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.
Diane Chamberlain was born and raised in PLainfield, New Jersey. She has both her bachelor and master's in social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, she was a psychotherapist in private practice in Virginia, working primarily with adolescents.She currently lives in North Caroline with her partner and two Shetland Sheepdogs.
Somewhere in the back of your head you know bad things happen. With confessions governments around the world make how they treated the poor and depending in the past the whole situation in this book should not be surprising. But deep down I always hope it cannot be true. People cannot support this kind of actions though I must admit that when Jane goes around looking for sympathy for her case and people in her surrounding tell her they do find these actions acceptable and why I almost felt they did have a point. Which made me feel bad about myself in return.
It is easy to cheer for Jane hoping she gets the things done she wants to. But honestly she is not a very good social worker. Getting this involved and attached to her clients is obviously wrong and disturbing. I loathed Robert. The way he was reacting on the actions of Jane was really out of proportion and I even experienced it as abusive.
Ivy is an easy one to feel for too. The way she is taking care of her grandmother, Mary Ella and Baby William knowing that if she makes certain decisions she might be able to make a better life for all of them. Being threated so bad because they are depending on welfare.
The whole setting and story where so captivating I could not stop reading. I had to know what would happen and if both Jane and Ivy would be fine in the end.
Necessary Lies
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 352
Format: eGalley
ISBN-10: 1250010691
ISBN-13: 9781250010698
St. Martin's Press : eBook | Hardcover | AudioBook
2 reacties
Write reactiesI like the sound of this story, I am going to check if it's still available on Netgalley. Thanks for your thoughtful review, Ciska.
ReplyThank you for the great review. I had this on my "Can't Wait" list. It sounds like it wont disappoint.
Reply-Dilettantish Reader
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