Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain Published by Macmillan on September 3, 2013
Genres: Fiction / Family Life / General, Fiction / Friendship, Fiction / General, Fiction / Historical / General, Fiction / Places / United States, Fiction / Women
Pages: 343
Format: Audiobook
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Bestselling author Diane Chamberlain delivers a breakout book about a small southern town fifty years ago, and the darkest—and most hopeful—places in the human heart
After losing her parents, fifteen-year-old Ivy Hart is left to care for her grandmother, older sister and nephew as tenants on a small tobacco farm. As she struggles with her grandmother's aging, her sister's mental illness and her own epilepsy, she realizes they might need more than she can give.
When Jane Forrester takes a position as Grace County's newest social worker, she doesn't realize just how much her help is needed. She quickly becomes emotionally invested in her clients' lives, causing tension with her boss and her new husband. But as Jane is drawn in by the Hart women, she begins to discover the secrets of the small farm—secrets much darker than she would have guessed. Soon, she must decide whether to take drastic action to help them, or risk losing the battle against everything she believes is wrong.
Set in rural Grace County, North Carolina in a time of state-mandated sterilizations and racial tension, Necessary Lies tells the story of these two young women, seemingly worlds apart, but both haunted by tragedy. Jane and Ivy are thrown together and must ask themselves: how can you know what you believe is right, when everyone is telling you it's wrong?
When Kristin and I started talking about getting back into our reading and reviewing journeys we decided to do a couple of reading challenges. OK, I decided but we agreed. We are doing The Book Girls’ Guide In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) Reading Challenge: 2026 Edition . We actually picked two to read for January – Books Published in 2013. And this one was available to me first, as an audio book, but still available. I also plugged it into my Pop Sugar 2026 Challenge as the bonus prompt: A book in a different format than your usual: physical, audio, eBook. I mean since the last time I listened to an audio book I was driving to Texas with book on CD, maybe tape, but probably CD. I will say I picked a doozie for a first review in what feels like a million years. I was so drawn into this story that I finished 12 hour listen in a matter of days. Yes I multi-tasked and was worried I’d have to listen twice to get it all but that was not the case as I was so drawn into the story and the characters and honestly I want to listen again just for the nuance I may have missed, it was just that good for me. Not perfect, but just that good.
Today’s review will be brought to you by The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly method. Don’t ask me why it makes sense for now.
The Ugly. We’ll start here because well, it makes sense in the moment. Everybody lies. Big lies, little lies, life altering lies. Everybody lies. It’s 1960 in rural North Carolina where poverty is extensive, racism is active, and social workers manage it all through the welfare program. But wait, there’s more! Throw in a eugenics program that provides amazing resources like free sterilization for men and women who qualify. Doesn’t take much to qualify and depending on the situation they don’t even have to tell you what is happening. I mean, who knew a social worker knew you needed your appendix out before your body even knew – wait that wasn’t an appendix.
The Bad. Many things, outside the eugenics program, are still prevalent in society yet today. Poverty, foster care, mental illness, and lack of opportunities for those trapped in the cycle. There is a character that does take her own life in this book. While it’s hard to read, to hear even in this typing, it was something you felt coming. While bad it fit the situation due to all the above issues already mentioned. North Carolina ran their eugenic program, race not a qualifier, much longer than the rest of the country. Most folks don’t realize that every state had one of varying degrees. Side note being a Missouri Girl. Missouri had a law until the late 70’s early 80s that made it illegal for someone with epilepsy to get married. (eugenics) While not enforced it was technically still the law when my parents got married. Growing up the joke was always that they weren’t legally married as technically Daddy had epilepsy.
The Good. I know with all the ugly and bad you thought I’d never get here but omgravy there is so much good. Well developed, relatable characters that draw you into their story, their lives. And a story-line that is so well developed, well paced, and immersive. Not so fast paced that you lose nuance nor so slow paced that you lose interest but living right along with them. I loved Jane with her youthful optimism and idealism. I loved Ivy with her tough exterior and soft heart and war with each other just seeking safety for herself and her family but not really sure to trust her heart or her thoughts. She balanced so well. While I did feel the ending was a bit rushed I feel like it was still relatable and believable. Diane Chamberlain took a real period of our history (a very dark period) and without preaching or infusing current day ideology managed to make it come to life. Without sensationalizing the time period by pandering to the race card she made the 60s in the south real and approachable and relevant to today’s world. While not a perfect book, without flaws, it’s a story that will stay with you and make you think long after the last word is read (or in my case heard). And that’s why I wanted to end with The Good. It’s just that good and I would recommend to anyone who loves historical fiction that is true to history and not pandering to the current day.
About Diane Chamberlain
Diane Chamberlain is the New York Times, USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of 27 novels published in more than twenty languages. Influenced by her former career as a social worker and psychotherapist, she writes suspenseful stories that touch both heart and mind.
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