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Necessary Lies cover art

Necessary Lies

Written by: Diane Chamberlain
Narrated by: Alison Elliott
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Publisher's Summary

Best-selling author Diane Chamberlain delivers a breakout book about a small southern town 50 years ago, and the darkest - and most hopeful - places in the human heart. After losing her parents, 15-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?

©2013 Diane Chamberlain (P)2013 Macmillan Audio

What listeners say about Necessary Lies

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Informative and Engaging

I listened to this book on audible. I enjoy Diane Chamberlain’s stories. This did not disappoint.

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Beautiful and Touching

At the beginning of this story, I felt that the action was a bit too slow and the story didn't grab me. I almost gave up but I'm glad I didn't, because the story grew to be dynamic, touching and beautiful
The action takes place within a family based on what really went on in the South in the 1960s.

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Amazing book

I really enjoyed this book, however very sad to hear what happened to people back in this era regardless of race.

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I really, really enjoyed this book

I listened to it over a couple of days. One of the best ones in a while.
I liked everything.

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definately recommended

fantastic book and narrating was fabulous !
loved this book. I've listened to it many times

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really good

A heartbreaking story about Ivy and Jane. They come from different backgrounds and are in different places in the story but it revolves around them. Ivy is a 15 year old girl that lives on a tobacco farm that essentially supports her whole family (sister, baby william (Mary-Ella's son and Noni,her grandmother who is diabetic). Jane is a newlywed to a physician that decides she wanted to work in the early days of their marriage. Robert has a very different view of what she should be doing but she does her own thing and becomes a social worker and has a huge caseload.

As usual, it is a very well written story. The details made me feel like I could imagine myself there. The relationship that develops between the two is a beautiful one. It was a sad story and it educated me.

I really liked it and would recommend.

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A Good Read

Diane Chamberlain is a great writer. There are some similarities to her other books in this one, for example; mentioning polio and a marriage where the husband doesn’t want his wife to work, because they are “privileged” and society frowns on it.

That being said, she still keeps you guessing and always throws in the element of surprise. I enjoyed this book.

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