Congrats Bette
on the release today of
A Million Little Lies!
A Million Little Lies by Bette Lee Crosby
Print and e-book, 261 pagesPublished June 16th 2020 by Bent Pine Publishing
A lifetime of lies, and a truth too painful to tell.
When Suzanna Duff was ten years old, she lost her mama, and that’s when the lies began. At first, they were just harmless little fibs, a way to hide her unbearable loneliness and the truth about a daddy who came home rip-roaring drunk every night. But in time, the lies grew bigger and now, when she is a grown woman with a daughter of her own, they threaten to destroy everything she loves.
The irony of this situation is that Suzanna never planned to stay in Georgia, she was simply passing through, looking for a fresh start in New Jersey. Attending that wake with her daughter Annie, was a fluke. An opportunity to enjoy a free meal. It should have entailed nothing more than a solemn nod and a brief expression of sympathy but, Ida Parker, the grieving widow mistook her for her the granddaughter who was carried off as an infant. Too embarrassed to do anything else, Suzanna played along. What harm was there in pretending to be someone else for a few hours? Hours turned into days and days into weeks; strangers became friends, love happened, and before long a year had flown by.
Now the past is standing on her doorstep and Suzanna must decide to leave here and disappear as she has done before, or tell the truth and break the hearts of those she loves most.
When Suzanna Duff was ten years old, she lost her mama, and that’s when the lies began. At first, they were just harmless little fibs, a way to hide her unbearable loneliness and the truth about a daddy who came home rip-roaring drunk every night. But in time, the lies grew bigger and now, when she is a grown woman with a daughter of her own, they threaten to destroy everything she loves.
The irony of this situation is that Suzanna never planned to stay in Georgia, she was simply passing through, looking for a fresh start in New Jersey. Attending that wake with her daughter Annie, was a fluke. An opportunity to enjoy a free meal. It should have entailed nothing more than a solemn nod and a brief expression of sympathy but, Ida Parker, the grieving widow mistook her for her the granddaughter who was carried off as an infant. Too embarrassed to do anything else, Suzanna played along. What harm was there in pretending to be someone else for a few hours? Hours turned into days and days into weeks; strangers became friends, love happened, and before long a year had flown by.
Now the past is standing on her doorstep and Suzanna must decide to leave here and disappear as she has done before, or tell the truth and break the hearts of those she loves most.
My thoughts about A Million Little Lies ~~
(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)
First line—"In the weeks following her mama's death, ten-year-old Suzanna Duff learned to lie as convincingly as any con man who'd ever walked the earth."
A life full of lies—you just know that that kind of life is going to end up all wrong. Right? Suzanna has been lying her whole life. And 'living a life of lies is a very difficult thing'.
Even with all of Suzanna's lying, Bette has once again created a very likable character. Suzanna has the best intentions with her lies, she's just trying to get by and make a better life for herself and her daughter, Annie. She never could of imagined the magnitude of the lies that she would end up telling when they stopped in a small town in Georgia. All they wanted was a quick meal before they continued on their journey.
A Million Little Lies is a beautifully written story full of interesting characters, some you will love and some you will despise. I especially loved Ida and wished I had someone in my life like her. Bette's characters are always so likable, memorable, and real. Suzanna, Annie, and Ida's story is one that you need to discover and it will be one that you will not soon forget. And as always, there are bits of wisdom all throughout the book, something that I just love about Bette's books.
I received a copy of A Million Little Lies from the author via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
About the author
"Storytelling is in my blood," Crosby laughingly admits, "My mom was not a writer, but she was a captivating storyteller, so I find myself using bits and pieces of her voice in most everything I write."
It is the wit and wisdom of that Southern Mama Crosby brings to her works of fiction; the result is a delightful blend of humor, mystery and romance along with a cast of quirky charters who will steal your heart away. Her work was first recognized in 2006 when she received The National League of American Pen Women Award for a then unpublished manuscript. She has since gone on to win twenty awards for her work; these include: The Royal Palm Literary Award, the FPA President's Book Award Gold Medal, Reader's Favorite Award Gold Medal, and the Reviewer's Choice Award. ~ Goodreads
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