Truths and Other Lives by Maggie Smith – 356 pages
Book Blurb:
Three women’s careers hang in the balance: a famous journalist, a fledging politician, and the young reporter with ties to each who must navigate the tricky terrain between secrets and lies. Megan Barnes’ life is in free fall. After losing both her job as a reporter and her boyfriend in the same day, she retreats to Chicago and moves in with Helen, her over-protective mother. Before long, the two are clashing over everything from pro-choice to #MeToo, not to mention Helen’s run for US Congress which puts Megan’s career on hold until after the election. Desperate to reboot her life, Megan gets her chance when an altercation at a campus rally brings her face to face with Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist Jocelyn Jones, who offers her a job on her PR team. Before long, Megan is pulled into the heady world of fame and glamour her charismatic new mentor represents. Until an anonymous tweet brings it all crashing down. To salvage Jocelyn’s reputation, Megan must locate the online troll and expose the lies. But when the trail leads to blackmail, and circles back to her own mother, Megan realizes if she pulls any harder on this thread, what should have been the scoop of her career could unravel into a tabloid nightmare.
My Review: 4 stars – Guest Review
Truths and Other Lies was a well-crafted, fast paced, and immensely entertaining and readable novel. It was an impressive debut for author Maggie Smith, and it was hard to believe that this was her first novel. The storyline immediately grabbed me and it was hard to put this book down. The book blurb describes the basic plot, and the author takes the reader on a roller coaster journey as numerous secrets are revealed about several of the characters along with the ramifications of these lies. The progression of the story was realistic, and the second half of the book moved along quickly with many twists, turns, and surprises. I was never quite sure what would be revealed next and was very engaged with the mystery as Megan uses her journalistic skills to uncover the truth about her idol Jocelyn.
The author created such strong, multi-dimensional female characters that were easy to relate to. I must admit, I did not connect to Megan for the first part of the book, but she really grew on me, and I began to like and admire her more and more as the story progressed. All the main female characters faced complex personal and professional issues, had to make tough decisions, and live with the consequences of their actions. The author depicted the complexities of mother/daughter relationships, and the beauty of female friendships in a moving and realistic way. I enjoyed how Megan’s relationship evolved with her mother Helen throughout the story. Other types of female relationships were also deeply explored. There was also some romance woven throughout. The storylines of the three major female characters were seamlessly integrated.
The story was engrossing, current, and topical, and the author expertly navigated many current societal issues including: social media, computer hackers, political divisions, feminism, ambition, abortion, sexual harassment, the “me-too” movement, abuse of power, and mental illness. Moral and ethical dilemmas were also explored, and all the issues were dealt with in an even-handed way. There were insights into the world of journalism and publishing, along with public relations and “bookstagrammers” which will be interesting to book lovers. An added bonus is that story took place in Chicago and all of the surrounding suburbs. Much of the action took place in many failiar landmarks throughout the Chicago area!
This was an ambitious and successful undertaking for this author’s first novel. It would make for lively book club discussions. It was entertaining, while at the same time causing me to think about my attitudes toward many of the timely and current issues that were explored. This is an author to watch, and I will be on the lookout for her next book! Review courtesy of Guest Fairy Ronna.
Quotes I liked:
We each have two sides. Yin and yang. Light and dark. We have to constantly battle so one doesn’t overpower the other.”
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