It took me about 100 pages to get into the book. At times the themes discussed were powerful and I found myself engaged at points, but overall wanting more.

Not quite as riveting as I’d hoped…actually felt a bit bored and disengaged throughout most. A decent listen however.

Two words kept coming to mind as I dug into Nancy Johnson's debut, THE KINDEST LIE.

Book club.

If you're looking for a sink-your-teeth kind of story that will provide an opportunity for rich discussions and space for new perspectives, this is the book (now in paperback-- bonus!).

Set against the backdrop of President Obama's historic presidential win, Ruth Tuttle is the epitome of her own American Dream. Raised by her grandparents in an Indiana factory town, Ruth defies the odds to attend Yale. Now living in Chicago, and married to a loving, successful husband who is eager to start a family, Ruth seems to have it all.

Ruth carries a secret that threatens to destroy her marriage, her family in Indiana, and the life she worked so hard to build. When she was a teen, Ruth got pregnant. Fearing the stigma of being a teen mother, as well as the impediment to Ruth's bright future, Ruth's grandmother (loved this character's spunk and resolve!) convinces Ruth to hide the pregnancy from her classmates and best friend. Ruth reluctantly agrees and promises to move forward with her life, without looking back at what might have been.

Seized by the need to find her son, Ruth returns to her hometown, now economically depressed since the factory closed. The secrets she uncovers threaten her sense of self, family, and her future.

Johnson is an expert storyteller and performs an impressive balancing act of portraying the complexities of being a Black woman in America straddling two worlds while examining the individual struggles Ruth faced at the crossroads of motherhood.

I finished the novel with a heavy heart, and not because the ending was unsatisfying or depressing. Rather, it was a stark reminder of the idealistic assumption so many Americans made that Obama's win would finally usher the United States into a post-racial society.

This is an author to keep an eye on. Her next book, PEOPLE OF MEANS, coming in early 2025.

DNF - characters are annoying, and not well-developed. There’s a lot of telling rather than showing. A great concept not executed very well at all. I just can’t get through it...

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book. There were a lot of things that made me nod my head in agreement as I look at the fabric of my own family experience. The things that go unsaid, the decisions our parents / grandparents (grown folks) make because "that's what's best" & because they want better for the next generation. The KINDEST Lie (s) of many different shades and facets, Ruth, the main character, was oblivious to her whole life.

Was it because she selfishly thought only of herself,even as an married adult, who never stopped to put herself in the shoes of her grandparents who were the only parents she knew.

At what age do we start that process to see things from our parents perspectives and not just our own limited ones? Something that bothered me over a good bit of this book is the very big secret the Ruth kept from her husband and how they leave that rift wide open until the end. I tried to see that from so many different perspectives across the book, it just bothered me that it was not discussed.

The other thing that I think the book touched on in a way that demonstrates there is something we start to see and understand, that shifts, even at a young age unfortunately is race.

I was annoyed by Ruth as well and thought she's grown and still so naive. I also felt like the dialogue, or lack thereof, with Ruth and her husband was almost like the other didn't exist. I can only imagine how hurt he must have been to find out about Ruth's child but him being a bookend and the beginning and end of the story didn't work for me either

A surprisingly quick read that wasn't wholly satisfying. I didn't love how everything unfolded, I didn't love how sloppy SO MANY of the adults were, but I can appreciate the realness of getting caught up in emotions - especially ones that were forced to be hidden away for so long.

Three and a half stars. Timely book about race relations in the last decade.

(Edited to add- this book took me into a 5 month reading slump….) A very deep story of way back in 2008. It was nice to see a different perspective on a story and read a genre I usually don’t read. Some lines didn’t sit well with me, but that’s ok. I don’t have to agree with everything. I’m still glad I read this one.

2.75 stars

I really wanted to like this...it sounded promising. The Washington Post blurb promised "a layered, complex exploration of race and class," but it was just okay for me. It took me a long time to read it--it was never something I looked forward to and I'd only pick it up every few days. Yet, I did want to know what happened. Now that I do, I'm disappointed and frustrated. I found Ruth to be incredibly selfish and I was unable to root for her.