A truly beautiful achievement., A fantastic story of a marriage and what happens when one spouse secretly had a child prior to knowing the other. This enviable debut enlightens while breaking your heart. Johnson-through graceful sentences, tenderness, dramatic expertise, and overflowing empathy-is able to twist these Americas into a singular portrait of a country in transition. Ruth and Midnight represent different Americas: one trending up, one spiraling down. Does our past become the skeleton upon which our future fleshes out - or can we erase our beginnings? This beautifully crafted debut will keep you asking these questions and more., In The Kindest Lie, Nancy Johnson gives us two unforgettable characters. 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. Powerful and unforgettable, The Kindest Lie is the story of an American family and reveals the secrets we keep and the promises we make to protect one another. Just as Ruth is about to uncover a burning secret her family desperately wants to keep hidden, a heart-stopping incident strains the town's already searing racial tensions, sending Ruth and Midnight on a collision course that could upend both their lives. As she begins digging into the past, she unexpectedly befriends Midnight, a young white boy who is also adrift and looking for connection. Returning home, Ruth discovers the Indiana factory town of her youth is plagued by unemployment, racism, and despair. She had promised her family she'd never look back, but Ruth knows that to move forward, she must make peace with the past.

She has never gotten over the baby she gave birth to-and was forced to leave behind-when she was a teenager. He's eager to start a family, but Ruth is uncertain. In Chicago, Ruth Tuttle, an Ivy-League educated Black engineer, is married to a kind and successful man. It's 2008, and the inauguration of President Barack Obama ushers in a new kind of hope. Recommended by O Magazine * GMA * Elle * Marie Claire * Good Housekeeping * NBC News * Shondaland * Chicago Tribune * Woman's Day * Refinery 29 * Bustle * The Millions * New York Post * Parade * Hello! Magazine * PopSugar * and more! 'The Kindest Lie is a deep dive into how we define family, what it means to be a mother, and what it means to grow up Black.beautifully crafted.' -JODI PICOULT 'A fantastic story.well-written, timely, and oh-so-memorable.'-Good Morning America 'The Kindest Lie is a layered, complex exploration of race and class.' -The Washington Post Every family has its secrets.

The kindest lie