Capturing the profound racial injustices and class inequalities roiling society, Nancy Johnson’s debut novel offers an unflinching view of motherhood in contemporary America and the never-ending quest to achieve the American Dream. The Kindest Lie examines the heartbreaking divide between black and white communities and plumbs the emotional depths of the struggles faced by ordinary Americans in the wake of the financial crisis. When a traumatic incident strains the town’s already searing racial tensions, Ruth and Midnight find themselves on a collision course that could upend both of their lives. As she uncovers burning secrets her family desperately wants to hide, she unexpectedly befriends Midnight, a young white boy who is also adrift and looking for connection. While her family is happy to see her, they remind her of the painful sacrifices they made to give her a shot at a better future-like the comfortable middle-class life she now enjoys.ĭetermined, Ruth begins digging into the past. 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 abandoned-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 rise of Barack Obama ushers in a new kind of hope. This program will also be livestreamed, register for the live online broadcast here. Masks that cover your nose and mouth are also required throughout the American Writers Museum regardless of vaccination status. Proof of vaccination, along with a valid photo ID are required to enter. Johnson is joined in conversation by fellow writer Catherine Adel West. Named a Most Anticipated book by O Magazine, Shondaland, Chicago Tribune, Elle and many more, the novel is now out in paperback. Join us for an evening with Nancy Johnson to discuss her debut novel The Kindest Lie, “a deep dive into how we define family, what it means to be a mother, and what it means to grow up Black” (Jodi Picoult).

The kindest lie by nancy johnson