TWO SISTERS, ONE DANGEROUS LIE,
AND A DEVASTATING TRUTH.
Joan, once a singing star of the 1940s and 1950s, now ekes out a lonely, impoverished existence – until a chance encounter promises a comeback concert and an album. Her sister Kathleen is a successful medical researcher who has been offered the directorship of a prestigious institute in Los Angeles as she contemplates the recent break-up with the love of her life.
Over the years, Joan and Kathleen draw closer together until a figure from Joan’s past threatens everything they’ve built. As the sisters excavate the lies that bind them, a more profound truth threatens to drive them apart.
About the Author :
Mary Chamberlain is the internationally bestselling author of four previous novels: The Mighty Jester, The Dressmaker of Dachau, The Hidden (Oneworld, 2019) and The Forgotten (Oneworld, 2021). She is also the author of non-fiction books on women’s history and Caribbean history, including Fenwomen: A Portrait of Women in an English Village, the first book published by Virago Press. She lives in London with her husband, the political theorist Stein Ringen.
Review :
Praise for The Hidden:
‘A powerful and raw, elegantly written, character piece dealing with inhumanity and endurance, firmly grounded in real events.’ Herald
‘Recent novels such as The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society have taken the occupation as their subject, but none so potently as Mary Chamberlain’s The Hidden.’ Sunday Times
‘A heart-breaking yet hope-filled tale.’ Woman's Own magazine
'I galloped through this beautifully written epic tale, unable to put it down. The Lie is full of tension and twists, but it's also a poignant portrait of what it means to be a mother. We follow the plights of two sisters from WW2 until the 2000’s, very different women, both struggling to survive in a world that refuses or begrudges them power and agency because of their sex. The Lie is a fascinating look at women’s evolving role in history, and an emotional, heart-stopping read.' Saskia Sarginson, author of The Twins
'In The Lie, Mary Chamberlain expertly weaves together the different timelines, whilst simultaneously unpicking the nature of women’s relationships. Chamberlain is a brilliant storyteller and this tightly-plotted tale of tough choices and hard truths doesn’t disappoint.' Sonia Velton, author of Blackberry and Wild Rose
'A gripping, absorbing mystery about the true meaning of family, and a fascinating exploration into the huge social changes that impacted ordinary lives, particularly those of women, during the 20th century.' Sarah Day, author of Mussolini's Island
'Not only is The Lie a fascinating and deftly-written novel of sisterhood and secrets exploring women’s untold stories, but it's the first book I’ve read in which Rick Astley is thanked in the Acknowledgements.' Anna Mazzola, author of The Clockwork Girl
'No-one honours the hidden stories of women who’ve lived through wartime like Mary Chamberlain. The Lie is a testament to all those who’ve had to hide their truth - a compelling, poignant and heartfelt tale about the quiet devastation that is caused when the secrets of the past surface in the present.' Lianne Dillsworth, author of Theatre of Marvels
'A deftly written and executed novel, interesting and provoking. It demonstrates the challenges facing women who wanted to make their way in a word where the rules and conventions were drawn up by men.'
