Name: Kristen Claiborn's review of The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson
Item: The Kindest Lie
Rating: 4
Author: Kristen Claiborn

Nancy Johnson

"It's 2008, and the rise of Barack Obama ushers in a new kind of hope. In Chicago, Ruth Tuttle, an Ivy-League educated black engineer, is married to a kind and successful man. He's eager to start a family, but Ruth is uncertain. She has never gotten over the baby she gave birth to, and abandoned, when she was a teenager. She had promised her family she'd never look back, but Ruth knows that to move forward, she must make peace with the past. Returning home, Ruth discovers the Indiana factory town of her youth is plagued by unemployment, racism, and despair. Determined, Ruth begins digging into the past. As she uncovers burning secrets her family desperately wants to hide, she unexpectedly befriends Midnight, a young white boy who is also adrift and looking for connection. When a traumatic incident strains the town's already searing racial tensions, Ruth and Midnight find themselves on a collision course that could upend both their lives."--Publisher.

A Novel

The Kindest Lie

Haritha R

Named Most Anticipated of 2021 by Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, Refinery 29, and PopSugar! “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. This beautifully crafted debut will keep you asking these questions and more.” —JODI PICOULT A masterful, eye-opening novel about the profound racial injustices and class inequalities roiling society in America. A promise could betray you. It’s 2008, and the inauguration of President Barack Obama ushers in a new kind of hope. In Chicago, Ruth Tuttle, an Ivy-League educated Black engineer, is married to a kind and successful man. He’s eager to start a family, but Ruth is uncertain. She has never gotten over the baby she gave birth to—and was forced to leave behind—when she was a teenager. She had promised her family she’d never look back, but Ruth knows that to move forward, she must make peace with the past. Returning home, Ruth discovers the Indiana factory town of her youth is plagued by unemployment, racism, and despair. As she begins digging into the past, she unexpectedly befriends Midnight, a young white boy who is also adrift and looking for connection. 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. Powerful and revealing, The Kindest Lie captures the heartbreaking divide between Black and white communities and offers both an unflinching view of motherhood in contemporary America and the never-ending quest to achieve the American Dream.

Kristen Claiborn

Ruth Tuttle harbored a secret that she couldn’t get off her mind, and when she finally divulged it to her husband, it about broke the relationship. Ruth then goes back home to small-town Indiana to face her demons and find the answers she needs to be emotionally ok again and to move forward with her husband and their life together. 
	I get most of my books from my library’s ebook access. It’s been a godsend, I can get them directly into my kindle (I use the app on my phone so I literally have a phone in my pocket at all times). The library only allows me to put ten books on hold at a time, and frequently they all become available at the same time. Because of my book-reading system, I don’t always get to read a book with the vibe I’m feeling at that time. For the most part, this doesn’t typically affect how I feel about a book, but with this one, it REALLY did. I had just finished quite the string of World War II historical fiction books with both alternating points of view and alternating timelines. I got really frustrated and annoyed with all of that alternating hullabaloo (true story: I just DNF one because of the alternating timeline…it wasn’t done well), and I truly had no idea what this book was about when I downloaded it and dug in. I was SO pleased it was a book written in chronological order, I was ready to give it five stars just because of that. 
	I genuinely liked most of the characters in this book! My empathetic side just fell right out for almost everybody (Midnight’s dad…not so much). I did have some minor issues with Ruth’s husband as well, but considering I have never been in a similar position, I have no idea what kind of reaction would be acceptable. The story flowed beautifully, and this is one of a very short list of books that have brought some tears…I was genuinely verklempt. If I could give it 4.5 stars I would, and I reserve the 5 stars for the books I absolutely love, so unfortunately this one got bumped down to 4 stars. It’s very good.

Cheri McElroy

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the story of Ruth, looking for about the son she gave up for adoption, and her relationship with Midnight, a young boy with problems at home. It’s about grief, loss, family secrets, class, racism, and so much more. It is beautifully written and pulled me in.

Brian Walborn

Great characterization and pacing make this an engrossing read, particularly in light of current events. This expertly written narrative explores the divide between white and black communities and the commitments and sacrifices made by a mother. Do we allow the decisions of the past to define our future? To say no would itself be the kindest lie. The truths explored here reveal there is no simple answer to this question. A timely read. I found myself rooting for Ruth to not only overcome her own personal barriers but the barriers of racism as well. As in all good books, I was left wanting more.

Lauren Attaway

For me, 2008 sometimes feels like an alternate universe, so reading a novel set in that time after Obama’s first election to president was so strange. It is amazing that it can be so recent and feel so far away. I enjoyed Ruth’s story and her this peek into her world. The Kindest Lie managed to be set in that optimism of the end of 2008 and the racist history of the US, and the highs/lows of being black at the time. Ruth’s family and the rest of the town felt fully realized, and it is always a good sign when you care enough to be annoyed by the readers. Once this book picked up, I could not put it down.

Laura Wilson

carissa r

vanessa

Allison Dempsey

Arianna

Taylor Best

Kay Jamieson

Skylar Wise

Ethan Hill

Megan Vaughn

Katie Doonan

Marissa Nicole Davidson

Caroline Trent-Gurbuz

Gwen Chodur

Jill Swan

Jordan Heustis

" 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. This beautifully crafted debut will keep you asking these questions and more." -Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Two Ways The Kindest Lie examines the heartbreaking divide between Black and white communities and plumbs the emotional depths of the struggles faced by ordinary Americans in the wake of the financial crisis, perfectly capturing the profound racial injustices and class inequalities roiling society. A promise could betray you. It's 2008, and the inauguration of President Barack Obama ushers in a new kind of hope. In Chicago, Ruth Tuttle, an Ivy-League educated Black engineer, is married to a kind and successful man. He's eager to start a family, but Ruth is uncertain. She has never gotten over the baby she gave birth to-and was forced to leave behind-when she was a teenager. She had promised her family she'd never look back, but Ruth knows that to move forward, she must make peace with the past. Returning home, Ruth discovers the Indiana factory town of her youth is plagued by unemployment, racism, and despair. As she begins digging into the past, she unexpectedly befriends Midnight, a young white boy who is also adrift and looking for connection. 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. The Kindest Lie examines the heartbreaking divide between Black and white communities and plumbs the emotional depths of the struggles faced by ordinary Americans in the wake of the financial crisis. Capturing the profound racial injustices and class inequalities roiling society, Nancy Johnson's debut novel offers an unflinching view of motherhood in contemporary America and the never-ending quest to achieve the American Dream.

Haritha R &
The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson

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Haritha R &The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson

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Join the club

Haritha R &
The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson