The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson
“Sometimes it takes everything in a person to stand upright in a bent world.”
Genre: Literary Fiction
Page Count: 336
Date of Publication: 2nd February, 21
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis
Barack Obama is announced as the 44th President of the United States of America and with the news, hopes of bright and secure future envelopes the hearts of many Americans, precisely the Black community of the nation. Ruth, a Black Ivy-League engineer watches the news with her husband, Xavier. Later in the night, Xavier discusses with Ruth that it’s finally time for them to plan a family where their kids will be born in a better and uplifting country. Xavier is true to his beliefs, only, Ruth hasn’t yet overcome the trauma of her past — abandoning her firstborn in the August of 1977, when she was 17-years-old. Ruth never confided in Xavier until the time he pushes her, to tell the truth. She agrees to have never moved on from the tragedy because she never addressed it upfront. 12 years later, when her marriage is at stake, Ruth decides to find out about her son and she goes back to her hometown, Ganton.
Patrick, who goes around with the nickname Midnight, is an 11-years-old white boy living with his grandmother in Ganton. As aloof as he may seem, he’s unaware of his dire need for connection. When their paths collide, they realize they have more in common than they’d accept. Unknowingly, they let their bonds strengthen over time till the time a deep, concealed secret is unveiled, and both their lives, future and past are brought into light that may lead to crushing down their present relations.
With a city divided into races and classes, people burdened with unemployment, will Ruth find a way to her son? And if she does, what will she even say to him?
Some Insights
- Writing: The writing of the book is accessible, making you connect with the characters instantaneously, and if you don’t there are some compelling issues discussed thoroughly to grip your attention. Even the scenes that I’d not have usually enjoyed reading, got me hooked, and feel the agonizing pain that seared right through me.
- Narration: The chapters switch narration from Ruth to Midnight, but the major plot is explored through Ruth’s eyes. The narration is quite easy to follow, so is the writing as mentioned above. Even the characters who are mentioned for a short time, are easy to remember by their names till you read the last word.
- Story: Johnson has written the book beautifully by exploring the thoughts and characters to their core. She didn’t shy away from bringing important topics like racism, unemployment, and motherhood; exploring them all from different perspectives. Putting them all in the light of the day making readers ponder if all they’ve ever learned in the textbooks, were they only exploring the surfaces of these infamous and neglected parts of our society?
Following a mother who never got to meet her son and dissolving all the barriers of society, a boy has the audacity to dream of a life that’s in all of the possible ways, far-fetched. A generation of people who have seen much more to the division than we see now and have suffered more because of the atrocities, though we can’t say that our generation is suffering any less, if not more. The ways have changed, unfortunately, the pain hasn’t lessened.
The topics explored in the book are hard-hitting and get the page time they truly deserve; some scenes even forced me to text a friend that world and the people living in it, can be heartless. - Characters: It is essential to say that the book is character-driven and all of the characters in the novel are given enough page time so their faults and wrongdoings can be portrayed; and when the time came for them to redeem or provide reasons for their actions, they feel real humans. People who you and I have either met in real or have heard about them. Nothing preposterous. Even when you see them making a wrong decision, as humans usually do, you know what their reasons are.
They all are deeply flawed; some living their life in regrets or agony, but all of them hoping deep in their hearts for a better future; a safe place and the future Obama had promised in his slogans. - End: The climax may feel like waiting for you to get there, but the last chapter is a real heartwarming piece that you’ll accept from a book dealing with real issues of the world. The chapter travels to your heart, making you believe that even in the darkest of times, the only people you can trust with your soul you should hold on to. And it takes more than a click to make things right. To wish for it is futile.
“They stayed like that for hours, giggling softly and smiling at everything and nothing, wrapped in each other’s arms, hungover with hope.”
— A quote pulled out from chapter 1
Recommendations
This is a book for people looking for hard-hitting contemporary, an amalgamation of worldly issues that can’t and shouldn’t be neglected no matter what may be the case. If you are looking for a heartwarming book of hope for improvement. For someone looking for the consequences of a decision, and the efforts and time it takes to redeem it.
The fair concept of nothing can be undone, you can only move forward and focus on not repeating the same.
“Maybe you just continued wherever you were, wiser from all you knew, stronger from all the burdens you’d carried.”
Final Thoughts
Even though the book won me over with the various topics it explored within the constraint page count, it was going to be a 4.5 star read till I read the hopeful and positive conclusion to the end. How a book ends leaves a long-lasting impact on its readers and Johnson penned just a perfect end filled with optimism.
More than racism, I think, motherhood took hold of me and compelled me to continue with every page. Probably because my mother is the person I love and admire the most in the world, and if I can't understand everything she goes through, I can see them. So, I wanted to know if and how Ruth finds her son, someone she never saw after giving him up to someone else. The pain and guilt she must’ve harbored over the years she spent without seeing, talking to her baby. especially, when she was a teenager herself. Giving birth and letting him slide away from her arms must’ve squeezed out her heart, and left her to mourn but not in public. If you’re like me, give this book a read. I assure you there is even more to the book than it appears.
“Perfect mothers didn’t exist, only perfectly flawed ones did.”
Happy Reading!
