known story in history did need to be told. Children were abused and forced to work in coal mines, laundries, and factories, leading to injuries that stunted their growth. Orphaned children were abused by foster parents and in orphanages. Young children ran away from their abusers and begged for food or starved trying to live in the woods. It is a sad statement about our society. We have come a long way but there are still many poor and hungry children in this world, some of them homeless.
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