Title: Half-Truths & White Lies
Author: Jane Davis
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Black Swan
Publication Date: 9 April 2009
Paperback: 400 pages
Rating: 8/10
Summary (Amazon UK)
When Tom Fellows proclaims that a Venn diagram is a far better way of illustrating modern family ties than a traditional tree, his young daughter Andrea has no idea that he is referring to their own situation. It is only when she loses both parents in a shocking car accident that she takes an interest in her own genealogy and begins to realize that her perfect upbringing was not all that it seemed. “Half-truths & White Lies” is a beautifully crafted, thought-provoking novel that questions the influence of the people who are missing from our lives. It examines the thin line between love and friendship, looking at our complex emotional needs. It also explores how one woman’s life is dictated by her desire for children, whilst another’s is shaped by her decision not to have them.
Review:
** Spoiler Alert - Spoiler Alert - Spoiler Alert**
Half-truths and White Lies is a story which centres around the lives of Andrea, Tom, Laura, Pete and Faye, their relationships, their love for one another, the mistakes they make and the secrets they keep. It is told through the eyes of three different people, Andrea, Uncle Pete and Aunt Faye and jumps from the present to the 1970′s where the story unravels and you learn how their lives entwine. It’s a story about love, loss and forgiveness.
For the first few chapters the story is told by Andrea and I felt that the prose was some what shaky and didn’t really flow, which made it difficult for me to get into. However, once the story moved onto Uncle Pete and Aunt Faye, her writing changed and the words seemed to flow better and did so for the rest of the book. It is sensitively written and I had a lot of empathy for the characters. The only question I had once I had finished the book was, would you really give away your own child to save the marriage of your friends? I’m not sure.
However, other than the book literally falling apart half way through, (not very good for a book that cost £7.99!), I really liked it. This is Jane’s first novel and I will definitely be buying her second or at least getting it from the library.
This book was purchased by me.
