Necessary Lies - Reviews - Books

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Summary

In the book Necessary Lies, fifteen-year-old Ivy Hart is left to care for her grandmother, older sister, and nephew as tenants on a small tobacco farm, after losing her parents. 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?

Reviews

May 13, 2013 – Debbie “DJ” rated it 5 stars

It was amazing! This novel exceeded my already high expectations and is historical fiction at it’s best. I’m always drawn to America’s dirty little secrets, and here we have N. Carolina’s eugenics program in the 1960s. Chamberlain does an excellent job focusing in on one specific family and the impact this program has on their lives.

DJ’s Summary

The main character, Jane, follows her heart to become a social worker against her husband’s wishes (and later demands) to be a housewife and baby maker. She soon learns that this job requires more than just providing help to needy families. The state of N. Carolina (the only state to do so) has put the power in the social worker’s hands. They have to decide whether certain so-called feeble-minded or poverty-stricken women should be sterilized. (And yes, even if women are raped, or forced out of necessity, it is almost always women). Jane becomes passionately involved with one particular family. Who’s already deeply embedded in this program before she officially takes on their case. She becomes the only hope for this family, and once again her own beliefs are at odds with those of her society and employer.

Chamberlain shows through a story, not only the horrors of our recent past. Also the hope we have when we choose to treat others fairly and equally.

Jun 23, 2013 – Dem rated it 3.5 Stars

Necessary Lies was an engaging and compelling read by Diane chamberlain.

I love how the author took the tough subject of the Eugenics Sterilization Program. She wove it into this Fiction story.

The Eugenics Sterilization Program took place between the years of 1929 and 1975. And saw over seven thousand of North Carolina’s citizens sterilized. The program targeted the ” mentally defective” “feebleminded” inmates in mental institutions. Training schools and others whose sterilization was considered ” for the public good”.

The characters are extremely well drawn, believable, and likable. And while the story is sad in places the tone of the book is never depressing.

I enjoyed the read and learned something along the way.

My Thoughts of this Book

I LOVED reading this book, Necessary Lies. It was amazingly good! Not knowing a lot of American history. I love reading novels about it.

The story takes place in rustic Grace County, North Carolina when state-ruling sterilizations and racial tension are extreme. The two main characters in this book are both very strong women and come from very different backgrounds. They are both fighting for what they believe in, but unsure if it is the right thing to do.

All in all, I would recommend this book to any and everyone. It is one of my Faves!!

Definitely a 4.5 Stars read!

Here is a link if you would like to buy it off Amazon!