THE TRUTH ABOUT WHITE LIES

A teenage girl learns heavy life lessons about the costs of the lies we tell ourselves and others.

Shania is a 17-year-old White girl, newly arrived in South Blue Rock with her mother shortly after the sudden death of her beloved grandmother, a tragedy that has left her feeling adrift. Shania is seeking a sense of belonging and is drawn to Michelle, a Black girl in her botany class who shares her love of gardening. Then she finds herself in the orbit of rich, popular Catherine, a White classmate. Soon after, Prescott, Catherine’s brother and Shania’s crush, also notices her. Spurred on by notes left in a prized almanac and cryptic last words from her grandmother, Shania slowly learns that there is much more to the people in her life. Family secrets, the history of South Blue Rock, and conflicts between her new friends threaten to unravel much of what Shania desperately wants to be true. Will she continue to be willfully ignorant about injustices in return for a more comfortable existence? Or will she risk uncovering harsh, violent, and possibly unforgivable truths? Cole’s writing is captivating as she weaves a story that may feel all too familiar with its overarching themes of the weaponization and justification of racism and the ripples of blatant and subtle bigotry that may become tsunamis. This book is sure to hit home with many readers.

An honest, searing look at the roots and rotten fruits of White supremacy.