The Kindest Lie is an easy, accessible novel filled with hard, important truths.”-- The New York Times Book Review “Nancy Johnson’s The Kindest Lie is a layered, complex exploration of race and class…. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. "—Good Morning America "The Kindest Lie is a layered, complex exploration of race and class." I've been anticipating Nancy Johnson's debut for a long time, and it did not disappoint. ", "It takes tremendous talent to seamlessly combine social commentary with a powder keg of a plot, and Nancy Johnson accomplishes just that in her gripping debut novel, The Kindest Lie, addressing issues of race, class, privilege and upward mobility.... A fictional callback to Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste, The Kindest Lie also brings to mind Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half, in which another young Black woman returns to her hometown to try to reconcile her past, present and future. —The Washington Post Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. Whether desired or not, once a mother’s love sparks, it becomes a driving force, which deepens and expands awareness and empathy in all areas of a woman’s life. In Chicago, Ruth Tuttle, an Ivy-League educated Black engineer, is married to a kind and successful man. Ruth and Midnight represent different Americas: one trending up, one spiraling down. She had promised her family she’d never look back, but Ruth knows that to move forward, she must make peace with the past. "—Good Morning America, “The Kindest Lie is a layered, complex exploration of race and class." "The Kindest Lie is a deep dive into how we define family, what it means to be a mother, and what it means to grow up Black...beautifully crafted." He’s eager to start a family, but Ruth is uncertain. "The Kindest Lie is a deep dive into how we define family, what it means to be a mother, and what it means to grow up Black...beautifully crafted." —JODI PICOULT "A fantastic story...well-written, timely, and oh-so-memorable. —The Washington Post Johnson presents a story with dazzling prose and textured, complicated characters that haunt you long after you've closed the book. I hope that there is a sequel(s) to this story and that we will see how Ruth, Corey, and Midnight develop. The Kindest Lie is her first book. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. "—Good Morning America "The Kindest Lie is a layered, complex exploration of race and class." I can't identify with someone with blinders on. "—Good Morning America "The Kindest Lie is a layered, complex exploration of race and class." Girls with Bright Futures: A College Admissions Thriller, We Need to Hang Out: A Memoir of Making Friends, The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation. Something went wrong. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. —JODI PICOULT "A fantastic story...well-written, timely, and oh-so-memorable. The Kindest Lie is her first book. Named a Most Anticipated book by O Magazine * GMA * Elle * Marie Claire * Good Housekeeping * NBC News * Shondaland * Chicago Tribune * Woman's Day * Refinery 29 * Bustle * The Millions * New York Post * Parade * Hello! "—Good Morning America "The Kindest Lie is a layered, complex exploration of race and class." This enviable debut enlightens while breaking your heart. I never questioned their fears or decisions because I understood their pain. Well done, Nancy Johnson. Please try again. Unable to add item to List. Just as Ruth is about to uncover a burning secret her family desperately wants to keep hidden, a traumatic incident strains the town’s already searing racial tensions, sending Ruth and Midnight on a collision course that could upend both their lives. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Yet we know more change awaits. has been added to your Cart. —The Washington Post “The Kindest Lie is a deep dive into how we define family, what it means to be a mother, and what it means to grow up Black...beautifully crafted.” —JODI PICOULT, "A fantastic story...well-written, timely, and oh-so-memorable. Ten years ago, four people were brutally murdered—One girl lived. It masterfully captures the ways that lies—big and small, national and personal—can come to haunt us. Poignant family story, how the past affects the future, and a well-told look at racial injustice. Her pain was on the page. A city torn apart by wary, and brought together by books. Just finished this heartbreaking, heart healing, honest dive into the unbreakable bond of a mother’s love— a relationship unlike any other. Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2021. Please try again. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. "—Good Morning America "The Kindest Lie is a layered, complex exploration of race and class." Johnson covers many surprising themes in her jewel of a book, but her passages on motherhood were some of the most emotional for me. Ganton, Indiana, is a town whose “very soul was a trapdoor, a gateway to nothingness that few people climbed out of.” She has never gotten over the baby she gave birth to—and was forced to leave behind—when she was a teenager. If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. The Kindest Lie is an easy, accessible novel filled with hard, important truths.” The New York Times Book Review "A heart-wrenching portrayal of an unlikely bond, and a profound nod to the fallacy of post-racial America—The Kindest Lie is nuanced, spellbinding, and necessary." Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2021. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. I’m so grateful this book is in the world. —The Washington Post. Author Nancy Johnson has created an immersive world of generations of heartbreak, old mistakes that never fade, and imperfect love. Little, Brown. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. The country is on the verge of electing Barack Obama as the next president and in Ruth and Xavier’s new home on the South Side of Chicago, hope is lending itself to a new day dawning. Returning home, Ruth discovers the Indiana factory town of her youth is plagued by unemployment, racism, and despair. “The Kindest Lie is a deep dive into how we define family, what it means to be a mother, and what it means to grow up Black...beautifully crafted.” —JODI PICOULT "A fantastic story...well-written, timely, and oh-so-memorable. The characters in this book were well developed and the story pulled me in. Does this book contain inappropriate content? Most of the time I was amazed and horrified by her thoughts and her really naive and self focused ways of looking at the world. I've been anticipating Nancy Johnson's debut for a long time, and it did not disappoint. Does our past become the skeleton upon which our future fleshes out — or can we erase our beginnings? A gloriously written, stunning heart scorcher about who we are and what we could be. When I put together my must-read book club picks for 2021 list, I knew I had to include The Kindest Lie.It’s one of those books that you know will leave a lasting impression. Nancy Johnson endows her characters with a generous grace that slowly embraces the reader as the plot unfolds, accomplishing what the very best novels do—tell the stories of strangers so well we are ultimately compelled to discover the strangers within us all.”, “The Kindest Lie is a deep dive into how we define family, what it means to be a mother, what secrets we owe to those we love, and what it means to grow up Black. "The Kindest Lie is a deep dive into how we define family, what it means to be a mother, and what it means to grow up Black...beautifully crafted." "The Kindest Lie is a deep dive into how we define family, what it means to be a mother, and what it means to grow up Black...beautifully crafted." “The Kindest Lie is a layered, complex exploration of race and class." “The Kindest Lie is a soul-stirring, vividly told saga that demands to be read! As in this book, redemption is possible and later in life she became a mother again and is successfully raising her second child. Well done, Nancy Johnson. I hope that there is a sequel(s) to this story and that we will see how Ruth, Corey, and Midnight develop. Ruth goes on a journey to find the baby she gave up for adoption. Learn more about the program. The little truths revealed in this story have expanded my POV and will continue to ripple through me for a long time to come. Similar to The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, The Kindest Lie is an engrossing story about race, class, and coming to grips with your past…The Kindest Lie will not only pull at your heartstrings, but it will also make you want to call your family, fight racial injustice, and hold on tighter to those you love. Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2021. He’s eager to start a family, but Ruth is uncertain. Change is in the air. A heartbreaking, heart-healing tale of motherhood in a racist world, Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2021. Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2021. The young Black couple has already achieved a modicum of success, each in their respective careers. The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson is an impactful read about motherhood, race and class.. Rife with rich language, shocking revelations, and easy-to-fall-into characters, The Kindest Lie is the kind of novel you'll feel in your bones. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It touched on the very real problems and choices one makes in wrenching ones self from poverty. THE KINDEST LIE is a gorgeously written book with a satisfying mystery at its heart. In Chicago, Ruth Tuttle, an Ivy-League educated Black engineer, is married to a kind and successful man. Though I found Ruth’s naivete a bit unbelievable at times, I thoroughly enjoyed her journey through motherhood. “The Kindest Lie is a layered, complex exploration of race and class." "The Kindest Lie is a deep dive into how we define family, what it means to be a mother, and what it means to grow up Black...beautifully crafted." ", "In The Kindest Lie, Nancy Johnson gives us two unforgettable characters. Magazine * PopSugar * and more! I was right there with Ruth on her journey. What is the cost of secrets and lies? Like a heat-seeking missile, her novel hones in on who we think we belong to and why, following the merging lives of Ruth, a black female engineer who seeks out the child she gave away, and Midnight, a young white boy struggling to find his place in the very poverty Ruth managed to escape. It’s 2008, and the inauguration of President Barack Obama ushers in a new kind of hope. Most of the time I was amazed and horrified by her thoughts and her really naive and self focused ways of looking at the world. She lost me when she turned her back on Midnight because of his " white privilege". ", "A profound look at racial and economic injustices in America. The author tried to save her the last few pages, but it didn’t work for me. —The Washington Post Image. The Kindest Lie is a stunner and I have no doubt it will be a much-discussed book of 2021 and a book club favorite. Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2021. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Black & African American Women's Fiction (Books). Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine: A Novel, The Girl Who Lived: A Thrilling Suspense Novel, The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II, How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House: A Novel. Yet we know more change awaits. Change is in the air. It’s hard to believe The Kindest Lie is Johnson’s debut as it’s told with such an assured voice and graceful conviction. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. "One of the most buzzed about books of the season. As in this book, redemption is possible and later in life she became a mother again and is successfully raising her second child. This story speaks to race, class, and what it means to be a family. I kept hoping for the main character to grow, but she was just selfish and, frankly, an idiot when it came to other people. The simple strength of her storytelling allowed me to fall deep inside Ruth and Midnight. Don’t miss this powerful debut.". I’m so grateful this book is in the world. There is so much to unpack here. Does this book contain quality or formatting issues? The simple strength of her storytelling allowed me to fall deep inside Ruth and Midnight. William Morrow; First Edition (February 2, 2021). Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Something went wrong. Through well-developed characters, Johnson provides a realistic portrayal of middle America in the tumultuous era of economic collapse.”, "This heart-wrenching story teaches us how long love really endures.". ", "A heart-wrenching portrayal of an unlikely bond, and a profound nod to the fallacy of post-racial America—The Kindest Lie is nuanced, spellbinding, and necessary. When Obama was elected in 2007, optimism poured out from every direction. Nancy Johnson's debut novel, "The Kindest Lie," was highly anticipated, appearing on a number of must-read lists, including those in Oprah Magazine, Elle, Good Housekeeping and the Chicago Tribune. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. Returning home, Ruth discovers the Indiana factory town of her youth is plagued by unemployment, racism, and despair. Nancy Johnson’s ‘The Kindest Lie’ is a layered, complex exploration of race and class. ACTS OF DESPERATION By Megan Nolan 288 pp. —JODI PICOULT "A fantastic story...well-written, timely, and oh-so-memorable. When demons invade a town in Tennessee, demon hunter Lafayette Hendricks comes to stop them. A troubled boy with a devastating revelation. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. "In The Kindest Lie Nancy Johnson takes us both into a bygone time, the dawning of the Obama era, and into the tender heart of her protagonist Ruth. Author of THE KINDEST LIE AVAILABLE NOW! I never questioned their fears or decisions because I understood their pain. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. The Kindest Lie is a visceral depiction of being Black in America, the quest for understanding and acceptance, the struggles of motherhood, and the strength of family amid the backdrop of a racially divided country.”, "In this winning portrait of circumstance, sacrifice, and forgiveness, the lines that separate past from present and right from wrong are erased and redrawn—oftentimes with earth-shattering consequences.