"Once You Were Mine" by Elizabeth Langston is a dual-timelines novel that follows a family's genealogical path from the 1968 to present-day. The earlier timeline tells the story of Molly, a teenager, who is forced to live in a home for unwed mothers in North Carolina, while the later plot revolves around Allison and Bree, two friends whose lives change in unforeseen ways as Allison uncovers the truth about her family's history.

I found the 1960s timeline and Molly's story to be the more interesting of the two, and it kept me turning pages to find out what happened next. The history of the poor treatment of unwed mothers and forced adoptions was devastating to read, and Langston's writing is strongest in the depiction of the sadness of these young women. She creates likable and interesting characters in this timeline, with both Molly and her friend Gwen having distinct voices and interesting stories.

The later timeline's protagonists were less likable and engaging for me, and those portions slowed me down a bit. Langston's writing also pivots to less emotional narrative and very straightforward style that serves to just move the characters and the story forward, rather than paint a vivid picture of a different time in American culture.

At times, I found it a bit difficult to follow all the family tree connections, and that may be because genealogy has never really been something that I've had a great interest in exploring, so the portions that talked about ancestry and DNA took a little extra focus for me. Without giving away too much, there are many twists and turns in how characters are related, and I found myself having to stop and think through some of the pieces and re-read portions to see if some connections were part of the mystery, etc.

The writing was fine, but the style wasn't anything that really stood out to me, and the book's legs really come from the story itself and the twists of the family's secrets and connections. It never gets overly descriptive or consistently emotional.

Readers who enjoy researching genealogy and ancestry will likely really enjoy this story, as will those who enjoy more recent historical fiction. I can see this appealing to readers of Lisa Wingate, in particular. It really was jarring to think how much has changed in just over 55 years. The book's plot revolves around a dark but important moment in the history of American women, and those interested in women's history and strong female characters might also really enjoy this novel.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced read.

After a series of bad reads ,this was a breathe of fresh air. I really enjoyed this book. The development of the story and characters were well thought out and the whole time I just wanted to keep reading, pulling at your heart strings.

It made you think about what young women had to face back in the day because something they did did not fit in with the norm of society. I wonder how different society would be today if these young women had the choice to actually keep their babies that most seemed to have wanted .

Great read. Thanks netgalley for an ARC.

This sadly seems like something that is happening in the US right now. The decisions of the female bodies is in the hands of men. This book is sad and heartbreaking but a must read. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

There are a million what-ifs when thinking about our familial histories. What if my grandparents hadn't met each other when they had? What if my brother had been a girl instead? What if my mother isn't actually my biological mother? In this heartbreaking novel, Langston explores the way a DNA test disrupts an entire family's perception of themselves and one another.
In the 1960s, Molly finds herself pregnant as a teenager and is sent away to a maternity home so she didn't tarnish her family's reputation. This look into the horrible treatment she receives and what many girls faced in places like this is heart-wrenching. We root for Molly as she navigates a situation where everything is stacked against her from the moment she enters the home.
In the present day, we follow the story of Allison and Bree who take DNA tests and find out that they're much closer than best friends. Their parents are siblings who much reckon with two different shocks. One knew she was adopted and that she had been abandoned by her birth mother while another finds out that he had been adopted only as an adult.
'Once You Were Mine' illustrates the fragility and the strength of families both biological and found. I was on the edge of my seat to find out just how Molly was able to persevere through each setback and how the girls and their parents were able to cope with their new normal. Both sweet and tender while also bringing up the severe injustices young unwed mothers used to face, this book is an excellent family drama that will hook you instantly.

This is my first Elizabeth Langston book and I really enjoyed it. It was a horrendous time to be a teenage unwed mother in the 1960's. When Molly becomes pregnant after a summer romance in 1968, her embarrassed parents send her off to a maternity home. The young girls at this home experience horrendous mental and physical abuse before being forced to give up their babies for adoption. Moving forward to present day, Ancestry..com is helping many adopted children find their birth families. Allison Garrett's mom Heather was abandoned as a baby and the pain of that knowledge has prevented her from pursuing finding her birth mother. Allison volunteers as a "search angel" to help people find their lost relatives using DNA results. When Allison and her best friend Bree submit their samples to Ancestry.com, the results are shocking and could change the course of both of their family's lives. The descriptions of what went on at the maternity home are brutal, but this book is so well-written and hard to put down. I finished it in two days and can't wait to read more of Elizabeth Langston's books. Thanks to #netgalley #lakeunionpublishing and #ElizabethLangston for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So I this book was heartbreaking and emotional. This one is a definite read.

Thanks Lake Union and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and isn't influenced by anyone else

This book was perfectly adequate— and just that. I was intrigued by the premise and excited to receive an ARC, but I have to be honest and say that it felt like a bit of a chore to finish it. I normally finish books in 2-3 days and this one took me three weeks.

I loved Molly’s POV and the journey she went through, but the present day POVs of Bree and Allison left much to be desired. Their dialogue felt stilted and unnatural, and there was too much focus on things that didn’t matter and too little focus on things that did matter.

Elizabeth Langston's Once You Were Mine is a deeply moving novel that weaves two timelines to explore the pain of forced separation, the enduring search for family, and the power of connection. The story alternates between the 1960s, where Molly is sent to a home for pregnant girls and is forced to give up her baby, and the present day, where Allison uses DNA testing that uncovers long-buried family secrets.

Molly's story is heartbreaking, capturing the societal pressures and limited choices faced by young women in the 1960s. Her journey through the emotional toll of giving up her baby is portrayed with sensitivity and depth, making her struggles deeply resonate with the reader. In contrast, Allison's modern-day story is driven by curiosity and determination as she pieces together her family history through DNA matches. Her search is filled with revelations and moments of emotional clarity, which brings a layer of intrigue and mystery to the novel.

While the dual timelines enrich the novel, they can occasionally feel overwhelming, as transitions from past and present require careful attention to follow.

Despite this, Once You Were Mine is a beautifully written novel. Langston's ability to evoke raw emotion and keep readers invested makes this novel a definite recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book was not what I was expecting at all! It was so much better than I imagined. The author did a wonderful job of writing between two timelines and not making it confusing or hard to keep up with as the reader. It did a great job of shining light onto what can happen not only with family secrets but also with DNA sharing and how that can be very insightful. It also deals with the raw emotion of everyone involved. Happiness, joy, anxiety, anger, and confusion. It’s a story of how no matter the time apart that family can still come together in their own way.

It’s timely and finally this story is told, thanks to Elizabeth Langston. This book should be on everyone’s list.

It’s well written with two timelines: one that is current and the other one back to the late 60s. It focuses on women’s rights with great thanks to DNA reports. This story reminds us of unequal conditions for women with jobs, visa cards, property and in some cases, abusive marriages. Plus, it points out how too often pregnant women who were single were ostracized during this time.

Recently, Kamala Harris said in her 2024 campaign: “We can’t go back.” This is in part what she was talking about. This book is a realistic comparison of what it was like just a few decades ago. A lot of readers may still remember those days with their own stories from those they know. At the end, there are questions for book groups. I can imagine that there could be a lot of stimulating discussions.

My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of February 11, 2025.

A must-read for fans of psychological thrillers . This book was absolutely amazing . I love the writing style of the author and can't wait to read more books like this

Once You Were Mine takes place during multiple timelines . 1960"s North Carolina Molly, an 17 year old finds herself pregnant after spending the summer with her grandmother. Molly's parents sends her to a home for wayward girls were she befriends her roommate after they are forced to give up their children. Present day Allison who volunteers as a search angel for people who have either been adopted or are the birth parents. Allison has always wanted to know about her mother's family since her mother was adopted and has never wanted to find out about her birth parents. Allison submits her DNA and instantly finds out that her and her best friend Bree share a family member that could be her biological birth grandmother. Without Allison mother's approval to precede with this information, she is at a standstill. This book gives the reader what it looked likes to be pregnant when a young woman doesn't have the ability to make her own choices. Secerts were kept and in the end when they come to light it can destory a family. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for letting me read an advanced copy of this book.

A heartbreaking story that explores the emotional and often ugly repercussions surrounding teenage pregnancy in the 1960’s. Seventeen year old Molly Mitchell is sent to care for her elderly grandmother the summer before her senior year of high school. Her first romance results in a pregnancy and in what was a customary practice in the 60’s, Molly’s angry and shamed parents send her to a home for unwed mothers where they thought she’d be well taken care of until she gave birth and relinquished her baby for adoption. In a second timeline, software engineer Allison Garrett volunteers as a “Search Angel” for individuals and families using DNA technology to locate lost relatives. This immersive family drama explores the emotional toll that families face when discovering their true backgrounds and the people that had been lost to them for reasons they could never have imagined. Kudos to Ms. Langston who wrote about these delicate issues with the utmost of care and compassion while exploring the complex emotions that many grapple with when faced with this reality.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this reader an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. Publication date: February 11.

In a quiet North Carolina town in 1968, a seventeen-year-old girl’s life is forever changed when a summer romance leads to an unplanned pregnancy. She is sent to an abusive “maternity home,” where she is shamed and deceived into signing adoption papers.

In the present day, Allison Garrett volunteers as a “search angel,” using DNA tests to help strangers locate lost relatives. But the family tree she finds most compelling is that of her own mother, who was abandoned as a baby. As Allison puts the pieces together, they reveal much more than her mother’s origins—and threaten to create further divisions in her tight-knit community.

When a family is separated by devastating circumstances, is it possible for them to heal the pain of the past and make up for lost time?

Loved it. Will recommend to others.

This book had me feeling all the emotions. The hopelessness of being an unwed pregnant woman was heartbreaking. Reading how that one choice not only impacted her life but sent ripples through generations and families.

I have been in a kick of reading books about unplanned teenage pregnancies in a time when it was a really taboo subject. It's so heartbreaking to read about the tragic realities these young women went through.

I loved this story because I love that it addressed what unwed mothers faced in the past. It was touching and gripping. This is definitely a must read for all women and lovers of contemporary fiction.

An emotional and gripping book. About a young unwed mother and how it affected her. It really pulls the heart strings.

This story relates to dna ancestry check.

When a young girl falls pregnant after staying with her grandmother for a summer, her parents decide that she is go to an unwed mothers home. She is determined she is keeping her baby, it she never had a chance as she is made to give up her baby.

But years later, the fall out of what happened overflows into the next generations as they find out that the friendship they had is more like a cousin relationship. And what becomes of this news means that the truth will finally be spoken about.

This is an emotional story of losing and finding family.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Lake Union Publishing for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own. * Book comes out February 2025!!*

Can I just say, I didn’t realize how much I needed a book about ancestry.com until I read this one. Having had my own several deep dives into my ancestry including finding old marriage certificates, ransacking family attics in Poland, and traveling to a bunch of different cemeteries to find family members, I completely understand how intense the fascination can be.
This book follows an unwed teenage mothers’ life in the 1960’s and alternates between life then, after birth, and present day. The story paints a picture of the stark contrasts between women’s rights and treatment in the 60’s versus present day (but it’s not written in difficult language and actually a pleasure to read.) With my genealogy being so tricky to put together, I loved reading a story that actually was able to put most of the pieces together. A book about loss, determination, and trying to rebuild a life when you feel like yours has crumbled around you. Loved it!!