It takes tremendous talent to seamlessly combine social commentary with a powder keg of a plot, and Nancy Johnson accomplishes just that in her gripping debut novel, The Kindest Lie, addressing issues of race, class, privilege and upward mobility ... Don’t miss this powerful debut.
... a remarkable, thought-provoking, and brilliantly written book that delves into race relations, family ties, unconditional love, and what it means to be Black in America ... Peering into poverty, injustice, family ties, and wholehearted love, Johnson's book will open your eyes to what it means to live the American Dream.
... while it provides a glimpse of racial travesties along with familial and class clashes, there is nothing new or nuanced adding to what we know historically and in this time of heightened awareness. ... What we are likely to remember about this story is a selfish character and stereotypes that do little to enlighten.
... a layered, complex exploration of race and class ... Johnson is particularly adept at drawing the dividing lines between African Americans and working-class Whites, while at the same time illuminating the things they share, including a struggle to survive amid layoffs and a dearth of opportunity in the economically devastated industrial Midwest ... The intersecting lives of Blacks and Whites — and their divergent understanding of each other — are rendered with care ... While Johnson notes his dismay and the strain on their marriage in the early part of the narrative, Ruth’s relationship with her husband is not examined in sufficient depth as the novel unfolds. The reader is left to wonder what truly binds the couple together. Additionally, there is a sort of no-questions-asked oddness during Ruth’s reappearance at home in Indiana after so many years away. One would expect the writer to take a bit more time to deal with the emotions surrounding that surprise return ... But these quibbles do not take away from the overall narrative. It is a tale of how lies and omissions can shape and warp us. It is a story about reconciliation, set against a backdrop of racism and resentments. But more than anything, it is a meditation on family and forgiveness.
The identity of the boy is revealed early on, but The Kindest Lie is less concerned with solving that mystery than examining the complex forces of racial inequity and the fateful decisions that can make or break a family, or a community. On those terms, the novel is a triumph, a deeply affecting work of truth and reconciliation over what it means to live the American Dream — and not just for the winners.
... a gorgeously written book with a satisfying mystery at its heart. Though I found Ruth’s naivete a bit unbelievable at times, I thoroughly enjoyed her journey through motherhood. Johnson covers many surprising themes in her jewel of a book, but her passages on motherhood were some of the most emotional for me. Grappling with the belief that she gave her son up and therefore has no right to know him now, Ruth’s desperate need to find him and know that he is safe will tug at the heartstrings of any parent. Her own parental trauma adds some glorious depth to her character and makes clear the stakes of her search. That said, the real strength of this book came from Johnson’s ability to take on headfirst the myriad complex and seemingly unsolvable issues that plague Black America; though Ruth is her protagonist, she doesn’t waste a word or character when it comes to her supporting cast ... At once a mystery, a heartfelt portrayal of motherhood and a searing exploration of the struggles faced by Americans in the wake of the 2008 recession, The Kindest Lie is a perfect tapestry of what it means to be American today --- Black or white. With laser precision, Johnson unpacks how class inequalities have fueled racial tensions within the communities that have been largely forgotten, ignored and put into downright dangerous positions by wealthy white politicians and those who vote for them. Through Ruth, Johnson lays bare the many ways that Black families are forced to find loopholes within the system to draw a path to success. Through Midnight, she makes clear the ways that the 1% have redirected the rage of lower-class whites at their Black peers ... This is a nuanced but accessible portrayal of our nation, and though Johnson does not shy away from painful, horrifying truths, she maintains a stunning air of hope through her complex, instantly relatable characters. Through them, she explores the distance between our journeys and the lies we tell ourselves about them --- kind or not ... Beautifully written, endlessly profound and sharply drawn, The Kindest Lie is a heart-wrenching and deeply necessary book for all readers.
Ruth’s eventual decision to face her past sets up Johnson’s graceful, well-crafted exploration of class, race, and culture; of motherhood; and of family ties. Johnson’s memorable characters are forced into uncomfortable situations that feel vital to understand in a divided America ... Ruth’s shame and guilt about giving up her baby seems like an outsized horror – more 1950s than 1990s – but it does mirror the gnawing sorrow of her own mother’s absence, one of several parallels that Johnson draws in her rumination of parenthood ... Johnson also warmly illustrates the trust and connections that can be found in a close-knit Midwestern town, with some lovely descriptions of relationships and people ... twin plots wind through a series of satisfying but unsurprising twists, and Johnson’s observations carry a ring of well-accepted truths, despite some frustrating narrative gaps ... The book’s chief mysteries are solved by the end, and Ruth feels real enough that the reader is left room to ponder what happens to her and to Midnight in the next phases of their lives.
... the book’s strength is not so much about lies vs. the truth, but how it positions itself with the themes of race, family and identity ... As the central character, Ruth embodies a good deal of complexity as she struggles to determine who she is while also wrestling with a troubled past she is trying to escape ... While the narrators running parallel to one another does allow for some different dimensions in the story, I was not entirely sure the two narrators were necessary or served the story well. The author develops a complex and interesting character in Ruth, a character that the audience wants to get to know. It almost felt disrupted by the break in narration ... The writing also felt weighed down by cliches and overly simplistic descriptions that made it hard to connect with some of the more emotionally heavy scenes. The characters draw you in more than the mystery. The main 'lie' of the story is predictable in the way a formulaic crime drama presents the audience with only a few options, but Ruth’s internal struggle with the lie did cause me to turn the page. I did, however, want more at the end. Ruth spends so much time revisiting the past, the reader does not get to see how the past could potentially shape her future self ... Overall, The Kindest Lie captured my attention but struggled to hold it, perhaps because the author was trying to tackle too much.
... engaging ... Through well-developed characters, Johnson provides a realistic portrayal of middle America in the tumultuous era of economic collapse.
... sharp ... As Ruth learns more about what’s happened to her town and reckons with what she left behind, 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.
