The Pink Bonnet + Giveaway

Random Retro Read

A desperate mother searches for her child.

Widowed in Memphis during 1932, Cecile Dowd is struggling to provide for her three-year-old daughter. Unwittingly trusting a neighbour puts little Millie Mae into he clutches of Georgia Tank, corrupt Memphis Tennessee Children’t Home Society director suspected of the disappearance of hundreds of children. With the help of a sympathetic lawyer, the search for Mille 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:

published in 2019

I was first introduced to Georgia Tann and the Memphis Tennessee Children’s Home Society scandal through Lisa Wingate’s heart-rending novel, Before We Were Yours. I was fascinated and appalled during that read and experienced similar emotions over The Pink Bonnet.

This isn’t light fiction by any means, though the author does manage to infuse the story with hope. So many angst-riddled emotions stirred up inside of me while I lived every desperate second right alongside Cecile. Tolsma does an amazing job of capturing every dark emotion and the stark desperation of a mother searching for her kidnapped child. Cecile is relentless, her steely resolve propelling her forward in an investigation that becomes more daring and dangerous with every passing day.

And the way the levels of deceit and corruption are slowly uncovered…just chilling! Georgia Tann (an unconscionable monster of the vilest sort) had cooperation on every level of government and social class. The way she disparaged the poor (in the middle of a depression no less!) and saw them as unworthy of raising their own children, kidnapping and selling those children without a thought for the grieving families left behind. Never mind caring about what type of conditions many of the children were sold into. And her ‘work’ went on for 25 years! It just boggles the mind.

And all that ugliness is exposed in these pages. But there are triumphs too. And redemption. Percy’s story was particularly riveting. A legal assistant duped by Georgia Tann, he slowly begins to question her methods and reasoning and struggles with his own past trauma and need to become a successful lawyer…but at what cost?

A haunting page-turner.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This copy is for a paperback or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

If you would like a the opportunity to win a copy of The Pink Bonnet, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 25 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

22 thoughts on “The Pink Bonnet + Giveaway”

  1. I have all the books in this series and was shocked at all the deceit and ugliness but loved how they were written with hope. Book twin dance time. Blessings

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  2. Thank you for the redo on “The Pink Bonnet”. I just hate it when an awesome book that I’m dying to read seems to have gotten lost in my TBR list. Although my great desire to read this book hasn’t diminished at all. In fact, I think re-reading it has made it grow even more.

    Being the mother of a child that died, I can only imagine to grief of a mother who doesn’t know where they are or what has happened to them, which further intrigues me on this story.

    Thank you for the fabulous chance to win a copy!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. It’s hard to keep up with our ever growing TBRs, isn’t it? This one — and pretty much the whole series passed me by. Making some headway with them now. And so sorry for your loss, Kay. Such a painful loss. Hugs.

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  3. Kav, I was first introduced to Georgia Tann through Lisa Wingate’s book too. This one told from the point of view of a mother whose child was kidnapped has got to be a gripping read as well. Count me in, please!

    ckbarker at gmail dot com

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  4. Add me to the list of those originally introduced to the horror of the Children’s Home Society by Lisa Wingate’s book. Just chiming in as I have this book, which I thought a tough but very good read.

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    1. It’s an intriguing angle to base a whole series on. This is the first one I’ve read in the True Colors series but I have another one on my TBR pile and have an eye on a third so I’ll make some headway with this series this year. Good luck, Elly!

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  6. “A haunting page-turner” is how you write about this story. It sounds heart breaking to say the least. Thank you for the review, I hadn’t heard about this book till now. rrwalter34ATGMAILdotcom

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  7. Oh my! J had never heard of this either. I cannot fathom how someone was so deceitful with innocent children. Lisa Wingate is a wonderful author.
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

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  8. Never read this author before .Read Lisa Wingate book about the Children’s Home Society. Would love to win a copy .Thank you for the giveaway. ms(dot)tweety56(at )gmail (dot)com

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  11. I’ve been listening to Liz’s Christian Historical Fiction podcast for a good while now, but I don’t think I’ve read any of her books. The idea of these stories being based on true cases is quite intriguing.

    pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com

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