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?
my thoughts
I found this book to be a compelling story line, and many times I wanted to yell at the characters "what are you thinking". I know sterilization programs were around at this time, my neighbor had her daughter sterilized. I'm so happy Jane Forester behaved in the way she did with her clients, and while the storyline was not entirely about the Eugenics program, it certainly was a earth chattering element. I read this as part of the R.I.P challenge, it was a "scary" time.
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?
my thoughts
I found this book to be a compelling story line, and many times I wanted to yell at the characters "what are you thinking". I know sterilization programs were around at this time, my neighbor had her daughter sterilized. I'm so happy Jane Forester behaved in the way she did with her clients, and while the storyline was not entirely about the Eugenics program, it certainly was a earth chattering element. I read this as part of the R.I.P challenge, it was a "scary" time.
5 comments:
You know a book is good when you start talking to its characters. I've never read Chamberlain's work but I want to!
This book looks like a good read....I've been looking for something to read but haven't been on for a while....now I can sort of breathe....finally our basement is finished from the flood. Now all we have to do is get furniture and put some things that were saved away.
Sounds like an interesting book Irene Very intriguing! One day I'll write down all the books I want to put on hold at the library!
Have been busy moving...whew. What a job but good to have settled somewhere. Well, not quite settled but starting to feel like it. A nice cooler spot in from the coast, but still near my daughter!
I have this book on my pile and am looking forward to reading it as I love this author.
I've never heard of state-mandated sterilizations. That just blows my mind!
I thought I was the only one who yelled at characters in books.
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