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giraffeinabookstore's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jenpaul13's review against another edition
3.0
With a future filled with possibilities ahead of her, one woman’s path forward means confronting the past she’d left behind in Nancy Johnson’s The Kindest Lie.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Ruth Tuttle’s life is on a good track: she’s got an Ivy-League education that paved the path for her career as an engineer, she’s got a kind and successful husband, Xavier, and Obama was just elected as president. Hope fills Xavier for their future and he’s eager to start their family, but Ruth hesitates; she’s not processed everything that happened when she had a baby at seventeen and walked away as she promised to her family. Knowing that leaving her past unresolved will keep her from building a solid future with her husband, Ruth finally tells Xavier about her son and leaves Chicago for her hometown of Ganton to begin digging to find her son. Throughout this process, she befriends a young white boy, who likes to be called Midnight; Midnight lost his mother at a young age and drifts, seeking connection with anyone who will pay him attention. As Ruth finally gets to the heart of the secret her family kept from her, Midnight goes missing, along with his friend Corey; while the adults search for the boys, Midnight’s thoughtless actions with a cap gun strains the already simmering racial tensions in the town, placing the lives of Midnight, Corey, and Ruth in danger and forcing a truth to the forefront in an indelicate way. Having confronted her past and come to terms, mostly, with her son’s life now, Ruth’s reconciliation with her family and Xavier takes priority to continue toward a promising future.
Thoughtfully addressing topics and issues relating to motherhood and racial relations, especially in relation with police action, this story explores aspects of life that divide people and opportunities for their success, even if only perceived factors. While incorporating themes worthy of further thought, the plot wasn’t particularly novel or contain much depth as the story seemed to try to be more of a character-driven story, though the characters didn’t feel overly nuanced or complicated with some appearing merely to incite action before being forgotten and relegated to the sidelines until convenient to use again, and it’s difficult to believe that a small community such as Ganton was depicted would not realize or question the odd behavior of Ruth during her pregnancy and subsequent quick departure from town with virtually no return visits. The narrative itself was disjointed with the perspectives offered unevenly between Ruth and Midnight and the heavy reliance on their memories to provide their historic context for the events currently taking place; a majority of the story was through Ruth’s perspective with a handful from Midnight’s, leaving the balance off-kilter and raising critical thought about the need of Midnight’s until the collision of their worlds became more intertwined for the too-rapid conclusion of events.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Ruth Tuttle’s life is on a good track: she’s got an Ivy-League education that paved the path for her career as an engineer, she’s got a kind and successful husband, Xavier, and Obama was just elected as president. Hope fills Xavier for their future and he’s eager to start their family, but Ruth hesitates; she’s not processed everything that happened when she had a baby at seventeen and walked away as she promised to her family. Knowing that leaving her past unresolved will keep her from building a solid future with her husband, Ruth finally tells Xavier about her son and leaves Chicago for her hometown of Ganton to begin digging to find her son. Throughout this process, she befriends a young white boy, who likes to be called Midnight; Midnight lost his mother at a young age and drifts, seeking connection with anyone who will pay him attention. As Ruth finally gets to the heart of the secret her family kept from her, Midnight goes missing, along with his friend Corey; while the adults search for the boys, Midnight’s thoughtless actions with a cap gun strains the already simmering racial tensions in the town, placing the lives of Midnight, Corey, and Ruth in danger and forcing a truth to the forefront in an indelicate way. Having confronted her past and come to terms, mostly, with her son’s life now, Ruth’s reconciliation with her family and Xavier takes priority to continue toward a promising future.
Thoughtfully addressing topics and issues relating to motherhood and racial relations, especially in relation with police action, this story explores aspects of life that divide people and opportunities for their success, even if only perceived factors. While incorporating themes worthy of further thought, the plot wasn’t particularly novel or contain much depth as the story seemed to try to be more of a character-driven story, though the characters didn’t feel overly nuanced or complicated with some appearing merely to incite action before being forgotten and relegated to the sidelines until convenient to use again, and it’s difficult to believe that a small community such as Ganton was depicted would not realize or question the odd behavior of Ruth during her pregnancy and subsequent quick departure from town with virtually no return visits. The narrative itself was disjointed with the perspectives offered unevenly between Ruth and Midnight and the heavy reliance on their memories to provide their historic context for the events currently taking place; a majority of the story was through Ruth’s perspective with a handful from Midnight’s, leaving the balance off-kilter and raising critical thought about the need of Midnight’s until the collision of their worlds became more intertwined for the too-rapid conclusion of events.
cookouttable's review against another edition
5.0
If I could give this a 10 star I would, this is one of the most beautiful story’s I read.
cupcates's review against another edition
4.0
i refuse to tag a book set in 2008 as historical fiction. goodreads stop this nonsense
moniipeters's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
thehawk72's review against another edition
2.0
Actual rating 2.5
So so many of these characters were unlikeable. I'm frustrated that Ruth was just going to forgive her family for taking away her child and not explain anything to her. Setting the book when Obama was elected is also completely irrelevant to the plot as far as I was concerned. Just a lot of nonsensical decisions and dialogue and action.
So so many of these characters were unlikeable. I'm frustrated that Ruth was just going to forgive her family for taking away her child and not explain anything to her. Setting the book when Obama was elected is also completely irrelevant to the plot as far as I was concerned. Just a lot of nonsensical decisions and dialogue and action.
genthebookworm's review against another edition
5.0
I love character deep dives and this fantastic debut novel encompasses everything I love about this sub-genre. The characters are multifaceted and imperfect and the plotline explores the idea of how one decision can have a multitude of repercussions.
Told through multiple points of view, author Nancy Johnson explores, race, motherhood, and class while also keeping you guessing and trying to put together the pieces of the main characters’ secret history and how to make peace with the past. I think it is my fascination with understanding people in general, but learning more about someone often allows you to understand who they are and the decisions they have made.
This Kindest Lie made me long for the days of our in-person library book club because I know it would make for such a layered and impactful conversation. I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read whatever Nancy Johnson writes next!
Thank you to William Morrow Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Told through multiple points of view, author Nancy Johnson explores, race, motherhood, and class while also keeping you guessing and trying to put together the pieces of the main characters’ secret history and how to make peace with the past. I think it is my fascination with understanding people in general, but learning more about someone often allows you to understand who they are and the decisions they have made.
This Kindest Lie made me long for the days of our in-person library book club because I know it would make for such a layered and impactful conversation. I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read whatever Nancy Johnson writes next!
Thank you to William Morrow Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
bookhoarder76's review against another edition
2.0
Ugh another one I just didn't like very much. I didn't like Ruth at all from the very beginning and I never warmed up to her. Oh well glad to mark that one off my TBR!
bsmith27's review against another edition
4.0
A great story if a woman who has risen from growing up in a rural town as a black woman and is now a successful chemical engineer. She is married to a great guy and as they begin to discuss having a baby, she discloses that she actually had a baby at 17 and gave him up. The husband, Xavier, us stunned and they stop talking. Ruth decides to go home for awhile. She goes to momma's house, who is her grandma. Her brother is also having marital issues and is living at home too. Both won't tell her anything about her child. She makes friends with a white boy named midnight. Midnight is living with his grandma because his mother is dead and his father is a drunk. Ruth finds her son is actually midnights best friend and midnight gets jealous and gives him an airsoft guns and calls the Police. Everything ends up ok. Ruth meets with the adoptive parents and is satisfied. Midnights family seems like it will keep on being. Xavier shows up and Ruth and him talk.
babmack_49's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed the book, read it in one day!! Thanks for the point of views it provided