Before We Were Yours Flashcards

Questions and Answers

Why do you think the new worker hides Rill?

So that she will not get in trouble

What causes a commotion with Mrs. Murphy the next morning?

Someone wants Rill/May

Where is Rill taken?

Taken to a hotel room

What do they learn about May Crandall's life during their visit?

She used to live in the Tennessee's Children Home Society and knows Trent Hurner Signup and view all the answers

What name was Trent's grandfather given in the home?

Stevie Signup and view all the answers

Why had Georgia Tann changed the first names of the children?

To prevent birth families from finding them Signup and view all the answers

Who are the four women in the picture and what are they wearing?

Judy and May's sisters; they are wearing dresses Signup and view all the answers

Do you think Avery and Elliot's engagement will work out? Why or why not?

No, Elliot will think Avery is cheating on her, since she is getting closer to Trent. Signup and view all the answers

What does Leslie say when she finds Avery?

She has been talking to Trent and isn't satisfied. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the family and the house where Rill and Fern now live.

The family is rich and they live in a fancy house. Signup and view all the answers

Who are the characters in Rill and Fern's new household?

Zuma: The maid, Hoy: The maid's husband, Hootsie: The daughter Signup and view all the answers

What struggles have Mr. and Mrs. Sevier had in the past?

She had babies in the past, but they died. Signup and view all the answers

What threats does Zuma make to Rill/May?

Be like river food now, worth it Signup and view all the answers

What is Fern's new name?

Beth Signup and view all the answers

What is Mr. Sevier's profession?

Scorer Signup and view all the answers

What three facts can be added about Georgia Tann's upbringing?

<ol> <li>She got a degree in piano performance, and also studied social work and law. 2. Her first job was at the Mississippi Children's Home Society; she was fired from this position for questionable child placing methods. 3. She adopted one child herself, a daughter early in her career.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

List at least three ways that the children came to the home.

<ol> <li>She took children from hospitals at birth, from married/unwed mothers; parents were told that the newborns required medical care/had died. 2. She took children born to inmates at Tennessee mental institutions/prisons. 3. She took children from nursery schools/playgrounds/babysitters.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What happened to the children after they came?

<ol> <li>She preferred clients who were wealthy/who were from states other than Tennessee, because then she could get more money from adoptions. 2. Changed names, birth dates, and birth records of children were altered/destroyed to prevent biological families from finding their children.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

How financially successful was Georgia Tann?

She illegally gained at least 1 million dollars while employed by the Tennessee Children's Home. Signup and view all the answers

Why was Georgia Tann never prosecuted?

She died right when she was about to be exposed after her practices were uncovered. Signup and view all the answers

What is the setting of 'Before We Were Yours' in the prelude and when does it take place?

Baltimore, Maryland, August 3, 1939. Signup and view all the answers

What event is being described in the prelude?

A birth: a baby girl that has died. Signup and view all the answers

What was suggested to make things better in the prelude?

The doctor secretly suggests, 'I know of a woman in Memphis.' Signup and view all the answers

What is the setting of Chapter 1?

Aiken, SC/ present day. Signup and view all the answers

Give the name, age, and career of the narrator in Chapter 1.

Avery Stafford, 30, lawyer, works in US attorney's office in DC. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Avery Stafford's father?

Senator Wells Stafford, 57 years old. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Leslie in Chapter 1 and what is her role?

Wells Stafford's press secretary; she keeps his schedule, gives advice, protects him. Signup and view all the answers

What is the matter with Grandma Judy in Chapter 1?

She is having memory loss problems. Signup and view all the answers

What event is being celebrated at a nursing home in Chapter 1?

The 100th birthday of a resident. Signup and view all the answers

Who is May in Chapter 1?

A resident of the nursing home; she grabs onto Avery's arm and says the name Fern. Signup and view all the answers

Who narrates Chapter 2?

May Crandall/Rill Foss. Signup and view all the answers

Where is the place and when is the time of the flashback in Chapter 2?

A Mississippi River bank when she was a child (12 years old). Signup and view all the answers

Who are the characters in Chapter 2 and their ages?

Queenie: mom, Briny: dad, Rill: 12 year old daughter, Camellia: 10, Fern: almost 4, Lark: 6, Gabion: 2. Signup and view all the answers

What is happening that day on their houseboat in Chapter 2?

Mom is giving birth, there is a storm outside. Signup and view all the answers

Who narrates Chapter 3?

Avery Stafford. Signup and view all the answers

What specific kind of cancer does Avery's father have?

Colon cancer. Signup and view all the answers

Why did Avery move back to South Carolina from her Washington, D.C. job?

<ol> <li>To help the family and especially her father at his job. 2. If things go badly with her dad, she might be in line to run in an election for his job, but she needs to live in the state.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What is the topic of the meeting for a PAC in Chapter 2?

Nursing home care. Signup and view all the answers

What did May Crandall take from Avery?

Her bracelet--it has dragonflies on it, it was her grandmother's. Signup and view all the answers

What recently happened to May in Chapter 2?

Her sister died and they found May living in their home with dead cats and the sister who died. Signup and view all the answers

Who narrates Chapter 4?

Rill Foss. Signup and view all the answers

When and where is Chapter 4 set?

On the houseboat with her family. Signup and view all the answers

What is the weather like in Chapter 4?

Stormy. Signup and view all the answers

What is Rill worried about in Chapter 4?

She is worried about Queenie. Signup and view all the answers

What plan do Briny and Zede have in Chapter 4?

To take Queenie to the hospital. Signup and view all the answers

Who narrates Chapter 5?

Avery. Signup and view all the answers

Why does Avery go back to the nursing home in Chapter 5?

To retrieve her bracelet. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the photo that Avery sees in May's room in Chapter 5.

It is a woman with long curly blonde hair, pregnant and a man with dark hair and a fishing pole. Signup and view all the answers

Does Avery's mother remember the name May Crandall in Chapter 5?

No. Signup and view all the answers

Who are the characters Elliot and Bitsy in Chapter 5?

Elliot: Avery's fiancé. Bitsy: Elliot's mother, a southern lady hoping for a glamorous wedding. Signup and view all the answers

When Zede returns to the houseboat, whom does he bring in Chapter 6?

Silas, a teenage boy. Signup and view all the answers

What does Zede tell the children about their parents in Chapter 6?

That they are in the hospital while Queenie recovers. Signup and view all the answers

Zede brings someone to take care of the children temporarily. Who is it, and what is his story in Chapter 6?

Silas--a boy in his early teens who was beaten and ran away at age 9 and has been on his own since then. Signup and view all the answers

Who comes to the Arcadia, and what happens to the children in Chapter 6?

Police come to take the children; because they expect to be taken to their parents, they agree to go. Georgia Tann picks the kids up. Signup and view all the answers

What is Magnolia Manor, and what did it used to be in Chapter 7?

A nursing home for the wealthy; it used to be a country club. Signup and view all the answers

Avery shows Grandma Judy a photo of May Crandall's room. What does Grandma Judy say about it in Chapter 7?

She denies knowing May Crandall but her face tells Avery that she does know her. Signup and view all the answers

Where do the children want/expect to go in Chapter 8?

To the hospital; they are told they need to get cleaned up before going to the hospital. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the house where they have been taken in Chapter 8.

At first, it is described like Sleeping Beauty's Castle; later, it appears prison-like with a fence and all the kids looking unhappy. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Mrs. Murphy in Chapter 8?

She takes care of the children. Signup and view all the answers

What does Miss Tann do with the children's names in Chapter 8?

She changes their names: Rill to May, Camellia to Iris, Lark to Bonnie, Fern to Beth, Gabion to Robby. Signup and view all the answers

What explanation do Avery's parents give for not recognizing May's name in Chapter 9?

They claim people know them and might not know her fame and money. Signup and view all the answers

In order to find out more information, Avery goes to her grandmother's house. What does she particularly think will help her in Chapter 9?

Her pictures and appointment books. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Trent Turner, and what does Avery find out when she calls him in Chapter 9?

He is a real estate agent in Edisto Island, SC; he hangs up when she says her grandmother's name. Signup and view all the answers

Where is the Myers cottage, and why do the Staffords own it in Chapter 9?

Myers was Grandma Judy's maiden name; the family owns it for a vacation home. Signup and view all the answers

How are Rill and her siblings treated on their first night in the home in Chapter 10?

They are provided smelly cots in the basement and bathed in dirty water. Signup and view all the answers

Who is the visitor that came in the night, and what did he leave for the children in Chapter 10?

A man brings candy for the children. Signup and view all the answers

By the end of the chapter, what warning about the visitor do they hear in Chapter 10?

He isn't the kind of friend you want. Signup and view all the answers

What punishment does Mrs. Pulnik threaten if the children aren't good in Chapter 10?

She will put them in the closet if they are not good. Signup and view all the answers

What takes up Avery's life at the beginning of Chapter 11?

Her father's work conference. Signup and view all the answers

What two things does Avery decide to do when things settle down in Chapter 11?

See May Crandall, go visit Edisto Island. Signup and view all the answers

Avery reads her grandmother's journal entries and considers the photo. What possibilities does she contemplate in Chapter 11?

<ol> <li>Trent wants to blackmail the family with his secret information. 2. Her grandmother had a relationship before getting married and then gave the baby up for adoption.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

Avery visits Trent Turner. What is he willing to tell her in Chapter 11?

Nothing. Signup and view all the answers

What seems to happen to the children at this home? Why does Rill think it will not happen to them in Chapter 12?

They are called 'wards' because they have no parents to come for them. Rill believes they are not wards because they have parents. Signup and view all the answers

Give some of the conversation between Mrs. Murphy and Mrs. Pulnik in Chapter 12.

Tell Mr. Riggs to put poison in the bushes to kill the rabbits and weed the flower bed because Tann is coming; some kids are sick, but no doctor will be called. Signup and view all the answers

In particular, what does Rill think might happen to her and her siblings in Chapter 12?

There will be a special viewing to show the children to prospective parents; the '5' are being saved. Signup and view all the answers

What happens with Mr. Kemp in Chapter 12?

He comes to the house to pick up his son; he collapses on the porch and is left there as Mrs. Murphy refuses to help him. Signup and view all the answers

How did James come to the home in Chapter 12?

James was walking to school with his brother when they were picked up; he has been there ever since. Signup and view all the answers

The bookmobile arrives at the home. What lies does Miss Tann tell in Chapter 12?

She claims the children get the best of everything; only they care about them. Signup and view all the answers

In the Myer's Cottage in Edisto, Avery calls her Uncle Clifford. What does he remember about his visits to the cottage when he was young in Chapter 13?

Grandma Judy's favorite place to write anonymous stuff, columns, and poems. Signup and view all the answers

What does the typewriter ribbon reveal in Chapter 13?

It reveals something about the Tennessee Children's Home Society. Signup and view all the answers

What job did Trent's grandfather do for people in Chapter 13?

He is a real estate agent. Signup and view all the answers

What is the viewing party and its purpose in Chapter 14?

It's hosted so that kids can be adopted. Signup and view all the answers

What lies does Miss Tann tell about Gabion in Chapter 14?

She says that Lark, Fern, and Rill are not his siblings and his mother died during childbirth. Signup and view all the answers

Why doesn't Gabion return with the others in Chapter 14?

He was being adopted by a family. Signup and view all the answers

Camellia was excluded from the party. How does she behave when the children return? What do you think happened in Chapter 14?

She was crying because she fell off the swing. She was taken away and punished. Signup and view all the answers

Whom does Rill think she sees outside the house in Chapter 14?

People. Signup and view all the answers

What does Trent reveal about his grandfather's life? What was his grandfather's job in Chapter 15?

He was adopted; he is a real estate agent. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Jonah in Chapter 15?

Trent's son. Signup and view all the answers

Even though Avery is confused, can you explain the documents she reads in Chapter 15?

The records are about Trent Turner's grandfather, from the Tennessee Children's Home Society. Signup and view all the answers

What rumor did Danny Boy spread to Camellia in Chapter 16?

She is dead. Signup and view all the answers

What help does Miss Dodd offer? Whom does she ask for help from the staff in Chapter 16?

To help the children after they are taken away; she asks Mr. Riggs for help. Signup and view all the answers

What happened to Lark? What happened to Miss Dodd in Chapter 16?

She got adopted and her name was changed to Bonnie; Miss Dodd was fired. Signup and view all the answers

What is revealed about the relationship between Mrs. Murphy and Mr. Riggs in Chapter 16?

They are cousins. Signup and view all the answers

How is May/Rill punished? After her punishment is over, what is Rill told in the office in Chapter 16?

She is sent to the basement and told her sister doesn't exist. Signup and view all the answers

What happened to Fern in Chapter 16?

She was adopted. Signup and view all the answers

Who approaches Rill/May while she is outside? What does he tell her about her parents? How does he offer to help her in Chapter 16?

Silas approaches and tells her that the parents signed the adoption papers and decides to rescue Rill/May. Signup and view all the answers

Avery meets Trent in Edisto again. What is the story about Trent and Jonah's mother in Chapter 17?

She and Trent aren't married; she left Jonah and returned to her ex-husband. Signup and view all the answers

What was the original reputation of the Tennessee Children's Home Society in Chapter 17?

An orphanage for children. Signup and view all the answers

What was eventually discovered about the institution in Chapter 17?

It had a very dark side; the workers were mean, there was no proper food, and some children died. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Georgia Tann's Upbringing

Degree in piano performance, studied social work and law.
First job at Mississippi Children's Home Society ended in termination due to dubious child placement methods.
Adopted one daughter early in her career.

Children's Arrival at the Home

Children taken from hospitals, with parents misled about their health status.
Inmates' offspring from mental institutions and prisons were also included.
Kids gathered from nursery schools, babysitters, or during family crises.
Adoption fees capped in Tennessee, but inflated charges outside the state lined Tann's pockets.

After Arrival

Preferred wealthy clients from outside Tennessee to maximize adoption profits.
Altered identities and records of children to prevent reunions with biological families.

Financial Success

Obtained over one million dollars illegally through her operations at the Tennessee Children's Home.

Lack of Prosecution

Died of uterine cancer in 1950, just prior to exposure of illicit activities.

Setting of "Before We Were Yours"

Takes place primarily in Aiken, South Carolina in present day, with significant backstory in Baltimore, Maryland, August 3, 1939.

Significant Events

Christine's loss of a newborn girl sets a somber tone at the hospital, involving a wealthy family.
A doctor hints at a contact in Memphis to remedy the situation.

Narrators of the Chapters

Chapter 1: Avery Stafford, a 30-year-old lawyer.
Chapter 2: May Crandall / Rill Foss, reflecting on her childhood.
Subsequent chapters alternate between these two perspectives.

Family Dynamics

Avery's father, Senator Wells Stafford, faces health challenges.
Grandma Judy suffers from memory issues, providing a familial element of concern.

Key Characters Introduced

Lesile, the senator's press secretary, acts as his aide.
May, a nursing home resident, invokes memories of "Fern" with Avery.

Houseboat Life

Rill Foss and her siblings live on a houseboat during a storm while their mother gives birth.
Characters: Queenie (mother), Briny (father), Rill (12), Camellia (10), Fern (almost 4), Lark (6), Gabion (2).

Tennessee Children's Home Society

Rill and her siblings face rough treatment upon being taken to a supposed safe place.
Miss Tann renames the children, stripping them of identity.

Avery's Investigation

Explores her family's past using her grandmother's diary and pictures.
Efforts to discover the history surrounding May Crandall and the Tennessee Children's Home Society.

Viewing Party Context

A critical event designed for adoption prospects, highlighting the systematic exploitation of children.

Themes of Hope and Resistance

Silas, a teenage boy, attempts to protect and aid Rill amidst the oppressive environment.
Rill's determination surfaces as she navigates harsh realities at the home.

Relationships and Discoveries

Avery develops relationships that challenge her engagement with Elliot, particularly with Trent, hinting at deeper family secrets.

Rill's Struggles

Faces harsh punishments indicative of the oppressive environment fostered by Miss Tann and her staff.
Experiences the psychological impact of being separated from her siblings yet maintains hope for eventual reunification.

Concluding Insights

Unfolding narratives reveal dark undertones of child welfare practices in the historical context, with broader implications on personal identities and family legacies.

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Description

This quiz consists of flashcards covering key facts about Georgia Tann's upbringing and her controversial work at the Tennessee Children's Home Society. You will explore her education, early career, and personal life that influenced her actions. Perfect for those studying historical figures in child welfare.