For its 2019 Fauquier Community Read book, the county public library has selected a thought-provoking and complex tale of two families, two generations apart, forever changed by a 1930s adoption scandal.

A New York Times bestseller, Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate, won the 2017 Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction.

“In the spirit of a community read, people are encouraged to pick up the pass-along copies, read it and pass it along to another reader,” library Director Maria Del Rosso explained.

The Community Read will include “An Evening with the Author,” Thursday, May 16, at Highland School’s Rice Theater in Warrenton. Ms. Wingate will read from Before We Were Yours and discuss her process for research and writing. After a question and answer session, the author will sign copies of the book. Copies of Before We Were Yours will be available for purchase at the event from The Open Book.

Additional programs that address themes raised in Before We Were Yours have been planned for April and May, including book club discussions and genealogy presentations.