Please join us in extending our warmest congratulations to beloved contributor Nancy Johnson on the release of her debut novel, The Kindest Lie.

A native of Chicago’s South Side, Nancy Johnson worked for more than a decade as an Emmy-nominated, award-winning television journalist at CBS and ABC affiliates in markets nationwide. A graduate of Northwestern University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she lives in downtown Chicago and manages brand communications for a large nonprofit. The Kindest Lie is her first novel.

Nancy tells us, “I did a fun interview with Entertainment Weekly talking about my inspiration for the novel and how it fits into our current cultural moment. Also, I have a personal essay appearing in Real Simple magazine that will spark conversation and inspire us to think about our relationships.”

“The Kindest Lie is a deep dive into how we define family, what it means to be a mother, what secrets we owe to those we love, and what it means to grow up Black. This beautifully crafted debut will keep you asking these questions and more.” —Jodi Picoult 

We’re delighted for you and the well-deserved recognition. Thank you for answering a few questions for us today!

Q1: What’s the premise of your new book?

The Kindest Lie is the story of Ruth Tuttle, a successful, Ivy League-educated Black engineer who returns to her dying Indiana factory hometown to search for the son she walked away from more than a decade ago. There, she meets and forms an unlikely connection with a poor, 11-year-old white boy nicknamed Midnight. The forces of race, class, and secrets put them on a collision course that could upend both of their lives.

Q2: What would you like people to know about the story itself?

While the issues of racism and classism are definitely evident in the novel, the story is really about family and love and sacrifice. You’ll ask yourself questions: How tethered are you to your past? Does your past define who you are today? How far would you go to protect your child’s future? What lies would you tell trying to do what’s best for the people you love?

Q3: What do your characters have to overcome in this story? What challenge do you set before them?

After Ruth gave birth to her son in her childhood bed, she left Ganton, Indiana and her child behind, never looking back. Now her unsuspecting husband is ready to start a family and she must reckon with her past before she can move forward.

Also, the novel is set in late 2008 when America is ravaged by an economic recession. You’ll meet a Black family and a white family in middle America, struggling, yet doing their best to survive and achieve the American dream.

Q4: What unique challenges did this book pose for you, if any? [Read more…]