I was browsing NetGalley one day when I came across The Lies Between Us and from reading the description became instantly interested in and intrigued by it. I submitted a request on Netgalley to receive an e-ARC of this book and was absolutely delighted when I received an email telling me that my request had been approved. Written by Marian Dillon, The Lies Between Us did not disappoint me and turned out to be a truly spectacular read which I thoroughly enjoyed.
At the start of the book the reader is transported to the 1980s where they meet Eva a young woman who is really struggling after failing her exams and has a less than satisfactory home life with a father who doesn’t seem to care very much and a mother who is hard to connect with and drinks far too much alcohol. Eva turns out to be an incredibly determined young woman and sets her heart on moving out, falling in love along with the way with a man who, despite having a history of his own, turns out to be extremely supportive of Eva.
Following Eva’s first chapter set in the 1980s the second chapter is then written by Kathleen and set in the 1960s. As the novel continues in this way - with one chapter being written by Eva and the next by Kathleen - we see that Kathleen, who is Eva’s mother, hasn’t had an easy life and has experienced events which led her to become the person she is today who Eva finds it so hard to connect with. As the story progresses we see Eva start to question her mother’s past and get to the bottom of exactly what happened to her.
What I liked about this book was the fact that the narrative was so easy to follow and become completely immersed in right from the start. Undoubtedly this is something that was greatly helped by the fact that Marian went to great lengths to really set the scene for the reader with plenty of description and explanation. I also found it particularly interesting to develop my understanding of how certain situations might have been handled or viewed in the 1960s in comparison to how they are nowadays.
I also thought this book really reinforces a message that is extremely important and that is that everyone has a past and a story to tell. There is always more to someone than first meets the eye, so before jumping straight to negative conclusions about someone we should take the chance to get to know them.
Well what more can I say? If you’re looking for a book that is superbly written and unveils how one family deals with the revelation of a big secret, this is the book for you. It will keep you on your toes and wanting more - my only critcism was that this book was over far too soon! I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of what Marian Dillon writes in the future.
