There’s a lot in here to work with, but it never really met its potential. Ruth and Midnight trade narration between chapters as their lives become increasing intertwined. Living in the Little-Space-Between in “No One is Talking About This”. The middle of this book was slow moving, but I have to say once everything was revealed I understood why the middle was moving a little slow. Ruth Tuttle and her husband, Xavier, are living their American dream in Chicago. Thankfully I've never been in this situation or even wanted kids myself but somehow I loved the book anyway. I wouldn't call it political at all, even with its several mentions of Obama. Nancy Johnson is the author of the debut novel THE KINDEST LIE, which is available now everywhere books are sold! For one reason or another, I don’t always write a full review of every book I read. When I put together my must-read book club picks for 2021 list, I knew I had to include The Kindest Lie. This book is a build up to what happens at the end. Why did she wait so long to tell him and is there any way she can fix the damage done to him and to her own family? The only political issue it combs over is that of the belief that Obama will take all the guns away in America. I had so many thoughts, opinions, and uneasy feelings after reading this. Since they're no longer talking she decides to head back to Indiana to stay with her grandma and brother for the holidays. When her husband begins to discuss planning to have a family, Ruth's past catches up with her and she thinks about the son that she gave up for adoption at age 17, in order to leave her hometown and chase her dreams at Yale. The narrative delves deeply into the inner lives of two sets of grandparents who raise their grandchildren, immersing readers in their struggle to address educational gaps, sacrifices, work ethics, pain, and loss. I highly recommend The Kindest Lie and I trust the author is working diligently on another novel. I am really glad I picked this book for my February book of the Month book. For me, racism stuck out clearly; racists are generally created by other racists. I think this book will make you look at how our current Cultural treats black people. Title: The Kindest Lie Author: Nancy Johnson Style: Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction Rating: 4/5 “A lie could be kind to you if you wanted it to be, if you let it.” Ruth is a Black Ivy League graduate and married to a successful Black engineer. Library • Set in the heady days of post-election 2008, The Kindest Lie also takes. Pretty much every paragraph is a new thought, but there isn't enough space to develop it, so it's all on the surface. Set against the backdrop of the Obama election of 2008 and the lingering effects of the recession, The Kindest Lie is an emotionally compelling story about family, motherhood, and race. And racism is a defense tactic when one is unable to confront their own inadequacies. It obviously didn't happen, so its an interesting point that is brought up to show the fear that one side can have over the other. She brilliantly conveys the challenges of growing up black, of having hope for a better future and the realities that are still pervasive today in our country. Ruth is happily married, an engineer, and a Yale graduate. ISBN They’re both highly-educated, have lucrative jobs and celebrating Barack Obama’s historic 2008 victory when a secret Ruth has been keeping for years comes crashing through the perfect life they’ve built together. Privacy Policy Despite their suffering, they possess the strength, grace, compassion, humor and resilience that allows them to endure. Nancy Johnson is the author of the debut novel THE KINDEST LIE, which is available now everywhere books are sold! Debut author, Nancy Johnson's novel, THE KINDEST LIE (WilliamMorrow) opens on election night 2008. There is so much to unpack here. They will hardly stop! This is a Women's Fiction/Literary Fiction. Yet the deeper you get into the novel, and the more pages you turn, the more you are faced with the pain, fear and uncertainty the characters wrestle with as they struggle with poverty and inequality while confronting stereotypes and systemic racism. We’d love your help. This is dubbed as a novel that examines racial inequity and lies told with good intentions. Ruth, a 29-year-old Yale engineering grad working for a consumer packaged-goods company, and Xavier, 32, a PepsiCo marketing vice president, are hosting a watch party at their new townhome in the gentrified Bronzeville neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. So intense, so emotional and thought provoking reading! From debut novelist Nancy Johnson comes THE KINDEST LIE, an Obama-era foray into the divide that sours the relationships between Black and white communities as all members embark on their own searches for the life promised to them as part of the American Dream. She left her hometown in a factory town in Indiana to go to Yale- but not before she gave birth in secret at 17 years old. Find BookPage, About BookPage Maybe she'll even find the answers to the questions that she's looking for and some answers she didn't even know she needed to discover. The novel explores race, class, identity, and the pursuit of the American dream. I was impressed this debut novel managed to cover so many topics including race, social class, and motherhood to name a few. Real hard.”. And it definitely did. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Welcome back. The characters in this novel have so many layers, shaped by years of discrimination, family history, and economic despair. by William Morrow. 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. Before she can move forward she feels drawn home so she can make peace with her past, but this proves to be easier sa. “The Kindest Lie” would be an excellent book club read. President Obama has just been elected and hope is in the air, but when her husband wants to start a family of their own, Ruth is forced to reckon with her past. In additi. With beautifully crafted prose and a gift for dialog, Johnson takes readers on an action-packed ride toward a dramatic, revelatory conclusion. A promise could betray you. Book Review Podcast ( The Kindest Lie: Book By Nancy Johnson ) In addition, the idea that an adult has the right/justification for their emotional needs to be satisfied over the rights of a young child. This is a book I found myself thinking about days after I finished reading it. Ruth is happily married, an engineer, and a Yale graduate. Advertise 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. I received an advance reader's copy in a Goodreads giveaway; that said, I was already very interested in reading this novel.