The Pink Bonnet

Liz Tolsma

Jun 2019 · Barbour Publishing

About this ebook

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?
 

Ratings and reviews

The Pink Bonnet by Liz Tolsma is Christian Historical Suspense Fiction. Liz Tolsma has written an important book about the painful subject of black market adoption. Her compelling story involves the illegal kidnapping and adoptions by Georgia Tann and others during the 1930’s. This story is tragic, full of action, mystery, crimes, thrills, but most of all faith, hope and love. The main characters grow in faith as their dependence on God grows. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book.

The Pink Bonnet is a riveting novel of faith that grabbed me from the first page and held my attention throughout. It is based on a real woman who plotted crimes similar to those in this tale. It is at once heartbreaking and intriguing, most characters are appealing, and the type of crimes committed part of a terrible crime spree spanning almost 30 years of the early 1900’s in and around Memphis, Tennessee. I appreciate the author sharing some of the historical background and who the real-life characters were. Cecile has been widowed for about a year in the summer of 1933. Disowned by her family when she married her late husband, she has only her beloved three-year-old, Millie Mae. She has been looking for a full-time position in lieu of the part time one she has in a nursery school, but jobs are few and far between in the Great Depression. Mrs. Ward, the senior who lived in the apartment underneath hers, suggested that Cecile take her daughter to the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. She said Georgia Tann did remarkable things for children, and when Cecile is better on her feet and able to handle the precocious Millie, she could bring her home again. Horrified, Cecile refuses to give up her precious child. One day when going out on job search, Cecile left Millie with Mrs. Ward. When she returned for Millie, she learned that. Mrs. Ward contacted Georgia Tann, who came and took Millie away. Later she learned that her signature was forged on the forms to relinquish her daughter. Cecile met Miss Tann and was told she was an unfit parent with an unfit home. Miss Tann would find a home for Millie where she could be given all that her mother couldn’t, and Cecile would never see her again. Percy Vance is the legal assistant to Miss Tann. He came from poverty and now enjoys the things his wealth accumulates. He talked to Miss Tann about Cecile’s case and wonders about the situation. Percy contacted Cecile to meet with her about her daughter. He then begins to help her find Millie, who was last seen wearing the pink bonnet Cecile bought when pregnant with her. This slice of history is well-written and an excellent novel in Barbour’s series, True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime. The suspense builds throughout, making it difficult to put down. Many of the children stolen would never be traced. Some went to homes where they were genuinely loved and cared for, while others were abused. The more Cecile and Percy close in on Georgia Tann, the more their lives, and the life of Millie, are at risk. Tann clearly did not take these children out of love and concern for them; instead, she took them to further her own lifestyle and agenda. The depth of corruption in Memphis at that time spreads further than the kidnappings into many layers of society. I very much appreciated the demonstration of faith in the Lord and demonstrating how He can change even those whose lives are built on the shifting sand of wealth. I highly recommend it! From a thankful heart: I received an e-ARC of this novel from CelebrateLit and NetGalley, a positive review was not required.

***TRAUMATIC STORY********************************************* Summer 1933, Tennessee *********************************************** I'm not sure why anyone would want to write a gut-wrenching story about kidnapped children and the horror of a mother's quest to find her stolen daughter. This was a very difficult read. I gave it 2 stars (vs. 1) because it was well written despite my lack of enjoyment of it. This is certainly not what one could call entertainment. There are strong thematic elements including physical abuse, so caution is advised.*** This story is based on real-life events involving the kidnapping and selling of thousands of children by one woman (Georgia Tann) and a slew of corrupt politicians, which is awful, but having it rewoven into a semi-fictional tale for entertainment purposes is not my cup of tea.*** ********************************************************************** Incidentally, after reading book one, I requested a copy of book two and three without knowing the background of the book. I kept my commitment for this book, but sadly after reading what book 3 is about, I will contact NetGalley to see if I can skip it. Can you say aaaawwwkkward? :( ************************************************************************** I downloaded a copy of this book through Net Galley via the publisher with no fee and no compensation in the hopes of an honest review. My opinion is entirely my own. *********************************************************************** This book is part of 6 in a new series by 3 authors. Go to True Colors Crime dot com to read more. **************************************** True Colors Books/Barbour Publishing: **************************** March 1, 2019 The White City by Grace Hitchcock (5 stars) ******** *** June 2019 The Pink Bonnet by Liz Tolsma (2 stars) ***************** August 2019 The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken **************** January 2020 The Gray Chamber by Grace Hitchcock **************** And two more tba

About the author

Liz Tolsma is a popular speaker and an editor and the owner of the Write Direction Editing. An almost-native Wisconsinite, she resides in a quiet corner of the state with her husband and is the mother of three. Her son proudly serves as a U.S. Marine. They adopted all of their children internationally, and one has special needs. When she gets a few spare minutes, she enjoys reading, relaxing on the front porch, walking, working in her large perennial garden, and camping with her family.