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LibraryReads Votes Due: January 1, 2021
Hello friends! Happy holidays!
Nancy Johnson’s stunning debut novel, The Kindest Lie, is a powerful story set in 2008 as Obama takes office and Black communities are filled with a sense of hope and promise. We meet Ruth, an Ivy League-educated Black engineer searching for the son she walked away from and Midnight, a poor, young white boy who finds himself adrift in a dying Indiana factory town. This unlikely connection sets the scene for The Kindest Lie: a prescient, beautiful inspection of motherhood, race, class, and the pursuit of the American Dream. If you haven’t read this novel yet, we urge you to dip in. (And good luck finding a place in this book to stop reading for the night!) Librarians and authors who have read The Kindest Lie have, well, the kindest words to say about this unforgettable debut. Check out some of the praise below!
"Nancy Johnson leads her readers into a story about race and family, weaving her characters in nuanced ways that are relevant today. It will be a long time before I stop thinking daily about Ruth and Midnight. Their emotional and very human stories will leave readers breathless and wanting to talk about every scene of this stunning and important book."
—Ron Block, Cuyahoga County Public Library (OH)
"Johnson’s sharp debut takes a deep dive into the life of a Black Chicago woman after the 2008 presidential election…. Powerful insights emerge on the plurality of Black American experience and the divisions between rural and urban life, and the wealthy and the working class. Johnson’s clear-eyed saga hits hard."
—Publishers Weekly STARRED review
"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, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Two Ways and Small Great Things
"The Kindest Lie is the story of one family that reveals the larger story of America itself. Taut and surprising, Nancy Johnson’s debut novel tackles complex issues—ambition, romance, class—with the lightest of touches."
—Rumaan Alam, New York Times bestselling author of Leave the World Behind
"A gloriously written, stunning heart scorcher about who we are and what we could be."
—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Cruel Beautiful World
We were thrilled to welcome Nancy Johnson on our recent Door to Door episode, which also featured renowned poet Nikki Giovanni. These two incredible writers had a wonderful conversation to open the episode. You can watch the replay below!
Watch on : https://youtu.be/EGM23kdcX0Q
The Kindest Lie is an important, all-encompassing debut novel that will appeal to a wide range of readers. We hope you will give it a read and submit your votes for LibraryReads. As a reminder, votes are due January 1, 2021.
Download the egalley on Edelweiss+
Download the egalley on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: January 1, 2021
-The LLF Team (Virginia, Chris, and Lainey)