Publisher’s Description:
A Desperate Mother Searches for Her Child
Step into True Colors — a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime
“Widowed in Memphis during 1932, Cecile Dowd is struggling to provide for her three-year-old daughter. Unwittingly trusting a neighbor puts little Millie Mae into the clutches of Georgia Tann, corrupt Memphis Tennessee Children’s Home Society director suspected of the disappearance of hundreds of children. With the help of a sympathetic lawyer, the search for Millie uncovers a deep level of corruption that threatens their very lives.”
“How far will a mother go to find out what happened to her child?”
My Review:
I’ve read several books about Georgia Tann In both fiction and non-fiction categories. They were written either from the viewpoint of the adopted child or as a news account of how Mrs. Tann got away with her adoption scandal. This novel, although fiction, gives voice to the heartbreak of the mothers who lost their children through the evil manipulations of Mrs. Tann. Liz Tolsma has written a thriller of a story as Cecile Dowd fights to recover her three year old daughter, Millie, who was kidnapped and taken to Mrs. Tann’s orphanage.
There are so many emotions encountered when reading this book: despair, sorrow, and outrage over the injustice shown to the parents trying to recover their children. The legal system was a complete disaster when it came to these children. But there’s also courage, faith and hope and this is what lifts this story to another level. This book has plenty of action. The tension builds as the story progresses and it’s not until the final pages that we find out what happened to little Millie.
This is a great entry into the “Historical Stories of American Crime” series. I liked the author’s notes at the end of the book and felt that those notes added to the authenticity of the story. It’s very realistic-feeling fiction and will keep you on the edge of your seat as you join in the search for this child.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.