Nancy Johnson (1)

This story pulled me in two different directions at once, particularly around the adoption itself. I had a lot of sympathy for the main character and how her choices were made for her. But I was also offended that she thought of her biological child as "her son" when he was obviously part of a different family and the son of a different mother. For much of the novel she is focused not on what might be good for her son but what she thought would be fair for herself. There was a good show more exploration of what it means to be family and what kinds of actions might be justified in the name of love. show less

*I received a copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.*

I was really worried when I started this book, that based on the description, things would go badly for this novel's characters. While bad things certainly happen in this novel, multiple tragedies play out and one is narrowly averted, a underlying resilience is present in this book. Ruth Tuttle, Yale-educated, a female engineer, living a successful life in Chicago, represents the hopes of her family, who live in a small, show more divided Indiana town. As she struggles to uncover what happened to the baby she gave up as a teenager, Ruth befriends a young white boy called Midnight, who is grappling with his own family issues. This novel is one of the most thoughtful and gut-wrenching explorations of race and poverty I've encountered, and yet one that still left me with a small sense of hope. show less

"One thing I learned a long time ago is that you can't live your life looking back."

Thank you @williammorrowbooks for the gifted copy.

Bookdragon rating 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

I finished The Kindest Lie a few days ago and I can't stop thinking about it because there is so much to unpack. This novel was a perfect blend of rich character and plot development. It starts out very slow but so many layers and back story are added on that the wait is worth it. By the time the story reached its peak, it show more was so tense I was literally holding my breath. The writing style is so beautiful and poetic that you are captivated from the very first sentence. It was an emotional roller coaster but I'm glad I went for the ride. Ruth and Midnight played tug of war with my heart the entire time.

This book is a window into a segment of the country that isn't always in the spotlight. Your own perspective will be tested with the different dilemmas each character is facing and the decisions they choose to make. Each one is essentially in survival mode trying to maintain secrets and lies but the truth always comes out at the worst times.

I was left pondering:

- What defines motherhood? How do you begin to mother in the future when the choices about your own body were taken away?
- How can you live an authentic life while holding on to so much pain and keeping secrets?
- How do you fill the void of feeling unwanted by your parents?
- Does lying for the greater good ever pan out?
- How could Ruth's family and Lena's family never address the very real racial barriers/ bias in their friendship?
- How will Midnight deal with his brewing racial tensions?
- Does marraige automatically require full disclosure of past trauma?
- How does society return the innocence of youth back to Black children?
- How do groups with similar struggles of varying degrees come to a place of open communication and move past the biases?
- Class and education cannot save you from the violence of racism.

My mind is still spinning with so many thoughts. This book is timely, necessary and beautifully written. I cannot wait to see else the author has in store for us because this debut packed a punch. show less

Nancy Johnson's debut novel takes place in late fall 2008 in an Indiana town whose local auto plant has closed and whose residents are divided by race. Ruth, a Black engineer in her twenties, returns to learn more about the child she gave up for adoption as a teenager. She struggles with her relationships with her mother and brother and befriends a family friend's grandson, a young white boy who goes by Midnight. The story's exploration of race and socioeconomic issues from the last economic show more crisis are still, of course, extremely timely in 2021. However, some of the plot points are easy to see coming, and not all of the characters are well developed. I think tighter editing could have smoothed out some of the awkward or overwrought writing, too. show less