You're the place I miss when my heart gets heavy: THE KINDEST LIE.

The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Well-written literary fiction that examines racism and class issues

In 2008, the election of Barack Obama brings a new sense of optimism, especially to the Black community. In the south side of Chicago, Ruth Tuttle and her husband, Xavier, have a nice home and good jobs. Xavier is ready to start a family. But Ruth remains unsure. She cannot get past the baby she gave birth to at seventeen and then gave away. It's a secret she's kept all these years, even from Xavier. When Ruth finally admits what happened, she feels compelled to return home and find out what happened to her child. Her working-class Indiana hometown has seen better days. And her grandmother and brother are unwilling to tell the truth about what happened to her child, holding fast to the idea that they sacrificed so Ruth could have a better life. As Ruth begins investigating on her own, she meets Midnight, a young white teen who is struggling too. The two form an unlikely bond, but it soon may be tested in a town teeming with its own racism issues.

"A lie could be kind to you if you wanted it to be, if you let it. With every year that passed, it became easier to put more distance between her old life and her new one."

This is a beautifully written book that deftly examines the issues of racism and class in America. It sneaks up on you with its wonderfully done story, filled with tenderness and longing. The characters are so excellent, with Midnight and Ruth (and the supporting cast) simply popping off the pages and becoming real as you read. The story is told from both Ruth and Midnight's points of view, giving a depth and insight to the plot, as we hear from both an educated and complex Black women and a scared white kid trying to survive.

Johnson does a wonderful job of portraying the struggles of being Black in America: whether you're a college-educated woman such a Ruth, or whether you're her brother Eli, unemployed after the closure of the plant in their hometown, which has basically killed the hope and livelihood of many of the town's residents (both Black and white). The book covers race and class in a thoughtful way--often sad, often touching, and always well-done.

This is an excellent book that puts you in the place of its characters. It is thoughtful and timely. 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing and William Morrow in return for an unbiased review. It is available on 2/2/2021.

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