Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate

Happy book birthday to SHELTERWOOD by Lisa Wingate
A dual timeline from the Winding Stair Mountains of Oklahoma. 1909 a group of homeless children roam the hills and small towns staying one step away from placement in group homes or forced labor. They depend on the kindness of strangers, bits of food from railroad men and what they can forage or fish for in the woods. Ollie runs from a bad situation at home along with a Choctaw girl that her father took in. Ollie tries to care for her and the other children they meet at a camp in the woods.
The more recent story is about a female park ranger in 1990. She is on the scene at a cave where human remains are found. Her digging around to find out who the bones belong to as well as her help ing a young orphan find her missing brother puts her and her young son in danger. It is a story we know all too well - of cruelty to indigenous children, stolen land and people without a voice getting taken advantage of. Lisa Wingate writes stories of children who are brave and wise beyond their years in emotional storytelling that cracks the hardest of hearts.  4 stars