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Quick answer: If you loved Before We Were Yours, read Orphan Train, The Nightingale, The Book of Lost Names and Sold on a Monday. All blend a real historical wrong with a dual timeline and an emotional, family-centered story.
Lisa Wingate's novel draws on the real Tennessee Children's Home Society, whose director stole and sold children in the 1940s. It moves between a girl in 1939 and a woman in the present who uncovers family secrets. The books below share that mix of hidden history, resilient women and tears. Most are adult historical fiction, and all are real, in-print books.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orphan Train | Christina Baker Kline | Adult | the nearest match |
| The Nightingale | Kristin Hannah | Adult | emotional World War II fiction |
| The Book of Lost Names | Kristin Harmel | Adult | hidden-history readers |
| The Lost Girls of Paris | Pam Jenoff | Adult | wartime women |
| Lilac Girls | Martha Hall Kelly | Adult | true-story inspired fiction |
| Sold on a Monday | Kristina McMorris | Adult | Depression-era drama |
| The Light Between Oceans | M.L. Stedman | Adult | moral dilemmas |
| The Secret Life of Bees | Sue Monk Kidd | Adult | found family |
| The Invention of Wings | Sue Monk Kidd | Adult | history with heart |
| The Alice Network | Kate Quinn | Adult | dual-timeline spy stories |
| The Great Alone | Kristin Hannah | Adult | survival and family |
| Small Great Things | Jodi Picoult | Adult | issue-driven drama |
| The Giver of Stars | Jojo Moyes | Adult | friendship and history |
| The Island of Sea Women | Lisa See | Adult | international history |
| The Four Winds | Kristin Hannah | Adult | Depression-era survival |
1. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
A foster teen helps an elderly woman sort her attic and learns she rode the orphan trains as a child. Two timelines, quiet courage and a gentle emotional pull make it the closest match.
Best for: the nearest match.
2. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Two sisters in occupied France resist the war in very different ways. Hannah writes big emotion and clear stakes, so this suits readers who cried at Wingate's novel.
Best for: emotional World War II fiction.
3. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
A young woman forges documents to save Jewish children in France, and decades later a library clue brings her past back. Moving and based on real rescue work.
Best for: hidden-history readers.
4. The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff
A woman finds a suitcase of photographs of female agents and chases their story. Spy history, strong women and a slow mystery in two timelines.
Best for: wartime women.
5. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Three women, including a real New York socialite, are tied together by a Nazi camp for women. A heavy, well-researched novel with deep emotional weight.
Best for: true-story inspired fiction.
6. Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris
A reporter's photograph of children for sale in the Depression sparks a scandal. Like Wingate, it is built on a real historical practice and a moral dilemma.
Best for: Depression-era drama.
7. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
A lighthouse keeper and his wife raise a baby that washed ashore. Beautiful, sad and focused on a hard moral choice about a child.
Best for: moral dilemmas.
8. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
A girl in 1964 South Carolina runs away to a house of beekeeping sisters. A warm, wise story about motherhood, belonging and healing.
Best for: found family.
9. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
A wealthy girl and an enslaved girl in Charleston grow up together. Based on real abolitionist Sarah Grimké, with strong women and hard truths.
Best for: history with heart.
10. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
An American girl and a former spy search for a missing cousin after World War II. Fast, emotional and anchored in a real female spy ring.
Best for: dual-timeline spy stories.
11. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
A family moves to Alaska in the 1970s and faces the wilderness and a troubled father. Dramatic, atmospheric and often hard to put down.
Best for: survival and family.
12. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
A Black nurse is accused after a newborn dies in a white supremacist family's care. Courtroom drama with moral weight and several points of view.
Best for: issue-driven drama.
13. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Women ride horseback to deliver books in 1930s Kentucky. Warm, brave and full of friendships, with a hint of danger.
Best for: friendship and history.
14. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
Two friends in a Korean diving community on Jeju are torn apart by history. Rich in culture and slowly devastating.
Best for: international history.
15. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
A woman fights to keep her family alive during the Dust Bowl. Hard times, strong will and lots of tears.
Best for: Depression-era survival.
How to Choose
Start with Orphan Train if you want the same orphan story. Pick The Nightingale, The Book of Lost Names or The Alice Network for wartime courage. Choose Sold on a Monday or The Four Winds for Depression-era hardship. If you want a gentler read, try The Secret Life of Bees or The Giver of Stars. Most of these books deal with loss and injustice, so keep tissues nearby and read them when you are ready for emotional stories.
Related: Before We Were Yours Book Club Discussion Questions (With Summary and Themes) · 15 Books Like We Were Liars You’ll Love: Secrets, Summer and Shocking Twists
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Before We Were Yours based on a true story?
It is fiction inspired by the real Tennessee Children's Home Society and its director Georgia Tann, who sold children for adoption.
Who wrote it?
Lisa Wingate published the novel in 2017. It became a bestseller and a book club favorite.
Is the book suitable for teens?
It deals with child abuse and loss, so it suits older teens and adults better than younger readers.
Do I need a box of tissues?
Most readers say yes. Several of these books, including The Nightingale and Orphan Train, are emotional.
Are there other novels about the orphan trains?
Yes. Orphan Train is the best known, and nonfiction such as Orphan Train Rider by Andrea Warren covers the real history.