The Kindest Lie
""Ruth had grown into both parts of herself in this town that did more than kill dreams. It birthed them, too. She could never escape this place, and she didn't want to, because these people were in her and she in them."
Book: The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson
This story is still lingering with me days after I finished it. It is such a beautiful, heart-rending story of motherhood, race, class, and all the things that might have been for protagonist Ruth in the sleepy blue-collar town she left behind years ago. Anxious about having children with her husband Xavier when she’s already given birth and given up a baby (unbeknownst to Xavier), Ruth returns to Ganton, Indiana, and the unbreakable bond she shares with the people there who raised her. She hopes to find some answers to questions she’s been trying to put out of her mind for years, but never could. Where is her son? Who is raising him? What is his name, and what is he like? Until now, Ruth’s wonderings were always mere speculations, but after a little digging, an unlikely friendship with a local boy named Midnight, and some difficult conversations with family members, Ruth gets her answers.
I honestly feel like my review will not do this book justice, but I hate when book bloggers say that, so I am going to give it my best shot and try not to include too much of the plot that it becomes a spoiler. There were so many layers to The Kindest Lie. So much could be said about society and race and class and how the circumstances people find themselves in can be so vast and varying even in such a small town. One thing I loved was the way that Nancy Johnson paired the friendship between Midnight and Corey. Their characters tell two different stories of boyhood, one white and one Black, exemplifying the stark difference between the two. What Corey and his parents have to worry about, Midnight never has had to and never will, simply because of his white skin. While Midnight may have been worse off financially, his whiteness afforded him a relative safety and excuse from trouble that Corey was not afforded. Where Midnight was just having fun and taking risks, Corey was quite literally risking and fearing for his life. I really loved Midnight, until I hated Midnight! I was seriously agape during his river scene with Corey. I could not believe Midnight would do such a thing, but then again, that is my whiteness showing, because it happens in real life all the time. I guess since they were such good friends, I feel like Midnight should have known better (and maybe he did and just did it anyway??), but that just shows that you can be “friends” with a person of color but not commit to understanding their experiences and how you’ve benefited at their expense. I’ll leave the Midnight-Corey relationship by saying that I was not expecting the river scene to end the way that it did. Sorry if that was too in-depth with mini-spoilers but it’s hard to talk about what happened without talking about what happened, ya know??.
I also very much felt Ruth’s inner conflict and longing to know what happened to her child. Being forced to immediately give him up with only the words, “I hate you,” clearly gnawed at her for so many years. And even though she was able to go to Yale and make a name for herself as an engineer, she was always living with feelings of what could have been and a yearning to know what exactly happened to her child. So much so that it affected her desire to have another child with the man she married. I also understand Mama’s decision to give the baby up. She wanted what was best for Ruth, and having a baby tie her down to Ganton was not going to allow her to reach her full potential. The complexity of the familial relationships—both Ruth’s and the others presented in the story--were so well written and developed.
As for the ending, it was kind of perfect. Here I was at the beginning thinking that Midnight and Ruth were going to become inseparable, and she was going to adopt him…and geez was I incorrect on that prediction. The way it DOES end, however, is amazing and beautiful and you’ll probably cry.
Fans of The Vanishing Half will absolutely love this one. I think I maybe even liked it a little better?? So yeah, that’s saying a lot. RATING: 5 out of 5
Look: Sweater (old so no link!), Shoes - Target; Jeans - Madewell (linked similar)
I wanted to pair this book with something that would make the beautiful colors of the front cover pop, and luckily the sunshine helped me out a bit with the lighting. I love this sweater from Target—it’s so soft and I feel like it stayed that way even after some washes...ya know how sweaters can just be so shitty after you wash them?? Ugh. Well, this one is not! I have it in this color and then a maroon-y color palette for fall, and I love them both. They *might* still have some in stores, but there’s not a trace of it Target.com. These shoes are basically the only thing I’ve been wearing for blog photos, so you’ve seen ‘em before. Contemplating getting the grey ones because they are just so versatile and cute and comfy. Finally, catch me in these non-skinny jeans, Gen Z! I’m doing it! And for your information I actually owned these WAY before learning that skinny jeans were on the outs. SO THERE. Madewell jeans are my fav by far, so it should come as no surprise that I love these; they are super comfy and you can wear them with anything once the weather decides to not be freezing…which is almost happening!?!? Woo!
I hope you get a chance to check out The Kindest Lie, it really is so good and worth your time. I’d love to hear what you thought of this book if you’ve read it, and this look if you’ve shopped it or are thinking about it! Leave me a comment or send me a message on IG @thetrendyreader!
Happy Reading!
-Amy-
