A review by jasonfurman
Liars and Saints by Maile Meloy

5.0

An historical novel (with a man going off to fight in World War II and then Korea, the 1960s, and beyond). A Catholic novel (with generations of a family struggling with their relationship to Catholicism, falling in and out of observance). A trashy soap opera (with teenage pregnancies, concealed births, and incest). A dysfunctional family account (see the previous). And, mostly importantly, much for than the sum of its parts--Liars and Saints chronicles five generations of the Santerre, moving quickly in a short novel that seems to be both a complete account of several decades but also very light on the period detail or actual events, just capturing the most important turning points. Each short chapter is told from the perspective of a different character, alternating between more than a half dozen members of the family each of whom perceive events very differently--which sometimes is a matter of perception and sometimes is because they are lying to each other. It is very well written, feels very authentic, is a page turner but also feels like a deeper revelation about family dynamics and relationships as well.